The Panama Canal and Casco Viejo

Have you ever wondered how many tons of rock were moved in order to build the Panama Canal? Or how many men were employed in completing this extraordinary feat? How about why the United States came to have control over such an important aspect of Panama for so many years? If you've asked these questions, and if you don't speak Spanish (like us), then I'd suggest you not watch the Spanish version of the history of the canal.

The first week of our Central America trip is actually a “tourist” holiday, and like all other tourists to Panama, we were fascinated with the Panama Canal. A trip to the Miraflores Locks provided us with an opportunity to learn not only the answers to those and other questions, but also to see the locks in operation, and to understand the future of the canal.

A vision for a canal to link the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans dates back to the early 16th century. In the 1880s the French unsuccessfully attempted to construct a canal; the company went bankrupt, and thousands of workers died due to diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. The United States launched a second effort in 1904 and successfully opened the canal in 1914. The U.S., under Jimmy Carter, signed a treaty in 1977 providing initially for shared governance, and then a full transition to Panama for control of the waterway which came into effect on December 31, 1999.

Shipping routes through The Panama flag on Ancon Hill

the Panama Canal (this flag is the size of a basketball court)

The Miraflores Locks on the Canal. The picture on the left shows the difference in the water levels.

The center photo shows the gates closing to create an enclosed chamber. The chamber is

then flooded with 26 million gallons of water. Once the water level reaches that of the upper level, the gates open to allow the vessel to go through. This process is repeated again in the set of the Miraflores Locks. The cost for a large vessel to transit through the channel can be up to $400,000.

In a 2006 referendum the Panamanian people approved the expansion of the Panama Canal. The new locks, which will be larger, more efficient and more ecological, are slated to complete in 2014, 100 years after the canal opened. Our time at Miraflores Locks was very interesting (muy interesante), and next time we’ll catch the English version of the movie.

Since we were only spending one day in Panama City, the other area we wanted to visit was Casco Viejo, the oldest part of Panama City, dating back to the early 1600’s. A key attraction here is a golden altar located in the Church of San Jose; the entire altar is crafted from solid gold. Legend has it that the altar was painted black in order to fool an infamous pirate, Henry Morgan, who destroyed much of the city in 1668 in his pilfering for gold.

Cobblestone streets are in abundance throughout this area and many of the original buildings are being restored. There is a strong military presence in the area; whether to provide protection to those residing in the government buildings, or to ensure the touristas are safe, wasn’t clear.