World cruise

Everyone knows about the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel built by the Americans after the French failed. The French underestimated the cost, couldn't control yellow fever and hepatitis and insisted on a sea level canal. The deeper they dug into the clay and sand the more the sides slid down as it rained.
The Americans designed locks that lift ships 85 feet above sea level (and of course lower them) completing the project in 1914. Between 2008 and 2016 the original set of locks was supplemented with a second larger set to accommodate the huge container ships. We passed through the original set as our ship is smaller. We saw an area of jungle where the French Canal attempt is located and the prison that held Manual Noriega. During the passage we had narration re the canal. For those interested in birds (like me), an on board naturalist discussed the birds we saw.

In the evening was a presentation on the machinations that led to the Americans building the canal in Panama. Many in Congress wanted to build it in Nicaragua but moneyed interests favored Panama which was then part of Columbia. Unfortunately Columbia dithered on an agreement with the US. No problem we just created the new country of Panama.

I have a special interest in the Canal. My father and uncle worked to keep it open and functioning during WW II.En savoir plus