Australia, my new home

and then on to Suez?" Sister asked me after the meal.

"I haven't got the money." "Oh, and I thought you were very rich." "What made you think that?"

"I thought being a private passenger on a migrant ship?" "My uncle paid the passage. I need every bit of money for Australia." "Don't be too stingy with yourself. You may not come this way that soon again."

"That's true." "I tell you what. The doctors are already talking about hiring a taxi in Ceylon. The Captain said, that it would be a really worthwhile excursion. I would like to go, what about you two?"

The Padre shook his head. "I'm sorry, I won't be able to go." "And you, Dieter?"

"It can't be too expensive, if we all share. I really would like to go. Why not!"

But we were still in Port Said, and the noise of the cars and the people immersed us into the scenery of an exotic city, which had suddenly turned on its lights as darkness had come quickly. We were in no hurry, as the SKAUBRYN wasn't scheduled to leave until midday tomorrow. Eventually we strolled back to our ship. It's been a worthwhile and quite exciting excursion.

Next morning I went again ashore with some other people, but the magic of the previous night was not present. Our ship left fairly punctually, with countless boats full with goods and hawkers still trying to make a last sale. They tied the items on ropes which the prospective customers hauled up, inspected, and if they agreed to buy it, they sent the money down the same way. People had to make sure they put in the right change, as they might never have seen the change.

Eventually the boats were left behind and the SKAUBRYN sailed into the Suez Canal. Our ship was the first in a convoy of about 25 other ships.

Along the Canal was a road on either side, and a train line on the western side. But beyond that there was desert. Occasionally we passed a village. When we saw another passenger liner I thought it was going through the sand. I then realised that there was another branch of the Canal, where ships were able to pass each other.

By midnight we had passed through the Canal. We had entered the Great Bitter Lake, half way to Suez. I was wondering how the two doctors would join the ship in Suez, as we were not going to stop there, but that was not my worry. In the early morning hours they were brought in with the pilot boat, while it took our pilot back to shore.

In the Red Sea the captain ordered the swimming pool to be filled with water. Both air and water temperature were 30°C and I swam and splashed in it for the whole hour it had been reserved for the Tourist Class. From then on this became routine, especially as the temperature went higher

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