Red Sea and sunshine

Friday, April 03, 2009 – At Sea in the Red Sea (one of the most saline bodies of water in the world)
The Red Sea is approx. 1350 miles long, 123 miles wide and its deepest point is 7254 feet. We pass the coastlines of Sudan and Egypt during the day.
Absolutely perfect summer day with a gusty wind and no clouds!

I wanted to stay outside all day and do absolutely nothing!! The waters are incredibly smooth and a deep blue color, the breeze is strong and the sun is bright – my kind of perfect day! I walked and then dawdled out on the deck.

At the lecture on “Modern Jordan” we found out there are approx. 3.5M in the capitol city of Amman. 1M Iraqis have sought asylum in Amman and that is creating a strain on their water supply. They are in the desert and there has been a draught so they expect a shortage of water this summer. There are resorts on the Dead Sea, where it is easier to float due to the salt content in the water. Jerash and Petra are historical sights where concerts are regularly held – Placido Domingo was just there for a concert with other tenors. Wadi Rum is a lunar mountainscape for trekking and camping. Aqaba is their only port and we will dock there tomorrow.

After a late lunch, I saw out on the balcony and worked on the computer. It is the Costume Ball tonight/a formal night, and Emma Sinclair was the soprano singer from the West End in London. Enjoyed seeing the Moon and Saturn through the telescope back by the pool area.

The internet/email are working again and our birthday balloons are now on the walls of the room! The roses are still in bloom, along with the lilies and the scent is so nice in the room.

Lectures: “Ghost Universe: The greatest challenge to modern science”; “Italian Navy’s little-known Underwater Adventure in the Mediterranean” and “Box Ships”. Did you know an American founded the first container in the port of Newark, NJ in 1956?? These box ships transport over 90% of general cargo world-wide. Anthony Hewitt played a Chopin piano concert at 2PM.