Traveling through the Suez Canal was an interesting, yet exciting experience. I had absolutely no idea or ever gave it any thoughts on how it would be like. I was also one of the first few people in the world that got to travel through the new Suez Canal which was officially opened in February.
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez.
On 24 February 2016, the Suez Canal Authority officially opened the new side channel.
Before sailing through the Suez Canal, all ships had to wait outside before it was given the green light. Everyone must wait certain times before sailing through and will be guided by war ships as protection.
The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of Egypt. Under the Convention of Constantinople, it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag".
To be honest, there wasn't much to see, but what there was to see was quite fascinating. Every now and then there were some statues. It was quite cool to see the workers working on various projects and buildings and a bunch of people shouting and parading us as we passed by.
As dull as it might seem, it was still quite a thrilling experience having to travel through the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important Canals of all time. Once we were closer to the famous Suez Canal Bridge, we saw a lot more activity going on. Small cities and industry areas filled up the land, a lot more noise going on and even helicopter activity going on.
If you get the chance to pass through the Suez Canal, do it! It really might seem dull and boring, for most people it probably is. But it's the experience and it's rich history that makes it thrilling.
