Finally
able to go through the Panama Canal. Up
first thing in the morning to collect our line handlers and our canal Advisor, Carlos
who tells us what to do. As there had
been some misshap the day before when our name had slipped off the list of
those wishing to go through, we were in a special lockage ie we didn’t have to
go through with a large ship. We had a
tourist boat two tugs a power fish boat and us – lots of room.
David was a nervous wreck with anticipation. Anyway all went well and Carlos and the line
handlers were great. We saw the works
for the new canal alongside where the Panamax ships will travel. We did have a Panamax ahead of us in the lock
ahead and he took up all the space both sideways and lengthwise. The canal is 110’ wide and these ships are
106’ so there is only 2’ each side left.
They are guided by the mules which run a railway alongside the locks.
Interest
along way was the jail that Norieaga is residing in , the crane that was built
by the Germans for their submarine fleet during WW2 and ended up in Panama and used for the lifting of
the gates on the locks. Only four built and after the war this one was requisitioned and is the only one still being used.
We
passed under the Centenario Bridge which
built by a consortium from Australia and Holland and the Bridge of the Americas
at Panama City
Wow- sounds fascinating!
ReplyDelete