The town sits at the mouth of the Suez Canal, and was only built when the Canal opened in 1869. All day long, we were passed by huge oil tankers and enormous containers ships bringing goods from East to West.
Apparently this is the wealthiest city in Egypt, and it certainly doesn't have the same chaotic atmosphere as Alexandria or Cairo, and there doesn't seem to be the same level of poverty on the streets.
That said, it's still a fairly run-down place, as most of the once-grand colonial buildings seem to be slowly falling apart. However it's one of the few places I've been to in Egypt where you don't have to run the gauntlet of over-eager stall holders and pushy hawkers, so overall it's a less exhausting place to visit.
Tomorrow, we venture to Israel - it will be interesting to compare and contrast.