A Day in the Panama Canal
Creating a barrier prior to entering the canal itself, my first view of the morning was of jagged rocks. We popped out of bed at 6:30am because we did not want to miss a thing. Realistically, we could have slept half the day because the crossing takes a full day.
Coming up on the starbird side of our ship, a boat carrying the two pilots who would board to guide us through the canal. As you can see, the weather was a bit sketchy… our plan was to view entering the first set of locks from the helipad on Deck 5 forward. These views from our cabin… our very dry cabin… seemed a better idea but hey, you only live once. What’s a litle water!
As we passed under the first bridge, the rain was falling pretty hard. What felt like a bucket of water, fell on us as we crossed directly under. The thought of standing in this weather wasn’t thrilling but it was still the plan. Clearly the umbrella I brought would be useless!
Standing in the pouring rain, we watched ourselves entering the first in the series of locks. As you can see, on both sides of the canal are the locomotive that will guide us through. We have been cleared through customs, our pilots are aboard and it’s time to float through. With rain falling hard, it was a challenge to take photos. My screen wasn’t responding… it was constantly needing to be dried off so a single shot could be taken. Therefore, I only took a thousand pictures instead of the usual ten thousand haha.
After giving up on the constant rain, I headed back to shelter… of course, the clouds broke and the sun came through. Beside me, the pilot boat…
… and then a giant rainbow! What a gift! This moment was a bit surreal… sailing through the Panama Canal, lush green surrounding us and out pops a beautiful rainbow!
On my path to the next “bird’s eye view”, I passed this porthole which perfectly framed the rainbow.
Side by side with another vessel, we prepare for the first set of locks to fill with water and lift us a total of 85 feet. By days end, we will have completed three steps at Gatun, a single step at Pedro Miguel and a two steps at Miraflores.
As the water fills our first lock, we will rise to the level of this wall. The locomotive will pull us along by ropes. It is a very slow process. The outer edges of the ship are filled with cruisers watching the water slowly fill and lift us.
With the sun now shining brightly and the heat stifling, I headed back to the cabin to watch from there. Knowing the heat/sun is a trigger for a Lupus flare-up, it was definitely not a good idea to spend the entire day outside. Alternating between the inside and outside would be my plan. Thankfully, the view of our surrounding area was exceptional as the slow filling was taking place.
Sorry to overload with canal photos that seem redundant… each one, in my mind, is different. Experiencing such an engineering accomplishment is truly awe-inspiring! It is impossible to remain stationary going through the Canal. Every viewpoint allows a different angle. From the front to the back, side to side, my phone was clicking photos at a crazy pace.
Tied to the locomotive… up, up, up we go! As we move ahead, look in the far left and see the water pouring in. The explains why it takes so long. The entire lock must be filled so that we float straight across to the next lock at their water level.
From this vantage point, we stood above the helipad so it wasn’t really possible to see the water filling the locks. However, we could see our entrance to Gatun Lake. Smooth waters… the first set of locks complete. Last time Barry and I sailed this, we had quite a wait to move on to Pedro Miguel. Today, it was “smooth sailing”. Pun intended.
Happy, smiling faces as though we had a sense of accomplishment. WE got the ship successfully through the Gatun Locks. Click on the photos so they open up and you see the entire picture. They are chopped off for some reason. Maybe time to check the settings? Nevermind… I went back and redid the “design” so it now shows everything. Guess it’s time to go back through posts and make a few adjustments.
Constructed between 1907 and 1913, Gatun Dam is an intregral element of the Panama Canal. The earthen dam runs across the Charges River. Gatun Lake is necessary, allowing ships to float 20 miles of the journey.
Now cooled off a bit after another visit to the cabin, I headed for the back of the ship. Looking to review our progress, this is a perspective I love! We reached the Pedro Miguel Locks and will be lowered until we eventually reach Pacific Ocean sea level. This shows how high we were and how low we are so far…
Being technically a “sea day”, we made reservations in Izumi, the Sushi restaurant. Being on the 12th floor, we figured it would be a nice break in the middle of our journey. Considering this day heated up to a sweltering 87 degrees with 85% humidity… an air-conditioned lunch with a window view is perfect!
Mudslides are common in this area due to the heavy rains. In order to avoid the damage these slides would cause to the canal area, mountainsides are tiered. The look is appealing, but it definitely serves a purpose.
Oh… my…. goodness! So, I think I mentioned that inadvertantly, my dinner in Chops had gluten in it. Thankfully, a small bit. This still resulted in a reaction and a little unexpected bed time. Now, the crew is exceptionally careful. As a treat, the chef’s made me a chicken dish they have as a started… gluten free. It was so delicious! Crunchy/fried food is something I rarely get. If I do, it has a weird texture. This was such a treat! Royal Caribbean stepped up their game on this one!
Taken through the window, Chris is happily sitting at the table ready to eat his sushi! Roxanne was in a spot with too much glare so I couldn’t get an outdoor photo of her. But we are at the table, ready to eat some delicious sushi as we pass through the Panama Canal.
After lunch, we headed back to the cabin to freshen up. Out on the deck, we looked to the left and the right to do a little selfie time. Down we go… lowering to sea level. The entire transit through the canal will take 8-10 hours. Some have described this as boring. I find the entire process exciting! It’s ever-changing and genius design keep me constantly entertained.
What I love is that even the crew seems fascinated by our travel through the canal. So many were out taking photos and selfies with the machinery and waterways. This is why they do what they do… to see the world! We waved at the officer, of course.
After hours and hours of travel, we have reached the Pacific Ocean! So many ships awaited their turn to cross. The canal is a good judge of the economy. Cargo is tracked. Trade is most common between US and Asia. It is cheapest to travel through on a first come, first served basis. Cruise ships enter by appointment time, which is most costly.
For the amazing day to end in such a glorious fashion was very fitting. Colors lit the sky orange! Perfect farewell to the Panama Canal and “hello” Pacific Ocean!
After a great dinner, we headed to the pub for a cocktail. In true Italian fashion, Roxanne was story telling with arms a-waving. Inadvertently scooping up her glass, lemon drop splashed all over the counter. Our funny bartender told her to drink without picking up the glass.
After another slight mishap, Nick gave her a straw to drink her cocktail. There were no sippy cups onboard, so this would have to do! A great day comes to an end…
