The Panama Canal -- An Engineering Marvel

Somewhere in the world, a baby conceived on April 7, 2012, the day we transited the Suez Canal on the last cruise has to have been born today, January 9, the day we passed through the Panama Canal. 

We had never been through either canal until last year and now have done both within a short period of time and it afforded us the opportunity to observe a real study in contrasts.  I did know that Panama was a much more complex operation than Suez from having taught Panama Canal diplomacy when I taught AP US History in Hamburg.  In fact when I told Barb that Panama Canal was one of my favorite topics in the entire course, her reaction was pretty much a quizzical “huh”?  But it’s true and I wish I had had the opportunity to have gone through the Panama Canal when I was teaching.  It’s so true of so many places, but Panama Canal was so closely linked to US History around the turn of the 20^th century.  However, I will spare most of the details that most of you could probably care less about. Back when I was teaching, I had a captive audience!

Suffice it to say that by the mid-19^th century when there was interest in a Suez Canal, many proposed something be done to cut the distance around South America to get between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  With the California Gold Rush of 1849, pioneers had to choose between two daunting routes:  overland in wagons or 7,000 miles around South America by boat!  Panama at the time was a part of Colombia and initially the British, who ruled the seas, seemed to be the nation to build the canal.  But the French were interested in a canal, and then the US.  The French had made an unsuccessful attempt to build the canal, but Theodore Roosevelt was determined to have the US construct it.  The fact that when the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, it took several months for the battleship “Oregon” to move from the Pacific coast to Cuba and by that time, the war was over showed the urgency in getting a canal. 

 Roosevelt was undaunted by the slowness and recalcitrance of other nations to act, so he fomented a revolution in Panama and orchestrated construction by the US.  Problems abounded, far more than Suez.  The hot humid climate caused many deaths from malaria and yellow fever.  The terrain was much more rugged than through Suez.  And as the canal was being dug, there were many land cave-ins that made construction difficult.  But at almost the exact time as World War I was breaking out in Europe, the Panama Canal was opened.  Until January 1, 2000 the US operated the canal but since that time, it has been under Panamanian operation.

One of the unusual characteristics of the Panama Canal is the popular impression that the canal cuts straight east to west.  In reality, the Isthmus of Panama curves back on itself so that the canal cuts more northeast to southwest and one has the illusion of the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.  Of course we all know that it’s not the case but because of the geographic feature, it just appears that the sun rises over the canal in the west.

Having gone through both Suez and Panama about nine months apart, similarities and differences were easy to identify.  When we opened the drapes in the morning about 6 AM, we were already in the channel near the Caribbean Coast ready to pass through the first of three series of locks.  Already there was a difference with the Suez Canal since there are no locks needed in Suez.  But in Panama, an intricate set of locks are needed, requiring careful coordination.  There are some areas that can accommodate just one way traffic if a large cruise or cargo ship is involved.  Another major contrast is the terrain.  In Suez, the topography was flat for the most part and barren and brown on the Sinai Peninsula side while on the west side of the canal it was somewhat more lush.  In Panama, there were hills on both sides (a major engineering problem), and the vegetation was dense and green.  After all, Panama is in a thriving rainforest.  Having grown up with green grass and trees, we enjoyed the beauty of the green landscape.  Furthermore in the Panama Canal area, there were beautiful islands which dotted the waters between the locks.  Early in the morning we passed through the first of the locks, the Gatun Locks before reaching Gatun Lake which contained a number of ships waiting their turns to get into the locks.

All this came before breakfast but we had enjoyed the “Panama Rolls” on the bow. Panama Rolls are mysteriously similar to Sydney Opera House Rolls, or Antarctica Rolls and are filled with a special cream flavor as well as some different fruit flavors.   After breakfast, we had time for a session of “Good Morning Amsterdam”.   Cruise Director Bruce asked the group of approximately 100 people how many people had never been through the Panama Canal before.  About a half dozen, including the two of us, were the only ones to raise our hands.  Although surprising to many of our friends, we truly are the rookies at travel with the world cruiser crowd!

       We then went through two more sets of locks, first the Pedro Miguel Locks after the Culebra Cut, followed by last set, near the Pacific Ocean, the Miraflores Locks.  In both cases, there was a huge cargo vessel going through the locks with us.  There were two parallel locks, and a ship is pulled by a couple of engines called “mules” while in the lock.  Our friend Sally told us she told someone that the ships were pulled by mules but gave no description.  She was sure the lady imagined the traditional mules pulling our large cruise ship.

       At each set of locks was a Webcam which would allow friends and family to watch us go through the locks.  We all waved for the camera and someone reported their family did pick them out as they waved from the ship in the lock.  While we were in the west lock in the Pedro Miguel Locks and the cargo ship was in the east lock, we reversed our position for the Miraflores Locks. We were told that was unusual but found the reason was that there was a medical emergency on board and that a passenger was being evacuated to a hospital which could be reached by ambulance only from the east set of locks.  Barb observed the man being taken off the ship and he seemed to be sitting up and waving as he left. It was just one year ago today, in our first port at Dominica that a lady was hit by a tour van, had her legs run over twice, then evacuated, a leg amputated, and subsequently died of her injuries.   Fortunately this man didn’t seem to be in such dire condition.

       It was a hot day, probably even hotter than in Suez, but the proverbial humid heat of Panama made it seem worse than the dry heat in the Suez Canal.  We likewise noted that the transit was much more relaxed as there were no gun placements or obvious armed military presence that we found along the Suez Canal.  And along the Panama Canal there were definitely no camels which we had seen in the distance along the Suez!

       It was a busy day, but one filled with new, memorable experiences.  For those who have traveled with us, Barb was talking with Hanz, our concierge that served in the same capacity last year.  Barb mentioned several that had been on our deck last year and commented on Sherry (pronounced like “Sher Eee”) and Ron.  Hanz told her that they had done the Grand Asia last fall and that Ron had become ill, evacuated in Bankok, Thailand, and passed away there.  We were sorry to hear that!  Hanz also remembered, of course, Al and Pam.  Barb told him that we stayed in close contact with Al, but since he’s in Arizona, we haven’t seen him since the cruise last year, but that we see Pam frequently and in fact had been out to dinner with Pam and Paul very shortly before we left home.

       Now, after a day at sea, we will be on to another new country for us, Equador.

CT