Wonders of the World

As we’ve just gone through the Panama Canal, it’s an ideal time to put this on the list of my person wonders of the world.  It’s not a hard call, as it is truly is an amazing place and feat of engineering.  Called the Path between the Seas, it cost a lot of money and also lives to make it possible.  Some 25,000 people died and that is not a final count as many people were not logged on or off!

Of course, back in 1907, when Teddy Roosevelt took up the challenge after the project had almost bankrupted France and as a result caused them to drop their tools and go back home, things were slightly different.

Exiting the final Gatun lock with a container ship about to enter it.  Note the double gates closing behind us.

I doubt however, that such a project could be undertaken today.  Too many regulations, and too many environmentalists to stop it.  For instance Dr. Gorgas found that the reason so many people were dying from Yellow Fever and malaria, was the mosquito.  He therefore sprayed everything and killed most of the little pests.  Oh the horrors!

It takes about eight to ten hours to transverse the canal, which has three locks into Lake Gatun, one lock 2/3 rds further along the lake and then the two Miraflores to drop a ship down to the Pacific.

During the passage of the canal, the pilots on board take full control of the ship and outrank the captain.