Emerald Princess
93F, humid, mostly cloudy, some sun
Today was a hectic day and we are tired. First, I hope the strong winds in Erie did not do damage. I appreciate that Son B is checking on our house.
This was a water shuttle port so off we went past fabulous yachts and sailboats to meet our air-conditioned bus to the Panama Railroad and our domed rail car ride with Roxie, our Panamanian tour guide.
Marina on the way in
Next year a dock for cruise ships will be finished-no more water taxi
Mouth of the Panama Canal
Boats and ships wait to enter when it is their turn
Bridge of America in the background
The railroad was built in the mid 1850s and when the French left, the Americans purchased it. I did not find out if the cars were original. When we arrived at the station, we had about 7 minutes to make purchases and buy the special t-shirts sold only here. TK remembered that they were special from our 2010 cruise when we regretted not taking this tour.
This is on the former American military base
The trees mark the width of the original 1914 canal-110 ft
The steps in the background are the height that the locks lift a ship by
the time they reach the Caribbean/ Atlantic (85 ft)
A piece of equipment used in building the original canal
Made at Bucyrus Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania!
Map of both the original Panama Canal and the new lane
We saw no opportunity to purchase such a map-belonged to Roxie
Lawrence and Donna across from us
in the domed rail car
Selfie--Janie and TK
In Colon we disembarked the train to get on the bus for the 1 hour 10 minute ride back to Panama City. We stopped at Agua Clara locks for a short film on the new locks and photos at the new Panama Canal lane.
A container ship in the Agua Clara lock, the new canal lane
We will be in this "lane" tomorrow!
Centennial Bridge--6 lanes, 3 each way. German built
A view from the bus through the Centennial Bridge
Locks in background
When we returned to Panama City, Jorge and Roxie treated us to a ride around this modern, sleek city with a population of 1.5 million. Skyscrapers dominate the sky.
Skyline/Panama City
Panama City
Statue of Vasco de Balboa, credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean
Our return to the ship by water shuttle was rougher and later than anticipated. Actually we waited two hours because the line to get on the shuttle was so long. The wait was not a typical problem on a cruise ship of this size. It was very hot and humid and people were not happy. We did have seating and a breeze, but we sure were hungry when we got back on the ship.
TK's Takes: He said it took him 10 years to get the t-shirt he wanted. No t-shirt envy from others yet. He has never seen so many pelicans.
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