DAY 7 - PANAMA CANAL - FEBRUARY 2, 2010

TODAY WAS AN EARLY RISE FOR THE BOTH OF US AS WE WANTED TO SEE OUR ENTRY INTO THE PANAMA CANAL. AFTER GRABBING A QUICK BREAKFAST WE MOVE TO THE PACIFIC LOUNGE ON DECK 10. LUCKILY THERE WERE NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE IN THE LOUNGE YET AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET 2 CHAIRS UP CLOSE TO THE WINDOWS. (THE LOUNGE FILLED QUICKLY SOON AFTER WE SETTLED IN OUR CHAIRS.)

FIRST A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE CANAL. THERE ARE 3 SETS OF LOCKS WITH 3 CHAMBERS EACH. THE FIRST SET, CATUN LOCKS HEADING SOUTH, RAISES THE SHIP 28 FEET IN APPROX 10 MINUTES IN EACH CHAMBER IN ORDER TO FIRST REACH THE MAN-MADE LAKE OF CATUN. THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF 85 FEET IS OBTAINED IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES.

ONCE ENTERING THE LAKE, 23 MILES IN LENGTH AND 85 FEET IN DEPTH, THE TRANSPORT BECOMES VERY PICTURESQUE. THE LAKE WHICH IS QUITE WIDE IN SPOTS GETS VERY NARROW AS YOU REACH THE SECOND SET OF LOCKS.

ADDITIONALLY, AT THIS TIME, THE CHANNEL IS BEING DRUDGED AND WIDEN AND THEREFORE THE SPEED OF THE SHIP IS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY, ESPECIALLY WHERE THERE IS A WIDE BEND. THE TRAFFIC IS THEN CONTROLLED BY THE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOWED TO PROVIDE ALTERNATING FLOW OF TRAFFIC.

THE CANAL WAS COMPLETED IN 1914, AT A COST OF $350M, AND SINCE THEN HAS ALLOWED OVER 960,000 SHIPS TO CROSS FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC. IN AS MUCH AS THE CHAMBERS IN EACH LOCK IS 1000 FEET LONG AND 110 FEET WIDE THE SHIPS ARE RESTRICTED IN SIZE FOR PASSAGE. NO SHIP CAN BE LONGER THAN 965 FEET IN LENGTH AND 106 FEET WIDE. NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF CLARENCE.

BE CAUSE THE CHAMBERS ARE SO NARROW SHIPS RELIEVE COMMAND OF THE CONTROL TO THE CANAL AUTHORITIES UNTIL THE SHIP IS CLEAR OF THE LAST CHAMBER IN EACH SET OF LOCKS. ADDITIONALLY, THE NARROWNESS REQUIRES THE ASSISTANCE OF MOTORIZED MINI-LOCOMOTIVES THAT PROVIDE TOW LINES AND ARE ATTACHED TO THE SHIP. THE SHIPS ARE ACTUALLY PULLED THROUGH EACH CHAMBER AND SET OF LOCKS. THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS QUITE EDUCATIONAL, AND ENTERTAINING.

THE MOTTO OF THE PANAMA CANAL IS “LAND DIVIDED, WORLD UNITED”: IT IS A VERY FITTING SAYING.

GEORGIA AND I SOON FOUND OURSELVES SITTING ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE PLANTERS CLOSE TO THE WINDOW, IN ORDER TO GET BETTER PICTURES. OF COURSE, WE COULD HAVE GONE TO THE OUTSIDE DECKS, HOWEVER, LOOKING STRAIGHT AT THE LOCKS PROVIDED BETTER PICTURES OF THE OPERATION.

SHORTLY BEFORE 11 AM WE BOTH HEADED TO THE BUFFET FOR A BAGEL AN COFFEE TO CARRY US THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. RETURNING TO OUR CHAIRS, WE SNAPPED PICTURES, READ MATERIAL ABOUT THE CANAL, LISTENED TO THE NARRATOR WHO FILLED IN VOLUMES OF CANAL HISTORY AND DETAIL, WROTE PARTS OF THIS TRAVEL LOG, AND CHATTED WITH FELLOW PASSENGERS.

ONE INTEREST ADDITIONAL FACT INCLUDE THE CROSSING OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WHILE IN TRANSIT OF THE PANAMA CANAL. THERE IS A BRIGDE THAT SPANS THE NARROW CHANNEL THAT, FROM A DISTANCE, RESEMBLES THE GOLDEN GATE, ALTHOUGH NOT RED, WITH ITS HIGH SUPPER STRUCTURES. ONCE ONE GAINS FULL SIGHT OF THE BRIDGE THE MANY STRANDS OF LARGE CABLE CONNECTING THE HIGH TOWERS TO THE ROADWAY.

PORTIONS OF THE HILLSIDE ON ONE SIDE OF THE BRIDE WILL BE EXCAVATED TO ALLOW FOR A WIDER PASSAGE. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY OUR NARRATOR SAID THE NEXT SET OF LOCKS IS ONLY 6 MILES BEYOND THE BRIDGE. EXITING THE LOCKS AT THAT POINT WILL PUT US IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

AROUND 3:15 WE BEGAN ENTRY INTO THE PEDRO MIGUEL LOCK FOR PASSAGE INTO ANOTHER SMALL MAN MADE LAKE CALLED MIRAFLORES IN PREPARATION FOR ENTRY TO 2 CHAMBER MIRAFLORES LOCKS. THE LAKE IS VERY SMALL AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE 2 LOCKS IS A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILE. WE ARE OFFICIALLY ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN SIDE OF PANAMA.

AS WE ENTERED PEDRO MIGUEL LOCK,GEORGIA AND I MOVED TO THE SUN DECK AND SNAPPED SEVERAL EXCELLENT PICTURES OF NOT ONLY OUR ENTRANCE AND EXIT BUT ALSO THE LARGE CONTAINER FREIGHTER THAT HAS PRECEDED US THROUGH THE LOCKS SINCE 8:00 AM THIS MORNING ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD OUR SHIP SHOULD COMPLETE THE LOCKS PROCESS AT APPROX, 5:20 PM AT WHICH TIME WE WILL HEAD NORTH FOR OUR STOP AT PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA.

JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK WE EXITED THE FINAL CHAMBER AND AT EXACTLY 5:20 PM THE SHIP PASSED UNDER THE BRIDGE OFAS AND INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. PANAMA CITY, THE CAPITAL OF PANAMA, WAS ON OUR LEFT SIDE WITH SAILBOATS LINING THE SMALL HARBOR.

ALTHOUGH WE DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO DINNER TONIGHT, WE GOT THERE JUST BEFORE THEY CLOSED THE DOORS. THIS EVENINGS MENU WAS VERY GOOD, WITH MANY CHOICES. GEORGIA AND I STUCK TO GUNS TODAY AND LIMITED OUR SELECTION TO MANGO SOBERT AND COFFEE.

WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GIVE JOEY VAN ANOTHER TRY TONIGHT AND OUR DECISION WAS PROPER. HE DID A FIND JOB WITH ONE OF HIS BEST IMPERSONATIONS AS COLUMBO.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER RELAXING DAY AT SEA AND I PLAN ON SPENDING MOST OF THE DAY CATCHING UP ON MY TRAVEL LOG ON CHINA. I’M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO FINISHING THE CHINA ADVENTURE