January 10, 2016 - Day 6 - Canal Transit

I did not get up as early planned, but did get outside by 7:30. This was just as we approached the entry to the first lock. In the past I have always stayed on the top deck at the bow. This time I found a good spot at the rail on deck 3. This afforded a very different view. It was much closer to the action, and dramatized the change in elevation as the locks were flooded. I met Alice in the cabin at 8:30 for breakfast in the dining room.

SISTER SHIP RISES AHEAD OF US

                                   

WE HAVE RISEN IN FIRST LOCK

As we finished breakfast, Amsterdam was exiting the last of the 3 Gatun locks and entering Lake Gatun. This is the large body that provides the water necessary to operate the locks. Anchored off to our port side was MS Zuiderdam. She had passed through just ahead of us. Her itinerary includes the Caribbean with a partial canal passage. She will stay at anchor here, while shore excursions operate. This afternoon, when the traffic pattern changes, she will reboard her passengers, and lock back to the Caribbean. We will continue on to the Pacific Ocean, where we will overnight at Panama City.

The day is passing very leisurely. It is great to have done this before. We come and go as we please without worrying about missing anything. One frustration is the lack of visible progress on the new wider locks. Their channels are some distance from the original locks. This makes it impossible to see the construction. In 2014 we were told they would be operational by now. Cost overruns and labor disputes have pushed that off quite a bit. Now they do not even suggest a completion date.

The canal narrator, who does the transit with us, is very good. We think we have heard him before. While he is vague on a completion date, he does provide a lot of information about the construction. He explained that the current channel between the locks is 40 feet deep. The ships built to maximize utilization of the new locks will require 60 feet of depth. Dredging to accommodate this is ongoing.

At the last locks, Miraflores, there is a four story observation tower. In the past there have always been a lot of people here. Today is Sunday. Every level is loaded with people shoulder to shoulder. As we approached they all started cheering. A gentleman with a microphone was leading them on from the ground level. We did not understand his Spanish, but the crowd reaction was fantastic. What fun!

We completed our transit and headed to the anchorage at Amador. Tender service would take us to the marina. It sits at the end of a long causeway leading to Panama City. For this evening we are content to take in the views of the skylines. There are 3 downtowns about 5 miles apart.

Tonight's entertainer was a harpist in the Latin style. She seemed very good, but I was not in the mood. To top it off she struck me as an older woman trying too hard to look like a youngster. I was glad to get out on the promenade, when she finished. Alice thought more kindly of her than I did. Guess it really was my mood.

We are getting in the habit of closing out our day with a nice walk around the deck after the show. This helps settle dinner, and we have the promenade to ourselves.