Jan 8th, 2023 Day 6 of 128

Sea Day. Panama Canal. Fuerte Amador, Panama.

Sea Day:  Today we traversed through the Panama Canal.  We said goodbye to the Atlantic Ocean for a while and came out on the other side in the Pacific Ocean.  The pilot boarded the ship around 5:30am and took us through the canal. The canal is quite a marvel of architectural ingenuity and a true commitment to the betterment of man.  Essentially an elevator for ships that takes them up 85 feet in elevation and back down the other side.  If you haven’t had a chance to learn, read, study this canal, I encourage you to take some time to watch some videos or do some reading about how this canal came to be.  I watched the Zuiderdam enter the first locks this morning from the gym.  We were right behind the Volendam and got to watch it go up and down the locks in front of us while we also watched giant container ships coming out traveling in the opposite direction.   After we crossed Gatun Lake, we entered the locks that would take us back down to the Pacific Ocean.  As we went through the last set of locks, by some amazing twist of fate, the Volendam and the Zuiderdam went through the locks side by side  at the same time.  I told you a couple days ago how several of the passengers have friends on the other ship and it was so much fun watching everyone waving back and forth to each other from almost every deck of the ship.  There was even a sound off between the two ships as they talked back and forth to each other.  It was discussed that this type of happenstance does not happen very often.  The probability that there was two Holland America ships going through the canal at the same time was a future advertisement dream.  During the day we also attended our Project Linus Group, Megan had tutoring, we went to tea with Gail and Marty and then attended a special event on the pool deck called burgers and beer.  They served the passengers a trio of sliders and they had a promotional price on “buckets” of beer. It gave us a chance to go to dinner with our bathing suits on under our shorts and then after we ate we took the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather and took a dip in the pool.  The ship pulled into Fuerte Amador, Panama around 6:30pm.  We were permitted to disembark and take shuttle buses to a dining district if we wanted to, but we have opted to stay on the ship until tomorrow when we have a scheduled excursion.  Megan is off playing cards with Gail and Marty tonight as I write this to you and anticipate all the photos I have to attach below.  We will be up at 7:00am tomorrow.  My body is quite exhausted having been through three time changes in the last 6 days.  One of the many joys and prices of international travel.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Sending love and prayers again to all my friends and family in California.  As you prepare for more rain, clean up from the previous storms, and attempt to stay safe and dry, know that I am thinking of you and praying for you.  Love and Hugs from across the miles.