It was sad to leave, we felt like we could have easily spent more time with these wonderful people.

As we headed out of the harbour I noticed that even the pilot boat had solar panels on the roof and all the marker buoys were run on solar panels.

The journey towards the Suez Canal was moonlit and calm until we came to the end of the Red Sea and the wind and waves slowed our progress. Interspersed with events like pods of dolphins, a lunar eclipse, False Killer Whales and clear starry nights. And of course a barbeque. The Sinai Peninsula loomed on one side, the cliffs of Egypt on the other.

I don't think that the anchor had even hit the bottom when the local "shops" disguised as boats tied up alongside us and offer to sell us their wares at the "very best price for you my friend". They also offer to buy paint and wire and rope from you. I gave the bosun on board a couple of pieces of old rope which were better than the ones they tied up with and of no use to us. The Captain was first to do trade with the natives and then slowly some of the crew parted with their hard earned cash to buy a trinket or two.

Luckily, the next day we upped anchor, moved, re-anchored, more "best prices" and "friends" tied alongside. Then upped anchor and joined the tail of a precession of larger ships and began the long day thru the Suez. Past the military guard posts, the bridges ready to cross at a moments sign of trouble. The sand. More sand. A town, a few fishermen, the Bitter Lake. The point where many ships anchor, waiting. Maybe they ran
out of Marlboro cigarettes the currency of choice and this is where everyone becomes "Bitter". Past a few more houses, a city, a few more military installations, and many fishermen and off course some sand. Then, before you know it the pilot boat comes to get the pilot and the agent. They stay alongside for rather a long time hoping for one more carton of cigarettes..................it wasn’t to be and we are free to proceed into the open waters of the Mediteranean Sea.

We turned the corner and anchored in the Port of Alexandria. Egypt. The 600 hundred-year-old Fort captured my imagination as we settled in behind a throng of fishing boats.
These boats are full of colors, character and characters. On the inflatable boat runs, to and from, the ship to the shore, I met and photographed some of the fisherman. They offered their food, tea, smiles and plenty of thumbs up! I gave some of our old covers for shelter in the small boats tied off the stern of the bigger fishing boats. With a small fire going and a roof they seemed very content.

Of course we invited the volunteers who had been helping with our visit and we had a barbeque.

I got ashore one night. Sat on the beach, was told to move as it was on military property. The sign, written in Arabic was a little obscure. I moved on and walked the harbour wall towards the town. I changed some money and sat down outside and had a coffee where I met Muhammad Ali, a sailor who had been living in Europe for 6 years and was finding it hard to re-adjust to life in Alexandria. I smiled as I watched 3 kids jump on the bumper of the tram as it pulled away. Cars are parked in front of the no parking signs, the traffic weaves all over as there are no lanes marked. The horse drawn carts and carriages and people risking their lives crossing the road all made for a great coffee. I finished my second brew, my new friend Muhammad Ali paid the bill and I too risked my life to cross the road.

I bought some English newspapers and magazines for the ship then made my way back to the yacht club, which was the dropping off, and picking up point. I just missed the last run but luckily for the second engineer and I, a local fellow that I had be-friended grabbed my hand and walked me to his rowing boat, loaded us in, after I had stood on his hand, and proceeded to row us to the ship singing small parts of Italian love songs which we replied with "row row row your boat....".

Hard to forget being sung to, while being rowed in a dingy called” Hitler", through a maize of fishing boats, the old city of Alexandria beneath us, the newer one to one side, a 600 year old castle on the other, the Rainbow Warrior awaiting.