On board the Celebrity Millennium — Estimates are it will take an hour and 15 minutes to navigate the Gatun Locks, and we will anchor for close to two hours in the lake. However, by being mere minutes ahead of schedule, we are able to follow the ship in front without anchoring, and go right to Gamboa, to the Pedro Miguel Locks. As we emerge from the locks, we pass the Panama flag that was raised at noon on December 31, 1999, exactly 12 hours before the millennium, when the U.S. transferred ownership of the Canal to Panama, and coincidentally our ship is called the Millennium.
We are cruising 85 feet above sea level in Gatun Lake. Somewhere between here and Gamboa, 15 miles away, we will pass the Celebrity Infinity, the Millennium’s sister ship. In Gatun Lake, there are islands everywhere. It’s almost like going through Thousand Islands in Canada. But where’s Gilligan?
The Millennium cuts a majestic swath through the waters of this man-made lake, which loses 52 million gallons of fresh water to the ocean each time a ship goes through the Canal. The water is replenished from the heavens during the rainy season. In the dry season, man-made reservoirs keep up the supply.
It’s so humid that camera lens, glasses and binoculars are constantly fogging up, and we are cautioned to consume much water in the mid-80s heat that feels much hotter.
More later…not done yet!