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My voyage round the world revisited - 1. The Panama Canal

Writer's picture: Stuart Grant Stuart Grant

I've been neglecting this blog. I can't blame You-Know-What, as the last post I made was on March 1st and I didn't go into isolation until 19th March, just ahead of the official lockdown on 23rd. Anyway, I came across the journal I kept on my Round the World Voyage last year and thought it would be nice to revisit it since it could be a very long time before I can travel again – then thought you might like to see it too.

I can't find the notebook I wrote in at the beginning - Amsterdam-Azores-Barbados-Aruba - but I can always tack that part on at the end if it turns up. Meanwhile, today we begin with The Panama Canal – not the most beautiful of places but certainly interesting. So here's what I wrote.

It's 5.30am and I am about to go up to the top deck as we are scheduled to meet the pilot about now and are due to reach the first lock at 7am. From my cabin window I can see the lights of a long line of ships in the dark, queuing for their turn to transit. Passing through the canal is an expensive business - for a cruise ship between $100,00 and $300,000 depending on number of beds.

I managed to get prime position at the prow where I stood for two-and-a-half hours. We moved so slowly it was hard to tell we were moving at all. I hadn't had so much as a cup of tea and had forgotten my binoculars and, more importantly, my mozzie protection. It was pitch dark for the first half hour and we were guided into the channel between red and green lights.

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