Panama Canal Zone

Friday, 2/27/09- At Sea approaching the Panama Canal Zone.

We were up by 5:30 A.M., anxious to see the Island Princess transit the Gautn Locks of the Panama Canal. We could see winking lights along the shoreline of Panama. It was warm and humid out. The Princess picked up her Panama Canal Pilot and gingerly made her way into the entrance to the Canal near Cristobal, Panama.
By 6:30 A.M. we were topside, watching the Princess slide into the first of the three Gatun locks. They would raise us up 28 feet for a total of 85 feet, the level of Gatun lake. Each of the twin sets of parallel locks is essential a concrete box 100’ long by 106 feet wide and 40 feet deep. The huge vessels enter the lock slowly proceeding under their own steam. Then, three small gauge rail engines, on either side of the vessels, affix metal hausers to guide the ship through each lock. There is a margin of clearance on each side of the ship of only two feet. When the ship is completely within the lock, two large gate way doors swing shut from recessed niches in the canal walls. Water is then pumped into the cement lock raising the ship 26 feet at a time to the level of the next lock.
The process was repeated twice more until the Princess sailed into the manmade lake Gatun and motored to its center. Off the bow of the ship, we could see a whole fleet of tanker ships who were waiting their turn to transit the canal eastwards towards the Caribbean. Transit time is three to four hours and relatively easy. The cost is the kicker. Panama has a tonnage based formula to determine the fees for a ship to cross the canal. A liner as large as the Island Princess would be charged almost
$200,000 for a crossing. Considering the time and fuel needed to round the tip of South America. I guess the fees are a bargain. On the other side of Lake Gatun are a series of three more locks that gradually lower ships the 85 feet back down to the level of the Pacific at Panama’s capital, Panama City. On either side of the canal, a 15 mile wide Canal Zone had been left natural and undeveloped. It was green and filled with wildlife.
The Canal had been built in the early 1900’s, completed in 1914 at a cost of $387 Million dollars by the United States, after a failed French effort. Thousands of lives had been lost to yellow fever and tropical diseases during its construction. Panama had assumed control of the canal on December 31, 1999.
We walked topside for an hour enjoying the view of the locks and Lake Gatun and marveling at the engineering involved in creating this man mad river across Central America. It was hot and muggy out at a steamy 90 degrees.
The ship dispatched several tenders full of tour groups headed for rail and bus tours in Panama. We had a $200 tour paid for but elected to pass on the opportunity. We had had enough of the aggressive street vendors the day before in Columbia.
We settled for a breakfast of kippers, omelets and fruit in the Horizons Cafe on deck 14, then returned to our cabin to read for a bit and catch a one hour nap. It was a nice way to spend a morning.
By Noon, we had returned topside to sit by the pool, read and enjoy the hot sun. We ventured into the pool and found to our surprise that it was a fresh water pool. We frolicked and swam with other guests and enjoyed a leisurely few hours by the pool.
At 2;30 P.M., the ships horn blew loudly. She had recovered her tenders, raised anchor and set out to recross the Gatun Locks. Topside, the decks were awash with passengers watching the slow transit. You could look down the three locks from the lofty height of the ships top deck and get a sense of the distance in elevation that the ship needed to descend. One lock, then two and three were traversed without incident. The little toy trains guided us through with cables. The lock doors and pumps functioned flawlessly as they did thousand of times each year. By three P.M. we were through and entering the harbor area of Cristobal. Container ships and all manner of commercial cargo vessels were stacked up along the horizon awaiting their turn to transit the canal.
We changed into our gym clothes and hit the deck 14 gym for an hours workout with exercycles and weights. We could watch the activity all around us in the busy port through the glass windows of the gym. Cosco from China, Zim from Canada and a whole array of other commercial lines were shipping cargo through the area.

The ship tied up at Pier #16, Las Cruses Terminal, in Cristobal.
We were in for a surprise. The Panamanian Government had set up a huge warehouse of craft vendors, performing cultural groups and even a few taverns for visiting tourists. We got off the ship and strolled through the booths that offered an eclectic array of trinkets and souvenirs for sale. Each of the many vendors was as polite as you could ever wish. They did horse trade, with bargaining offers for their goods, but never once were insistent of unpleasant. It seemed almost surreal in contrast to the vendors in Cartagena. It worked for us. We spent more money in the this port then we did in all of the other ports combined.
We sat for a time drinking an icy cold Heineken’s beer and watching native dancers do a rhythmic and enchanting Calypso and singers belt out the haunting “Day Oh” a Caribbean favorite about banana pickers. It was cool inside the warehouse and an utterly pleasant experience. Some one had his thinking cap on when they built this place. Several of the booths were manned by indigenous peasants wearing grass skirts and nothing else. They were natural enough in their appearance. That's all the women wore in their neck of the woods. When in Rome, right? We left the pier reluctantly to reenter the air conditioned bubble of the Island Princess.
We hit the gym at 5:00 P.M. one last stab at the caloric battle. Then, while topside we enjoyed a glass of cabernet as we watched the MSC Lyrica, berthed next to us, prepare to slip her lines and leave port. The entire port side of her faced our ship. Hundreds were waving back and forth at the traditional send off. The entire ship broke into cheers as one last young passenger sprinted to the gangway and made her way aboard, second before they shipped the gangway and sealed the doors. She would have been left behind in another few minutes. We laughed and cheered for her as well. To the haunting strains of an Andrea Bocccielli aria, the ship slid from her ways and began to exit the harbor. We all waved and cheered ahd wished her bon voyage. It was always fascinating to watch these huge but graceful leviathans enter and leave port
Soon after, the Island Princess slipped her lines and edged gracefully from her berth to follow the Lyrica. The ship set a course for Limon, Costa Rica. We returned to our cabin to shower and dress for dinner. We had 8:00 P.M. reservations in the Bordeaux dining room.
There, we were seated next to a delightful couple from Toronto Canada, Shelly and Susan. We chatted and much enjoyed their company. A Crab and shrimp appetizer was followed by a wonderful mushroom soup, a garden salad, a delicious fresh water trout (sans le tete) and a sinful sacher torte, accompanied by a glass of cabernet. It was exquisite and one of the reasons we were working out twice daily to try and keep
up the caloric burn,
It was only 9:30 P.M. when we finished dinner and said goodbye to Shelly and Susan, but we were tired form the long day. We returned to our cabin, read for a time and surrendered gratefully to the sandman. Panama had been a pleasure to visit.

S