Farewell

May 3 was Panama Canal Day. The history of the canal was reviewed on ship in a lecture presentation and a television documentary. The need for a canal was recognized in the 16th century when Balboa realized there was such a short distance from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The project was not completed until the 20th century. Three failed attempts were costly in terms of lives and money. Ferdinand de Lesseps was the engineer for the Suez Canal, a sea level canal that opened in 1869. He was asked to work on the Panama Canal in 1880. He expected to build another sea level canal but that could not work because he had to dig too deep through the mountains and could not keep the sides from collapsing into the canal. Further, mosquitoes brought malaria and yellow fever to the project, killing thousands of workers. It was not until the engineering and the medical issues were both worked out together that a canal would succeed. Steps used to stop the spread of disease by mosquitoes were the use of quinine by workers, netting on sleeping quarters and water treatment, including spreading oil on top of standing water to thwart the insects. The engineering issues were resolved by the plan to build not a canal but a bridge of water. The rain forest looked like it would be a problem but is actually what makes the canal work by providing the water for transport. As you may know, you cross the stretch by going up 3 locks and then crossing the very large manmade Gatun Lake then going down three locks and out to the Atlantic. The whole 80 kilometer length takes nine hours to cross. Operators still make the canal work by hand from the control tower. Our ship paid $125,000 to cross. The least ever paid was $.36 by swimmer Richard Halliburton in the 1920s. 13,000+ ships cross every year.
In 1903 Panama claimed its independence from Spain and became a US protectorate. The Canal opened on August 15, 1914. After an historic struggle the canal now belongs fully to Panama as of Dec. 31, 1999. The US claims the right to protect and defend Panama permanently. The Canal has been widened twice. Plans for a new canal are under consideration now.
On the night of the crossing we celebrated at the Ambassadors’ Ball. This was our one formal event for the whole community. The fact that the male to female ratio is so skewed did not deter anyone from dressing up. Many students and staff had clothing made in Vietnam and Thailand. Ladies had lovely fitted dresses of all styles with high heels. Many males took advantage of the opportunity to buy quality tailored suits for their future careers and wore them to the ball. A few went for the ugliest suit award! Dinner was in two seatings with before and after parties all over the ship. Dancing in the union was crowded but fun.
The final days of the voyage were dedicated to departure and packing. Convocation was held on May 4. Seniors graduated; 4.0 students were recognized as were student leaders. The best speaker at convocation was the ship’s captain. The voyage staff also scheduled reentry preparation. The point of this was to prepare students (and us) for issues of going home. Many people have grown and changed and what they think is apparent and enormous may not be recognized and appreciated by others at home. Further, who has time to look at our thousands of pictures and to hear all of the stories? Students were encouraged to keep in touch with each other after the return home as a way to hold on to the experience. The final days saw extended cocktail hours for all, though the students were still forced to drink undercover. Photos were taken constantly as we all tried to get one last moment with favorite new friends and to catch the final sunset.
The ship arrived in Ft. Lauderdale right on time on May 6. Groups were released one by one so that we were not all in the terminal at the same time. After sending a large box by UPS we got a cab to the airport and headed out for the last leg to Philadelphia.
Being home is a treat and a bit strange. There is no currency exchange and I can easily purchase a lime without having to sneak it onto the ship. Our cabin steward has not shown up to make our bed and bring fresh ice. We have made wonderful friends and seen a good part of the world. It was a great experience. Thank you for sharing it with us through the blog. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.