Panama Canal…bucket list favorite

Published by

Betty Warner

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Before the canal, but I liked this image of Panama City at dawn framed by the cranes ready to unload the numerous cargo ships. Think money…billions of dollars daily generated by Canal fees, paid in cash in advance.

At 6 am this morning, I could sense the ship slowing to begin passage through the Panama Canal. It was already hot and sticky, but we grabbed a quick breakfast at the poolside restaurant and took up photo stations.

As we entered the Canal, our ship was transferred to the control of a member of the Panama Canal Authority; a second member of the Authority joined us to narrate the passage broadcast into ship public spaces and on room televisions. (You may remember that we helped Panama become independent of Columbia in exchange for Panama’s agreement to let us build the canal. We are happy to intervene in our self-interest. Jimmy Carter returned the Canal to Panama, effective in 1999, unless the Canal is “threatened.” )

Bob stayed outside on the upper decks most of the day, taking infinite numbers of pictures while I enjoyed our room balcony from which most of these photos were shot.

This great shot is from the ship’s bridge camera, showing us entering the first lock. The first set of locks will elevate the ship 106 feet in total. In the lower right corner, you can see one of four “mules” …2 on each side front and rear. The goal is to prevent sideways movement. Of course the originals were mules. You can also see on the left a ship in the locks beside us, going in the same direction as we were.
A close up of a lock opening in the adjacent lane. Depending on traffic, ships travel through the locks in both directions.
Looking toward the rear from the deck, you can better see the mule and the lines connecting it to the ship.
Again looking toward the rear, the ship is now descending 106 feet down to the Caribbean Sea.

It is now 5:00pm, and our ship is back in Oceania’s control in the Caribbean Sea. Onward to Cartagena, Columbia!

One response to “Panama Canal…bucket list favorite”

  1. Pat Redmond Avatar
    Pat Redmond

    Glad you enjoyed it.

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