To the Panama Canal!

This morning we ventured to the ever famous Panama Canal! It is just across the street from the City of Knowledge so it was a very short commute. 

The Miraflores Locks (gates are closed)

But first, a bit on the history of the canal. In the late 1800s the French wanted to build a shortcut through the isthmus of Panama and began constructing what would eventually become the Panama Canal. But due to disease and other hardships they quickly gave up working. The U.S. had also been hoping to build a canal recognizing how much it would increase economic profit and efficiency for transportation. They had hoped to build a canal in Nicaragua but chose Panama after observing both countries. This is because Panama does not suffer from natural disasters therefore making investments in infrastructure much more lucrative. So the United States began building the Panama Canal and it opened for the first time in 1914. The Canal allowed a ship to pass in 8-10 hours rather than taking the long route of 2-3 weeks around South America. The U.S. controlled the Canal until 1979 when they signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaty but remained present in Panama until 1999 when Panama took full control of the Canal. Since then the Canal has continued to flourish and is currently being expanded to accommodate larger ships. It is a key component in international trade and the axis of much of the Panamanian economy.

A ship passing through the Miraflores locks

We were able to watch a ship pass through the Miraflores Locks, one of three locks through which a ship must pass. The locks act as water elevators to move the ship through. We learned that a ship must be operated by a Panama Canal Pilot in order to pass through the canal. There is a group of about 250 people who are trained Pilots and know every inch of the Canal. What an interesting job! It also costs an average of $100,000 for a ship to pass and can cost up to $400,000. The lowest fare ever paid was by a man who swam the canal (it is about 50 miles long). Sounds like quite a workout.

The benefit to Panamanian economy does not stop at the Canal. The traffic from the Canal has led to many new service, storage and repair industries popping up all over Panama. The Canal has been and will continue to be an essential asset to Panama's economy and it is fun to see how proud the Panamanians are of their Canal.

It feels great to be back up and at 'em with the rest of the class. We had a very busy weekend and there is much more to come soon! ¡Hasta la próxima!