the Panama Canal

hey.. it's still the same session as my last blog, but I wrote so much that I wanted to publish it before loosing it in a silly way ;) hehe ;)

so yes.. about the Panama Canal.. I didn't really know anything about it, but for me as engineer it's a totally fascinating construction! :) they have several gates to bring ships up and down from sea-level to the level of the lake. It's all super simple.. gravity and water does the job.. no pumps, just a huge discharge of water into the ocean, every time a ship passes. But it seems, that their Eco system holds that much water and with a lot of supervision, planning, artificial lakes they make it happen..
so in short (my Mom wanted to know this ;) hehe ;) the French tried it in 1880 and made quite some work but didn't finish, because of yellow fever and huge losses of workers. Then the Americans picked it up 1904 and finished 1914, blowing through a huge, massive rock and with a lot of vehicles and ships and trains to make such a construction happen (e.g. making the lake deep enough for the vessels).
then there are some interesting facts as it just was giving to Panama at the end of 1999. Since then this country is growing extremely! they built a lot of skyscrapers since then and if you look at the city skyline, every second one is just being built right now.. so I heard improved education and the infrastructure of the country. They are growing a lot these days.. also making an other gate for bigger ships to keep up with globalization and the demand for bigger ships and loads.
the new gates will operate with three pools that hold 60% of the water while operating the locks (ahh.. that was the word.. locks! not gates :P ;)
all simple but nice and needs a lot of engineering work, people thinking and afterward even a lot more people maintaining it. Reminded me my time in Itaipu, a big hydro power plant where also water and massive constructions come together..
will upload some pictures of it.. was watching from the viewing platform as a big ship came in.. and they have a nice museum that shows also some wildlife of the region and a obviously very old movie about the Canal.. a very impressive construction! ..and even more impressing that it provides more of 50% of the income of the country.. so Panama can't complain. You can even drink the tab water here in the city :D
this year the 1 000 000st ship will pass (I thought, you should just wait in the queue with a small boat and then make it happen that you're the one ;) hehe :)
so the operation is simple.. ship comes in, gate closes, water level gets equalized through gravitation with the other part of the lock and then gate opens, ship moves on and the procedure get's repeated for the difference of height is too much for just one lock (that's what I'd say why they have several..)
I'm glad I made it happen to see it! :) was tough 14 dollars more expensive, because I did go by myself with a taxi, because putting in to the last day without coordinating with other travelers here.. but was good anyway! :) meeting taxi drivers is always interesting ;) hehe :)

well.. I guess that's it.. my wrist is already hurting and I'm more that ready to go to bed.. was a great time here in Panama city and I thought back to the moment in Honduras where I thought.. Nicaragua, Costa Rica.. and then Panama still to go, and I kinda wanted to be in South America for Panama was so far away and I didn't know what experience it will hold (was actually about to cross it very quickly.. but sooo happy I enjoyed it in the same deep profound way as the other countries of Central America! :D ..so never anticipate. PARTICIPATE! :)

all the best and hear from me when I arrive in Colombia! :))))