DAY 98-CRUISING GULF OF SUEZ

 Our position at noon today is cruising in the Gulf of Suez with Egypt now on both sides of us.  It has cooled off considerable as temperature at noon is 70 degrees and that is forecast high for next several days.

WHAT WE DID TODAY:
       Well, my cold went down into chest now.  At 9:00 this morning we attended a Good Friday interdenominational church service in the theater.  I had to stand by back door so I could leave when I had coughing spell.  I was a wonderful service with a dramatic reading of "The Passion of Christ" by 5 people.
       The weather has definitely changed now.  It is cool now after some oppressive heat for past couple of months.  High temperatures forecast for our Sunday & Monday visit in Israel is to be high 60's.  Probably same temperature for our transit of the Suez Canal tomorrow.
       Here in the Gulf of Suez today we have Egypt on both sides of us.  Views out our balcony doors today are of the eastern coastline.  It is kind of hazy but my photos may show the coast is arid with a small coastal plain then rapidly rising terrain forming small mountains.  Along the coast is also many offshore drilling platforms.

       There was an emergency refresher drill this morning for people who boarded in Abu Dhabi but they have changed the policy so now we only have to attend one every 30 days.  About time as we had been to 8 drills.
       This morning I went up to the shops to get some cough medicine.  We had a nice lunch up in the La Veranda buffet.  We both enjoyed some salmon in puff pastry and fried shrimp, scallops, and perch.  This afternoon I just want to rest and get over this cold.
       This evening there is a Seven Seas Society "Arabian Nights" cocktail hour up on the pool deck. They are encouraging people to dress like Arabs in garbs they may have purchased when in the Middle East ports.  Sorry, we are not attending and will dress as normal Americans do.  After dinner in Compass Rose we plan on going to see the headliner entertainer, Brett Sherwood, who is a magician.  Normally we do not care for magicians but will give him a chance.
       Tonight we will be setting our clocks back again another hour.  Early tomorrow morning we will be starting our 13 hour transit of the Suez Canal.