PANAMA CANAL continued

                              PANAMA CANAL---continued
 

Next is the Gaillard Cut, named for the engineer in charge of construction of this section. The narrowest section of the canal is now 500 feet wide having been widened from its original 300-foot width. The nine-mile-long cut is 40-feet deep.  A bronze monument depicting two men with shovels sits up on the hill commemorating all the men who worked on the canal construction. The cut here crosses the International Date Line.

The Gaillard Cut, originally called Culebra (snake) because of its many curves, was the greatest challenge when building the canal. Deadly mud slides were fatal if one got caught in one. Over 6000 men worked on the cut using 60-million pounds of dynamite. The nearly 8 mile cut connects Pedro San Miguel Locks to Lake Gatun.

Gatun Lake

  The huge lake is 87-feet above sea level, and contains many islands within its 164 square miles. The lake accounts for 20-miles of the canal transit. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Center is located on Barrocaro Island, one of the largest islands. There are 140 miles of trails on that island! There is a three to four month wait to obtain permission to land on the island.

In 1914 a mile-long dam was built at the north end of Lake Gatun. The concrete spillway is clearly visible. The dam is a half-mile wide at the base tapering to one hundred feet at the crest. It is 105-feet above sea level and 20-feet above the normal level of the lake. Until Lake Meade, in the US was dammed up, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world. The lake covers the fertile Charges valley.

            The lake itself is a wildlife refuge and home to crocodiles—forgo swimming here—manatees, and peacock bass, a species introduced from South America and popular with fishermen.  Surrounding the canal and lakes are protected parkland, beautiful lodges, monkeys and rare tropical birds,  

The cost to build the Panama Canal was $400 million. The Atlantic entrance is 22 ½ miles west of the Pacific entrance. Because of the snake like direction of the canal the sun rises in the Pacific and sets in the Atlantic. The Pacific is south and the Atlantic is north.

           The Chargres River, in central Panama, is the largest river in the Panama Canal’s watershed. The river is dammed twice, and the resulting reservoirs —Gatun Lake and Lake Alajuela—form an integral part of the canal and its water system. Although the river's natural course runs northwest into the Caribbean Sea, its waters also flow, via the canal’s locks into both the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Panama to the south, entitling the Chagres to the unusual claim of drainage into two oceans.      The upper Chargres River, its watershed, and the watershed of several tributaries lie within the Chargres National Park, created in 1985 to preserve the flow of water into the canal. The terrain of the upper Chargres watershed is rugged, with mountain slopes exceeding 45 degrees in 90 percent of its territory. Some 98 percent of the park consists of old-growth tropical forest.

            The upper Chargres and its seven tributaries flow into Lake Alajuela, the reservoir created by the Madden Dam.  As these rivers contribute 45 percent of the total water for the canal, the lake is an essential part of the watershed of the Canal Zone. The lake has a maximum level of 250 ft above sea level, and can store one third of the canal's annual water requirements for the operation of the locks. Unlike Gatun Lake, Lake Alajuela is not part of the navigational route, so there are fewer restrictions on its water level. Water from the reservoir is also used to generate hydroelectric power and to supply Panama City's fresh water.

THE PANAMA CANAL

                                 A Man-Made Wonder
 

I’m sure many of my readers have transited the Panama Canal, so this will serve as a summary and will require a couple of posts to even accomplish that.

At both the Miraflores and Gatun Locks we had to pass through metal detectors and have all bags etc scanned.  Just part of normal life these days! The Panama Canal is one of the great engineering feats of all time. The locks were designed to lift ships from sea level up 85-feet to Lake Gatun. It is amazing that 100 years later the locks are in near perfect condition. However, the canal is presently building larger locks alongside the present ones to accommodate today’s large mega ships. The new lock construction, parallel to the original locks, is due to be completed this year. The new locks will use recycled water whereas the present locks do not. Today the canal employs 9,000 workers. There are three observation towers and a visitor center at the Miraflores locks.

 Heavy rainfall and several rivers feed the lake for the canal to function. Hydro-electric power is also generated.

Forty ships a day transit the almost 50-mile long canal bringing 500 million dollars to Panama. In a year over 13,000 ships from 79 countries make the trip. The Canal saves ships 2000 miles if they had to sail around the tip of South America. Today all arrangements must be made and paid for in cash in advance of transit.

Fees are based on tonnage for laden ships and is less for ships in ballast. In the late 1800s the French Company attempted to build a canal, but disease (malaria, plague, and yellow fever), rain, mud, scandal, corruption and the loss of 16-20,000 lives eventually bankrupted the company.

Freighter passing through Miraflores Locks

The US negotiated a favorable treaty with Panama in 1903 and started construction. The geographically stable area was a big consideration for the site of the canal. In 1904 Col. William Gorges undertook the problems of sanitation and the task of eliminating mosquito breeding areas in the jungle.

Ten years later, in 1914, the canal was complete. It had taken the labor of 75,000 men to build this marvel, often referred to as one of the man-made wonders of the world.

Because of World War I the official inauguration was postponed until 1920. The United States was given control of the canal for 100 years.     

There are six locks in the canal, three on each end. They are 110-feet wide and 1050-feet long. Each lock has two chambers, side by side, so ships can go in either direction at the same time. Four and a half million cubic feet of concrete were needed for the locks and dam. The gates are seven feet thick. The drop and rise in each of the locks is 28 feet. The water drops 39-inches a minute through 18-inch culverts. All the water in the locks and lakes is fresh, fed by the mighty Chagres River and two smaller rivers.

On the Pacific end, the first two adjoining locks (or the last two if you are transiting south) are the Miraflores locks.  The original 39 mules were built by General Electric for a total cost of $528,680. The new mules built by Mitsubishi cost  $2 million dollars each.

Miraflores Lake, at the end of the second lock, is small with a yacht harbor at the north end.

The next lock, Pedro San Miguel, is a single lock. Leaving this lock one can glimpse the mouth of the Rio Grande River.

To be continued next time

TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

                                          Turtles Are The Attraction

            It was not until my third trip to Costa Rica that I got to Tortuguero National Park, located in a remote area on Costa Rica’s eastern Atlantic coast. The park, covering 47,000 acres, was established in 1970, although regulation to protect the turtles and control visitors started in 1963 when turtles were nearly extinct. Trade in turtles has gone on since 1541. Tortugas, in Spanish, means giant sea turtle. Turtles are the main attraction in the park.

Of the eight species of marine turtles, six nest in Costa Rica and four species nest in the park. The green turtle is the most common. Hawksbill turtles are also found in the park. The Loggerhead is the rarest, and the giant Leatherback is the most spectacular and largest of all the species. It can grow up to six feet and weigh 1000 pounds. 

Raffia palms line the jungle canals and lagoons that lie behind beaches. These canals are the main highway, as no vehicles or paved roads exist in the park. Boats, skiffs, dugout canoes ply the canals and transport goods and people. Such water crafts are often referred to as pangas. Many say the lush tropical jungle is similar to the Amazon.

Tortuguero is home to spider, capuchin and howler monkeys as well as the great green macaw, green iguana, toucan, three-toed sloth, and the endangered manatee. The area receives 200-inches of rain a year and is the rainiest part of the country, resulting in a healthy mosquito population. We were very lucky as far as both rain and bugs were concerned. Although we were prepared with long sleeves and long pants we had no need for them and we never did use any of the bug juice! It was VERY humid and smothering hot though.

The rain forest protects 350 species of birds, 110 specie reptiles, 57 species amphibians as well as butterflies, jaguars, anteaters, and peccaries. The lowland rain-forest is a true tropical jungle.

While in the park we took three additional boat rides for nature watching. Our guide checked in with the park rangers each time before we went exploring various canals. The palm canal (Cano Palma) totally fascinated me. Palms contain a lot of tannin, and with many dead leaves on the bottom, the water appears very black and was mirror calm. The reflections were so incredible that it was hard to determine what was real and what was reflection. When we did turn up the speed, the boat’s wake was a marked bronze color instead of white.

It was common to see monkeys playing in the trees and sometimes teasing us as we walked along the paths. Iguanas and small lizards were seen often so it was wise to watch where you stepped. Our cabins were individual, enclosed and you could see nothing but lush foliage when looking out the screened open-shuttered ‘windows’. Ceiling fans were helpful at night as there was no air conditioning.  Being a naturalist I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the park as did the rest of my family. Rain forests are neat areas, and having stayed in several, I’ll take one every chance I get.

BATH, ENGLAND AND ITS ABBEY

                         A Lovely City Full of History

The city of Bath, England sits in a valley at the bottom edge of the Cotswold’s. This city of 100,000 exists because of water where 270,000 gallons of water bubbles up each day from the bowels of the earth. They are England’s only hot springs. The springs are 10,000 feet deep, and surface in three places with a temperature of 46 degrees centigrade.

Legend tells the story about a Celtic chief who had leprosy and was forced to leave his people for their own safety. During his travels he happened upon the hot springs. After bathing in them for some period of time he was cured and eventually returned to his people. He had a difficult time convincing his people who he really was, but when he did he moved his people to the springs which they called ‘sul’ and which they worshipped.

The Romans put Bath on the map in the first century when they drained the swamp and built a temple to the goddess Minerva.  They built a sophisticated network of  baths making full use of the mineral springs and called the area Aquae Sulis. They  occupied the area for 360  years  but in 410 suddenly abandoned the area. Over the years water again overcame the area.

In the 12^th century present day Bath was built over the unknown Roman ruins. The Roman ruins were not discovered until the 1800s. The old Roman lead lined pool is 5’ deep and still water tight! The original Roman drains are still used to drain the excess water and carry it to the River Avon.

            By the 18^th century architect, John Wood, united the present city making use of the local yellow stone.  The debonair and flamboyant Beau (Richard) Nash threw extravagant parties, and Bath was the hottest social scene in the country.

Bath Abbey

Monks established    the Bath Abbey in the 900s and it  is across the plaza from the Roman Baths ruins/museum. This gorgeous 16^th century Gothic abbey is over the site of a Norman cathedral, that was on the site of an ancient Saxon monastery. 
The Abbey measures 67 meters by 22 meters. The nave vaulting is 24 meters high and the height of the tower is an additional 49 meters. Why isn’t it a cathedral? The Abbey is a parish church; a cathedral is the principal church of a diocese, the area of a bishop’s authority. When visiting the Abbey do plan on giving yourself enough time and if at all possible do it with a docent who can relay a lot of history. Such docents are extremely knowledgeable and love to partake all sorts of neat information.      
 In 1499 Bishop Oliver King demolished the Norman cathedral to build the present abbey. This Anglican parish church houses one of the most beautiful fan vaulted ceilings I’ve ever seen. It is truly magnificent. The front façade of the abbey is intricate and interesting. A miter, olive tree, and crown are worked in the façade as a play on the present building’s founder, Bishop Oliver King.

         On my second trip to Bath I pretty much  knew my way around. I visited the Roman Baths again, and saw some things I had missed the first time. I spent a fair amount of time in the Abbey, as it is truly beautiful. Then I walked across the street and watched the waterfall on the River Avon before making it back up to the bridge.
           Bath boasts the only bridge left in England that is lined with shops. The Putney Bridge spans the River Avon and was a famous city landmark in the 18^th century. On one end of the bridge was a small sandwich shop. After walking down one side and back on the other side of the bridge, I stopped in the sandwich shop and bought a ham and cheese baguette for lunch.

IRISH TREASURES

                                              A Couple of Many

            Kerry County Museum explains 8000 years of Irish and County Kerry History.  Sounds, sights and smells of medieval Tralee are recreated in vivid detail. I could do without the musty smell. The recreated village was well done with wax manikins in working positions. There even was a fellow ready to dump his chamber pot out the window into the cobbled street. The whole exhibit was in muted lighting which added to the  realistic atmosphere. Talk about going back in time! This is one of the best realistic museums I’ve been it. We slowly wandered through the exhibits marveling at how realistic they were.

            Lovely gardens were across the street from the museum behind the 1243 Tralee Friary established by the Dominican  priest, John Fitzthomas. Known as the black friars because of  their black robes, they were noted for their scholarship and learning. In 1580 the city and abbey burned and by the end of the 17^th century little of the medieval town remained.

             Just outside Tralee in Blennerville stands the largest working windmill dating back to the 1800s. I asked if we could stop for a Kodak moment. Both our guide and van driver obliged---ah the advantage of a small group! The windmill is very big; however it now houses a museum and is no longer in use. 

            A fabulous day spent in Killarney started with a jaunting ride through Killarney National Park, Ireland’s largest and first national park. The drivers of the two wheeled horse and buggies called jaunting carts are called   jarveys, and ours was named Michael.

            Six of us crawled into the cart. Michael was most personable and kept up a running commentary as he drove us through the park. His horse was named Black Beauty. Michael said, “We all have two horses which we rotate. It is getting harder and  harder to find a horse that can cope with the traffic and noise. The pavement is hard on their hoofs so they are re-shod every three weeks.”

            Passing by the lower lake he continued, “This loch is five and a half miles long and two and a half  miles wide. The Middle or Muckross Lake is 300 feet deep, and the upper lake is more like a wide river. There are 32 islands in the lake; the one out there is called Monk Island because in times of conflict the monks from the abbey would escape there to hide. All the islands are bird sanctuaries. The fishing in the lakes is good.”

            Michael stopped the cart on the 1878 Wishing Bridge so we all could make a wish. He explained, “The hardest part of driving this rig is the down hills. I have to keep the break on so the cart won’t run over the horse. It’s hard on both the animal and the cart. The cattle you see grazing are called Kerry cattle. There are only three herds left and they all graze here in the national park. They are pure black and give black milk that is called Guinness.”  Funny, this guy!

            We stopped at the 1458 Friar’s Abbey to walk around the grounds and through the abbey that was destroyed in 1664. A huge yew tree grew in the center of the cloister. Restoration of the abbey was in progress. Although the park is in the center of a busy city it was quiet and peaceful within its boundaries. 

            Later in the day after touring Muckross House I chose to walk through the park instead of attending a sheep herding demonstration, as I’d seen many. Another gal decided that was a good idea and joined me. We had instructions on where and when to meet up with the van.  It was a nice day and the walk was really fun.

            Later still, my buddy and I decided to walk through the park to St. Mary’s Cathedral. The present church was built in 1842 over the site of the original 1027 church. The church served as a shelter for people for famine victims. The temperature inside was pleasant so we sat awhile to rest her knee and then headed off for a very late lunch. We made our way through town to the restaurant Sceal Eile (pronounced shay ellie). Seated next to an upstairs window providing a great view of the street below we enjoyed a good bowl of Irish stew. A great end to a wonderful full day!