4 posts tagged “radiance of the seas”
We crossed the equator on November 16th around 02:20am Although two people at our table set their alarms for this momentous event, we decided to give it a pass. Based on reports at dinner, there was no visible line in the ocean and no fireworks.
Manta, Ecuador is a relatively small fishing village that is only recently on the cruise ship itinerary. We decided to tour Manta on our own.
After taking a shuttle that dropped us off at the handicraft market (cruising and shopping seem to be inseparable), we headed to the Museo de Banco Central which houses a small exhibit on the Manta culture. We found the spot but not the museum. After some use of sign language with the security guard who knew as much English as we did Spanish, we found that the museum had moved to the other side of where the ship was docked.
We had a great chat with two passengers from Australia on the way to the correct location and had a chance to discuss the differences between two Australia/New Zealand cruises that we were considering. The museum had exhibits on three floors, covering the long history of culture in the area (back to 9000 BC), a display on the fishing industry and artwork from various periods.
Tomorrow we dock at Lima, Peru, where we will be leaving the ship for a five-day independent tour of the Nasca Lines and Machu Picchu, arranged by G.A.P Adventures. We will be offline until we rejoin the ship at Valparaiso on November 23rd. Look for an update on that day or the 24th.
In combination, the first three locks raise the ship 85 feet from the Atlantic to the level of Gatun Lake. Each lock is 1000 feet long and 110 feet wide. At 962 feet by 106 feet, the Radiance of the Seas is a tight fit, with at most 2 feet clearance on either side. The largest ship to transit the Panama Canal was the battleship USS New Jersey - it had only 11 inches to spare.
We sailed through Gatun Lake, weaving between islands where the tropical jungle came right to the water's edge. Gatun Lake covers 163 square miles (425 square kilometers) and requires constant dredging.
We exited the Gatun Lake into the Culebra Cut, a 8.5 mile (13.7 kilometer) channel carved through the shale and rock of the continental divide. Work is underway to widen the channel in preparation for the Panama Canal expansion.
After passing under the Centennial Bridge, we entered the Pedro Miguel lock. The last two pictures give a sense of the distance we dropped.
Lastly, we passed through two Miraflores Locks that lowered us a total of 82 feet to the Pacific. After passing under the Bridge of the Americas, we sailed past Panama City into the Pacific Ocean.
The pictures do not properly express the magnitude of the Panama Canal. Each transit of the Canal requires 50 million gallons of water, one quarter of the daily consumption of Panama City. On average, 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal each year. Although Panama's heavy rainfall is sufficient to meet current needs, deforestration has reduced the ability of the rain forest to store water during the dry season. The expansion of the Panama Canal started in 2007 that will increase traffic volumes and also support larger ships will incorporate water recycling to reduce the stress on the watershed.
Day 7 was another sea day, which gave us a chance to go through the 467 pictures we took. We also had a 'Welcome Back' party hosted by the captain, but unfortunately did not get a picture - you need to bring your own 'film'. The next port of call is Manta, Ecuador - pictures will be posted tomorrow.
Much of the Old City is well preserved, with no new construction allowed. Below are pictures in and around Plaza de San Pedro Claver, dedicated to the Spanish monk who ministered to African slaves.
Cartagena was followed by another day at sea. We had no success finding a deck chair that was out of the wind and the sun, and decided to hang out in the Solarium. The night turned clear - with luck, we would have nice weather for the transit of the Panama Canal on day 6.
After leaving Ft. Lauderdale the evening of November 9th, we had two days at sea, giving us lots of opportunity to check out the original artwork, shipboard facilities and the enjoy the copious amounts of food available virtually around the clock.
Look for a post tomorrow on our first port of call (Cartagena, Columbia).
