Panama Canal Transit
We got up today with the news that our Panama Canal transit had been postponed to the mid afternoon. We were anchored in the Bay of Panama, and while having breakfast we enjoyed an impressive view of Panama City off the port side. On the starboard side however, the scene was even more breathtaking, as the sun began to emerge from the Pacific horizon. Because of its geography, the central part of the Isthmus of Panama is the only place in the continent where the sun rises on the Pacific and sets on the Atlantic.
The afternoon transit gave us a unique opportunity to explore the surroundings in the morning, and soon after breakfast we found ourselves on our way to Panama City. Most of us decided to visit the colonial areas Casco Viejo and Panama La Vieja (Old Panama), which was founded in 1519 by Spanish Conquistadores, making it the first European settlement ever established on the Pacific coast of the Americas.
Some of us opted for a stroll in the Metropolitan Nature Park, the only tropical track of forest within city limits in the Latin America. The 412-acre park protects a variety of wildlife including monkeys, deer, and birds… lots of birds. Some of us were lucky enough to see Keel-billed Toucan, Buff-breasted Wren, and many other avian species, as well as a group of White-nosed Coatimundi.
We came back onboard in time for a hearty Panamanian lunch. Our pilot arrived some time after 4:00 p.m., which gave us just enough time to appreciate the magnificence of the Panama Canal in the daylight. Most of us ran around the deck looking for a picture-perfect shot, while others sat quietly on the bow enjoying the last streams of light.
We had dinner while cruising through the Gailllard Cut, the nine-mile-long ditch across the Continental Divide. After dinner some of us went upstairs for a little star gazing on the sundeck, while most of us retired to our cabins. Some time around midnight, a few guests went out on deck to see the vessel transit the Gatun Locks, and finally sail into the mighty Atlantic waters.
We got up today with the news that our Panama Canal transit had been postponed to the mid afternoon. We were anchored in the Bay of Panama, and while having breakfast we enjoyed an impressive view of Panama City off the port side. On the starboard side however, the scene was even more breathtaking, as the sun began to emerge from the Pacific horizon. Because of its geography, the central part of the Isthmus of Panama is the only place in the continent where the sun rises on the Pacific and sets on the Atlantic.
The afternoon transit gave us a unique opportunity to explore the surroundings in the morning, and soon after breakfast we found ourselves on our way to Panama City. Most of us decided to visit the colonial areas Casco Viejo and Panama La Vieja (Old Panama), which was founded in 1519 by Spanish Conquistadores, making it the first European settlement ever established on the Pacific coast of the Americas.
Some of us opted for a stroll in the Metropolitan Nature Park, the only tropical track of forest within city limits in the Latin America. The 412-acre park protects a variety of wildlife including monkeys, deer, and birds… lots of birds. Some of us were lucky enough to see Keel-billed Toucan, Buff-breasted Wren, and many other avian species, as well as a group of White-nosed Coatimundi.
We came back onboard in time for a hearty Panamanian lunch. Our pilot arrived some time after 4:00 p.m., which gave us just enough time to appreciate the magnificence of the Panama Canal in the daylight. Most of us ran around the deck looking for a picture-perfect shot, while others sat quietly on the bow enjoying the last streams of light.
We had dinner while cruising through the Gailllard Cut, the nine-mile-long ditch across the Continental Divide. After dinner some of us went upstairs for a little star gazing on the sundeck, while most of us retired to our cabins. Some time around midnight, a few guests went out on deck to see the vessel transit the Gatun Locks, and finally sail into the mighty Atlantic waters.