Panama
Through the Panama Canal** here drawing insert boy with Helveticus book
Very early one morning, I realized that the ship was no longer sailing. Everyone went on deck and we saw the lights of Panama City. The **Britanis** was in the waiting area before entering the Panama Canal.
Even at the age of 14, I had dreamed of sailing through the Panama Canal on a ship. My godmother had given me a book called "Helveticus" - a collection of short stories with lots of technical explanations and photos of the canal. I enjoyed reading it again and again. And lo and behold, around twelve years later, this childhood dream became a reality.
Entrance to the Panama Canal
A pilot came on board and off we went - towards the Panama Canal. It was impressive to see how such a large ship negotiated the locks. Everything went flawlessly, like a well-rehearsed piece of music. Several locks followed, then the journey through Lake Gatun to Colón.
We left the ship in Colón. There were less than twenty of us disembarking. The captain stood on the bridge and said goodbye to us with a big wave and a few words in Greek.
At that time, the canal was still under American sovereignty. Passport control was carried out directly on the ship by an American. We had to show a flight ticket proving that we would be leaving Panama again - otherwise we were not allowed to leave the ship. We had already bought this so-called "get-out-ticket" or one-way ticket at the travel agency in Alice Springs.
We walked to a small train station (more like a stop) in Colón and boarded the train, which was pulled by an old steam locomotive. The journey went via Gatun and Gamboa to Panama City - more or less always along the canal. It was a different perspective than from the ship.
Arrival in Panama and farewell to the ship
Towards the end of the crossing, the climate changed noticeably. The air became warmer and much more humid. The approach to Panama and Colón became apparent step by step. The arrival marked the end of this long passage across the Pacific. It wasn't a wild adventure in the true sense of the word, but a calm transition - a bridge between two sections of our journey.
This boat trip was both part of the journey and a phase of pause before a new continent began.
Arrival in Panama City
In Panama City, Klaus, Gaston, Rolf and I were looking for a cheap hotel. Klaus didn't need it, but he joined us. We found one fairly close to the center.
What I particularly liked in Panama City was the old town - "El Casco Viejo", as the locals called it. Well-preserved old houses, cafés with very high ceilings and a lot of ethnic Indians. It was easy to communicate in English.
We went to a typical restaurant together in the evening. My first Central American meal was an "arroz con pollo". When I ordered it, the waitress grinned because I didn't pronounce it correctly. Nevertheless, it was delicious, very plentiful and went wonderfully with a well-chilled beer. (Rice with chicken)
We then wanted to say goodbye. Klaus flew to the USA, Gaston back to Bolivia and we would fly on to Barranquilla in Colombia a few days later. We decided to enjoy a farewell evening together and found a good restaurant. Such places are less suitable for talking and more for drinking and watching the hustle and bustle.
As soon as we had settled down at the bar and everyone had a drink in hand, the live band was already playing at full blast. Suddenly, some young women were standing on the bar and dancing with a lot of energy. We thought Klaus was going to pass out. He was a very nice, somewhat withdrawn man and the women dancing so close to us had visibly affected him. They weren't wearing much clothing. It was a great, unforgettable evening.
On the way back to the hotel, we exchanged addresses. Klaus gave us the address of his sister where he could be reached, Gaston gave us his address in La Paz, Bolivia - which we actually visited later when we were passing through.
A few days after this farewell, it was our turn to travel on and discover a new continent. We took off by plane from Panama City to Barranquilla in Colombia. The flight took less than two hours.