Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Friday, March 7, 2014 – Daylight Transit of the Panama Canal – Partly Cloudy – 88F

A beautiful day to sail the Panama Canal…

We watch the entry into the Canal from our cabin munching on our Room Service breakfast.

  20140307_Entering Canal from cabin (Small)

Entering the Canal (from our cabin)

After breakfast, we make our way up to Deck 5 to watch the rest of the transit which Jim narrates from the bridge.

20140307_looking back (Small) 

Looking back toward Bridge of the Americas

20140307_approaching Miraflores Locks I (Small)

Approaching Miraflores Locks I

 20140307_Miraflores Locks I 1 (Small)

Entering Miraflores Locks I

20140307_Miraflores I before (Small)

Miraflores Locks I (before)

 20140307_Miraflores I after (Small)

Miraflores Locks I (after)

20140307_Ship in other lane Miraflores I (Small)

Another Ship in Miraflores Locks I 

20140307_Mira Flores Lock station 1 (Small) 20140307_Mira Flores Lock station (Small)

Miraflores Locks

20140307_Miraflores II before (Small)

Miraflores Locks II (before)

20140307_Miraflores II Locks after (Small)

Miraflores Locks II (after)

As the Quest passed into Miraflores Lake, we were able to see some of the construction activity related to the new locks due to open in 2015.  Apparently, the workers were on strike for a while but now they are back to work – the original 2014 date has already been missed and perhaps 2015 is also in Jeopardy.  On a positive note, 2014 marks 100 years of Panama Canal service, a milestone noted on just about every surface of equipment. 

20140307_New Lochs 1 (Small) 20140307_new locks due 2015 (Small) 

New Locks in the Distance (ETA 2015)

20140307_L. Miraflores (Small)

Lake Miraflores

20140307_approaching Pedro Miguel Locks (Small)

Entering Pedro Miguel Locks

20140307_ Pedro Miguel Locks before (Small)

Pedro Miguel Locks (before)

20140307_Pedro Miguel Locks after (Small)

Pedro Miguel Locks (after)

20140307_approaching Centennial Bridge (Small)

Passing Under Centennial Bridge

20140307_ Centennial Bridge 1 (Small) 20140307_Centennial Bridge (Small)

Centennial Bridge Post

20140307_Cat on Gatun Lake (Small) 20140307_ Gatun Lake 1 (Small)

20140307_Gatun Lake 5 (Small)

20140307_Gatun Lake (Small) 20140307_Gatun Lake 2 (Small) 20140307_Gatun Lake 4 (Small) 20140307_Gatun Lake 3 (Small) 20140307_Gatun Lake 1 (Small)

Gatun Lake

20140307_approaching Gatun Locks (Small)

Approaching and Waiting for Gatun Locks

20140307_Gatun Locks 2 (Small)

Entering Gatun Locks

20140307_Gatun Locks (Small)

Gatun Locks

20140307_E at Gatun Locks (Small)

20140307_E at Gatun Locks 1 (Small)

Ellen at Gatun Locks

 

  20140307_Gatun Locks Bleachers (Small)

Gatun Locks Viewing Bleachers

Believe it or not, my phone ran out of power so I could not get any pictures of the ship entering the Atlantic Ocean.  We did get a very nice look at both Cristobal and Colon, Panama (interesting, no?)before we turned to the port side to head toward the Gulf of Mexico.

After taking in the Mexican Buffet up in the Window’s Cafe, we passed on Bruce Parker’s show and instead spent the evening reading in the public lounges.  I started “Jennie” by Donald Preston – while I normally like all of his stuff, I just couldn’t get into this story about a chimp.  Instead, I started another of his books, “Tyrannosaur Canyon”, and was immediately intrigued by the first few pages – something about a missing moon rock.

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