A man, a plan, etc. etc, Part Dos

We encounter our first Pacific-bound ship

On the last episode of my day passing through the Panama Canal, we ended at the Continental Divide, heading from the Pacific to the Atlantic.  The Isthmus of Panama is quite narrow -- 'tis the reason for a canal being here -- and it doesn't take a long float to get from Pacific to Continental Divide to Atlantic.  Ten hours in transit total.

Once we emerged from the Culebra Cut (Corte Culebra), the canal can handle two-way traffic.  The Culebra Cut is the narrowest part of the canal.  They said 70 percent of all excavation work on the canal was done in the short section that is the Culebra Cut.  Once out of that section, on the high water of the mid-canal, the canal becomes a two-way street.

Good-bye Maersk container ship.  Hello, Atlantic Olive.

And hello to you, M.S.C. container ship home-ported somewhere in Asia:

The Atlantic bound ships are coming at us fast furious.

And here's the B.W. Kyoto, all the way from Singapore:

And then, emerging from just around the bend, was that Celebrity Infinity cruise ship.  No, Celebrity Infinity, you are NOT going to beat us to the Atlantic Ocean.

Maybe it was the fact that the people standing at the rail right here was talking in thick British accent, but when I saw this I immediately thought "Dinsdale!"  The reference is to the Monty Python skit about the Piranha Brothers, whose life is chronicled on the TV show "Ethel The Frog."  Long way for that reference.  Anyway, Dinsdale Piranha is haunted by an imaginery giant hedgehog named "Spiny Norman."

In fact, every time that cruise ship emerged from wherever, I would say "Dinsdale," then laugh hysterically to myself.  Yes, that is what amuses me on long solo trips.

We are now in Gatun Lake, the large freshwater lake in the middle of the canal.  Well, not the middle of the canal.  It cheats a little to the Atlantic/Caribbean side,

And soon we are approaching our last set of locks, the three-stage Gatun Locks.  Three locks on the Pacific side, in two segments, and three locks on the Atlantic side, all in one segment.

Selfie in a lock!

The next two pictures are taken a minute or two apart.  It's a large cargo ship dropping in the lock.

Still at maximum height:

Now dropping down:

We are sharing our lock with the Tsingtao.  And, no, I don't believe it is a Chinese beer ship.

Getting closer:

Dinsdale!  (Yes, that's the Celebrity Infinity waiting in line.  Behind us,

In this lock, we tie down to a tugboat:

Let's watch the Tsingtao drop through the magic of still photography.  Up:

Down!

Into the next lock and we again tie down.  Whirlpools, y'know.

And now we race out of the last stage of the Gatun Locks:

And here's the Tsingtao emerging, too, with the help of some "mules."

And it's being stalked by the Celebrity Infinity!  Dinsdale!

And thr tugboat takes off:

Motoring impressively.

Leaving ... Dinsdale ... stuck back in the last lock, not to be seen again this trip.

And here we approach the area where the tugboats hang, waiting to help ships through the locks.

Notice anything "off" with this last bridge we cross under?

Yes, it is missing segments of road.

It is under construction.

And soon we arrive at Colon, the port of the Atlantic side:

And that means it is time to exit the Pacific Queen and take luxury buses back to Panama City.

It's dark by the time we get there:

No time to ride the tourist train.

I love these things even though I've never ridden one wherever it is I travel.

The day ends where it begins:  At Las Letras.