Huy in Panama: DAY 11- PANAMA CANAL

ONTO THE WORLD FAMOUS PANAMA CANAL!!!!

too bad we slept through most of it...

We were awake at 5 A.M. for the 7 A.M. crossing of the first locks and then woke up for the 4 P.M. crossing of the last locks. Basically missed everything in between. woops!

Time for some more random facts about Panama and its canal.

1. After the canal was completed, it became a vital gateway for international trade. The USA built a massive military base at the start and end of it. The docks that we arrived in to get to the city the day before was actually an island built by the USA so it can throw a ton of missiles on it.
2. Today, the island and all the barracks around it were converted into shopping centers, nightclubs, and offices for the Panamanian government.
3. The canal is 51 miles long.
4. It takes about 8-9 hours to cross.
5. Each lock takes 8 minutes to release water and 8 minutes to fill it up with water.
6. the releasing and filling of the locks is all done by gravity. There are no water pumps used.
7. The largest lock is about 83 feet high!
8. All boats (even the cruise ships) have to hand over the wheel to a Panamanian captain to take control of the wheel because they don't want a foreigner to f*** up their main source of income.
9. Boats need to have a minimum of 5 crew members to cross the panama canal. There are many sailboats that have less than this number so during the wait, people would generously hop on board with them, cross the canal, then take a 2 hour train back and repeat.
10. Panama City looks very developed only thanks to the Panama Canal. Tolls are extremely expensive and they only accept american cash. The fee depends on the length, width, weight, people, cargo, and amount of cargo. To give an idea, a normal container ship will run about $130,000.00.
11. The cruise ships run about $230,000.00 to cross. They are charged more because, unlike every other boat, they get to skip to the front of the very long line. The largest cruise ship that crossed was the Norwegian Epic (I think?) and that cost over $400,000.00
12. the doors used to open and close the locks have been the same doors used for over 100 years.
13. The amount of horsepower used to open a lock is no more than that to run a lawn mower (40hp).
14. The large lake in the middle (Lake Gatun) was also man made.
15. When the ships reach the locks, 4 of these train cars called mules attach to the ship and drag it like a roller coaster. This is because there is barely any room to spare. 8 inches is what separated the cruise ship with the wall. I was able to touch the concrete from the 7th floor of the ship!
16. Panama, like every other country, have a little anger towards the USA. Quite understandably because the USA took over a chunk of land, dug a hole, stuck weapons on it, and dared anyone to take control of it. It is just a little ironic because the official currency of Panama is the US dollar (there are panama coins called balboa's though).

panama city

boats waiting their turn

more boats waiting their turn

first set of locks. Mayflower locks. forgot the name of the rest since we were asleep

83 feet of elevation

This person has made 3 countries hungry by eating all their food.

Imagine cutting through all that forest for 51 miles, next to the equator, full of diseases, with nothing but a machete. Sucks to be a black person in the early 1900s. Don't recall that story in the history books.