Panama Canal

January 22, 2017 - Panama Canal

The Ghost Ship

We picked up the pilot at 5:15 am for our trip into the Canal. I did not witness this but I was awake as we passed through the Gatun Locks to Gatun Lake. It's still so astonishing that something built over a century ago still works efficiently and the same way as it did the first day. Once there, the ship hovered, launched the tenders and began ferrying ashore the passengers going on various tours. Some were boarding small boats and continuing on through the rest of the canal to the Pacific and Panama City, others were going to ride the old steam train through the jungle and still more were going to ride around the lake on even smaller boats looking for wildlife in the jungle. We've done the entire Canal transit before so stayed aboard.


Two-thirds of the passengers disembarked which left the rest of us are rattling around on The Ghost Ship today. Plenty of room everywhere to do whatever. We were waiting not far from the locks for our return transit so had front row seats to the freighters passing from locks to lake. It's akin to watching paint dry but strangely fascinating. This is about the time that I discovered the panorama button on my phone camera. Suffice it to say, lotsa panoramic shots of lake and freighters!

So far the only setback to the day was that the Green Bay-Falcons game was only available on the big screen on the top deck. The Canal is about nine degrees north of the equator so the sun is blazing hot. Even my industrial strength SPF 50 with zinc oxide can't handle that.  We made do by turning ESPN2 on mute in our stateroom and watching for the occasional "Score Alert" crawl on the bottom of the screen. And THAT is today's First World Problem solved.

We went back through to the Caribbean and to Colon about 5 pm where those who went ashore were waiting. The ship was docked there for a couple of hours but nothing to see but some trinket shops so we passed. I bought one little thing at the aviary, but other than that, nothing. If we were flying home I'd be shopping at the airport but since we're driving I'll be making selections at the Pilot Truck Stop gift shop somewhere on I-95.

Bonus: A Star is Born

I am forever laughing at Jim taking his wallet with him everywhere on the ship. You're issued a card when you check in that is your ID, room key and charge card on board. No cash is used anywhere on board so why the wallet? The performer in the showroom last night was a magician. At one point he asked for "a gentleman with a dollar bill in a wallet." And who was the only gentleman in the entire theater with a wallet? Yes, Mr. Jim Fisher! So up on the stage he went where he participated in the illusion. As it so happens, I do know how to shoot a video on my phone so I recorded all 4:52 of it. Ship wifi is notoriously slow and expensive so it won't be attached to this. Jim did a great job on stage.

Costa Rica and the Sloth Sanctuary tomorrow