Category Archives: vacation

April 4, 2022 · 5:35 am

Southern Caribbean Cruising — Panama City; Iglesia de San José


Walking the streets in Panama City

After our visit to the Agua Clara locks our tour continued to Panama City. Here we alighted from the bus in the Old Town near Plaza Herrera, which was our first photo stop on today’s foot tour. The city itself is replete with contradictions between wealth and poverty, with poverty winning out in sheer numbers. The area around Plaza Herrera trended far into the poverty category even if the plaza itself belied that observation.

Plaza Herrera

The plaza takes its name from General Tomás Herrera, who became the president of the short-lived President of the Free State of the Isthmus (18 November 1840 – 31 December 1841) before merged with several other areas to become the Republic of New Granada. General Herrera would later become the president of New Granada, briefly serving from 21 April 21 1854 – 5 August 1854.

General Tomás Herrera in Plaza Herrera

After our brief stay in the plaza, we headed east along Avenida A where just a couple minutes later we approached Iglesia de San José (Church of San José).

Iglesia de San José

The Church of San José is most famous for its altar, hand carved mahogany adorned with gold leaf. It’s a very impressive sight as you first walk through the doors of the church.

San José Church altar

Let’s take a closer look at some of the exquisite details of this incredible piece of art, as well as another piece and some stained glass:

We’re not done yet. As Ron Popeil used to say, “But wait! There’s more!” Off to the right side of the altar is an arched doorway leading to a hidden room containing a vast nativity diorama and some exquisite wood carvings of various religious figures. I’ll just leave you with these stunning images until we continue our Panama City tour on Wednesday:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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March 30, 2022 · 5:35 am

Southern Caribbean Cruising — Panama Canal; Agua Clara Locks at Work


The new locks being moved into place during construction

Today we continue with our exploration of the Agua Clara locks at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal expansion. I’ll be paying particular attention to the action of the locks themselves, as they are quite a departure from the pivoting locks used in the original system. In this first photo you can see the locks retracting into their side bays:

Agua Clara locks starting to open

It’s not a fast process. Here are the same locks just one minute, forty-five seconds later:

Agua Clara locks almost two minutes later

In the distance you can see ships transiting the original lock system to the west:

The original locks to the west

The goal in either system of locks is to either raise or lower a ship from sea level to the level of Gatún Lake, seen here:

Ships waiting canal transit in Gatún Lake

Here are some photos of the process. In the first photo the ship has entered a lock, and water is raising the ship to the next level:

Awaiting a lift

Same ship nearly four minutes later:

Nearly four minutes later

Once the ship is raised, a tugboat pulls the ship along to the next lock or out of the canal:

Tugs are used in the new canal; locomotive “mules” are used in the older locks

Here once again here is my YouTube video of the process:

Transiting the Agua Clara locks (at 2x speed)

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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March 28, 2022 · 5:35 am

Southern Caribbean Cruising — Panama Canal; Agua Clara Locks


Agua Clara locks of the new Panama Canal extension

The sight you see above is of the third set of locks installed at the Panama Canal. This new series of locks were completed in 2016, supplementing the older lock system completed in 1914. Specifically, these are the Agua Clara locks, and they handle entrance from the Atlantic side of the canal. The impressive bridge in the background is the Puente Atlántico, or Atlantic Bridge. Below is a view from the Atlantic Bridge of the original Gatún locks, which lie west of the expansion locks.

Two-way traffic through the Gatún locks

For comparison, here are the single-lane Agua Clara locks.

Agua Clara lock system

Whereas the older locks pivot to open and shut, forming a V shape when closed, the new locks operate in an entirely different manner as you can see in these three photos:

Agua Clara locks fully retracted
Agua Clara locks starting to close
Agua Clara locks nearly closed

Here you see a freighter that has been lifted in the first lock and awaits entry into the next lock as the locks retract:

Waiting entry into the next lock

And here is the same ship now entering the next lock, which will raise it up to the level of Gatún Lake and allow the ship to transit the Isthmus of Panama:

Next Agua Clara lock on the journey across the isthmus of Panama

Want to see how the whole operation appears? Here’s a short YouTube video I put together, then sped up to twice normal speed:

Panama Canal Agua Clara locks in operation (2x speed)

More to come on Wednesday. Until then…

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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