It is one thing to know of the Panama Canal. It is another thing entirely to experience it. The Panama Canal is a 48 mile stretch of water connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, THROUGH the Central Mountain Range of the Panama Mountains. A series of three locks carries ships from their starting ocean to Gatun Lake, the third largest man made lake in the world. Construction on the dam took about 13 years. It began under President Theodore Roosevelt, and was completed under the watch of President Woodrow Wilson. When the project first began it was being done by civilian contractors. After the second contractor within three years quit, President Roosevelt got frustrated and wanted to find a contractor that COULDN’T quit until the task was completed. Bring in the Army Corps of Engineers! They completed the project under budget and in less time than expected. Along the way 30,000 men lost their lives. It should be noted that although the Army Corps of Engineers managed the project, workers came from all over the world. Now operating continuously since 1914, the canal is open 24 hours/day and hosts an average of 36 ships/day. The locks truly are an engineering feat – especially when one considers they were built more than 100 years ago. The original doors and gate mechanisms continue to be used today.
We entered Panama a little after 5:00 this morning, and were in the locks shortly before 7. As we prepared to enter the first lock we were met by a couple of small boats with men carrying cables that were attached to the side of our ship. These cables were then connected to these strange looking train engines on either side of the lock. The cables are pulled taught and the engines travel alongside the ship as we move through the locks to ensure that we do not bump up against the sides. As we exit the locks, the cables are removed. Large tugboat looking vessels accompany us as we move from one lock to the next, to be sure we stay in the proper lane of the canal. This is a very intricate process and well-refined.
As we traveled through the canal we crossed the Gatun Lake, created 85 mile above sea level by blowing out huge sections of the mountain, and the Continental Divide. We pass under the Bridge of the Americas, a road bridge in Panama that spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and connects the North and South American land masses. Amazing!
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