There is nothing more central to Panamanian culture, tourism, and business than the Panama Canal. So it was a reasonable expectation that the canal would be a highlight of the SIE Latin America experience. If I may be so bold as to speak on behalf of my fellow students, we were not disappointed.
We rose with the hot Panamanian sun to board a ship that would take us through the marvel of modern engineering, the Panama Canal. The ship was named Fantasia Del Mar (Fantasy of the Sea) and had some surprising history. El Fantasia Del Mar was built by Eastern Shipbuilding Corporation (based in Connecticut) and was launched from Boothbay Harbor, Maine in 1977. The floor we stood on was not the only comfort of home however; we soon met many American tourists including a couple from the tropical paradise known as Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Our tour guide was able to walk around the ship and speak to many passengers personally, which served to augment his humorous narration on the ship’s PA system. He imparted on us many interesting facts and figures
·
40-50
ships pass through the canal every day and 14,000 do so every year. The new
construction should expand this number to 120 ships daily.
·
The
average cost of passage is $85,000 dollars and the record for highest price to
cross the canal is $459,000 paid by Norwegian Cruise Line in 2013. The price
breakdown is based on cargo: $150 dollars for a full bed, $100 dollars for an
empty one, $84 dollars for a full shipping crate, $74 for an empty one.
·
Transport
ships for automobiles can fit 6,000 cars at a time.
· The Panama Canal is the only place a person can cross the Continental Divide, which separates the watersheds flow of water to the Atlantic and the Pacific, by boat.
· The Panama Canal is the only place a person can cross the Continental Divide, which separates the watersheds flow of water to the Atlantic and the Pacific, by boat.
·
There
are three sets of locks that raise the water level in the canal from sea level
to the 85 feet at which sits Lake Gatun. These locks weigh 720 tons each and
the lock system is so large that the entire Empire State Building when laid on its
side could fit between the set of locks.
·
The
Canal construction was started by the French, at the time at the forefront of
the engineering world, due in part to their success with the Suez Canal. For 13
years the French struggled with the project, as 22,000 died, largely in part to
malaria. The French had such trouble with the Continental Divide that they
spread rumors in all the newspapers of the world that there was gold in the
mountains as a desperate bid to procure more laborers. After the French gave up
their attempt, the US supported Panamanian independence against the greater
Columbia and continued construction. The advances of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay
in the field of malaria treatment made it possible for the United States to
complete the canal.
On our voyage we passed through miles of rainforest with few man-made distractions. There was the white-collar prison that houses the infamous Manuel Noriega. We also passed one of the world’s largest floating cranes. The so called “Herman the German” was one of four massive floating cranes used by Nazi Germany to repair U-boats in World War II . The three cranes that survived the war were split amongst the Allied Powers. Panama bought their gigantic crane from the United States in the 1990s to simplify canal repairs and construction; it took 9 million dollars to transport this crane.
Aside from the extensive history lesson, Bryant’s jaunt on the Panama Canal was one of the most relaxing parts of our trip so far. We enjoyed Panamanian fare for both breakfast and lunch and relished in the company of our peers as well as the other visitors to this wonder of the industrial age. The importance of the canal in transit as well as in the culture of Central America was palpable and our expedition was well summed up by our friendly captain: “Attention all ditch-diggers. Mosquito swatters, and adventure seekers, let it be known that these people have crossed through the Panama Canal. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT”
On our voyage we passed through miles of rainforest with few man-made distractions. There was the white-collar prison that houses the infamous Manuel Noriega. We also passed one of the world’s largest floating cranes. The so called “Herman the German” was one of four massive floating cranes used by Nazi Germany to repair U-boats in World War II . The three cranes that survived the war were split amongst the Allied Powers. Panama bought their gigantic crane from the United States in the 1990s to simplify canal repairs and construction; it took 9 million dollars to transport this crane.
Aside from the extensive history lesson, Bryant’s jaunt on the Panama Canal was one of the most relaxing parts of our trip so far. We enjoyed Panamanian fare for both breakfast and lunch and relished in the company of our peers as well as the other visitors to this wonder of the industrial age. The importance of the canal in transit as well as in the culture of Central America was palpable and our expedition was well summed up by our friendly captain: “Attention all ditch-diggers. Mosquito swatters, and adventure seekers, let it be known that these people have crossed through the Panama Canal. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT”
Saludos,
Casey
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