If we had known earlier, we would have alerted you to go to www.pancanal.com and check out the web cams for the Amsterdam’s progress.
This was our first time in the canal. Of course we were given the story of how many times such a canal was envisioned (starting back in the mid-1500s) and how many times it was attempted and how Teddy Roosevelt finally enabled the independence of Panama from Columbia after the latter refused to lease the land and all the obstacles had to be overcome.
I grew up near the Erie/Barge Canal in upstate New York and can remember bicycling out to the nearest set of locks and watching boats go through. Before power boats, the barges were pulled by mules walking along the tow path along the side of the canal. The Panama Canal locks are bigger and the mules have been replaced with diesel-powered locomotives that pull the ships through the locks.
The marvelous part of the Panama Canal is its construction and the many non-engineering problems that had to be solved. Like the diseases that had to be overcome.
The Panama Canal has three steps up and three steps down with artificial lakes in between. Each step is about 28 feet. There are two locks for each step so two ships can be raised or lowered at a time. The Amsterdam required three locomotives on each side to pull us through the locks. We traversed the lakes under our own power.
I was reminded of our cruise on the Main-Danube canal. In some ways I think the engineering there was more complicated. As I recall we went through a 90 foot high lock that necessitated our entering through an opening at the bottom of one end. In addition, they developed a water recirculating system, whereas Panama has plenty of water, most of the time.
There was a commentator on the Amsterdam’s bridge who provided information all along the way. We were in the channel before dawn, and before we were awake. By 4 pm we were in the Pacific, having traveled about 48 miles.
There are plans to create a new, parallel set of locks that are 60% longer and 70% wider to accommodate today’s larger ships. They expect to open the new route in 2014, the 100th anniversary of the original opening.
The skyscrapers of Panama City were amazing and quite unexpected. People who had been through a few years ago said the buildings had probably doubled in number.
Most of the at-sea activities proceeded, including Tai Chi. The evening’s performer was an ambitious pianist from the UK. He was OK, but not spectacular and has made me think if I want to spend the hour watching OK performances, or doing things I can’t do at home (since there is so much entertainment on TV and the Internet), like keep a blog of the trip.
After diner we took advantage of the 2-for-1 Happy Hour at the Piano Bar to try a French Chocolate, a hot chocolate with cointreau.
Back in the cabin, we received certificates for completing the Panama Canal transit.