TRANSIT THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL.

A very full Day 16, which I continue with the departure from Panama City.

Then dinner in Taste.

I had bruschetta, cauliflower cream soup and Caesar salad, with a Malbec from Argentina.

She had a shrimp pasta and ribs.

I had what was a chocolate volcano.

Then went to the Theater to see The Beatles.

A silly game in the Atrium.

Adda Band in the Atrium.

Disco dancing in the Social Club.

Karaoke in The Cavern Club.

Midnight Snack in the Local Club.

While watching The Quiet Zone below.

Finally back to room,  Walked 4402 steps on Day 16.

Woke up on Day 17 at 5:45AM to experience the transit through the Panama Canal from my room veranda.  A lot photos.

On end of sliding gate.

Going back to Panama City is the same Viking Mars.

And other ships,.

Nice clouds.

Approaching final set of locks on the Caribbean side.

It was hot on the veranda, and the sun made it worse, so went back to the room to watch Chanel 2, showing the transit.

Had a double shot of vodka and orange juice.

At this point, went to lunch.

Ended with a chimichuri and chocolate, with rosé wine.

Success through the locks.  Passing under bridge that connects one side of Panama with the other.  There are three:  Centennial Bridge, Bridge of the Americas and the recently opened (2019) Atlantic Bridge, below.

In the Caribbean Sea, with ships waiting transit into the Pacific Ocean.

A rough calculation shows that France and the U.S. spent $615 million to build the Panama Canal.  When you add the more recent Panama $5.2 billion upgrade, the actual value is around $30 billion in 2024 dollars.  In comparison, the Manhattan Project to build the Atomic Bomb cost $27 billion in 2023 dollars, and the Apollo Project for Man to the Moon cost $318 billion in 2023 dollars.  I did not realize JFK's effort to send Neil Armstrong to the Moon cost so much, relative to other historic projects

While this is not quite the same analysis, there is something called the Earth Pyramid Project, seeking funds to build the equivalent of the Great Pyramid of Ghiza, finished 4500 years ago.  Cost?  $5 billion.  One World Trade Center in New York Center cost $4 billion.

Another interesting bit of info is that it cost the USA $4.7 trillion, or $4000 billion in current dollars for World War II.  Defense in 1945 was 40% of the GDP.  It is today around $13%.

COVID-19 relief apparently cost $5.2 trillion,

What abut the cost to end global climate warming?  We know so little, that the range is between $300 billion and $50 trillion.

We now head for Colombia.