A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

That title is a palindrome (it reads the same backwards as it does forwards), and it usually refers to president Theodore Roosevelt's push to create the Panama canal. It's a bit more complicated than that, though, as I learned today.

Saul and I went to the Miraflores Locks, just outside of the city. Our area used to have a complex system of locks when the rivers were used more for shipping, particularly in the 1800s. If you're not familiar with locks, they raise and lower water levels to help boats move from different elevations. The Panama Canal has three sets of locks. It takes most cargo ships about 8-10 hours to travel the whole length of the canal.

The canal was started in the 1800s by the French, and the project was never finished. At the time, they didn't have the tools they needed to complete the canal, and the project was abandoned. Panama declared its independence from Spain in 1821, and found that it was struggling in its independence, so it joined forces with Colombia. Unfortunately, Colombia took advantage of Panama, taking its natural resources and forcing its citizens to work for Colombia's interests. The United States took an interest in Panama, realized its potential for creating a canal, and decided to help Panama gain its independence from Colombia.

The canal was completed in 1913, after lots of difficulties (hacking through the jungle, exploding mountains, and Dengue fever, for example). It was opened for travel in 1914. The United States controlled all traffic through the canal, and there was a designated "canal zone" that Panamanians were not allowed to enter--it was only for American citizens. In the middle of the country of Panama. In 1964, a group of students launched a protest against US control of the canal. They argued that a canal through Panama should be controlled by Panama. They entered the Canal Zone, ripped up a US flag, and flew the Panamanian flag from a light post. In 1977, the Carter-Torrijo Treaty was signed, promising that the US would cede control of the canal to Panama in 1999. Finally, in 1999, that's what happened--86 years after the canal was completed.

You might think that, with a history like the one I just described, Panamanians wouldn't have a very good opinion of the United States. That's not true. On the whole, Panamanians have very positive views of the US and its citizens. I was in a grocery store today, and I was surprised by the vast number of American brands I saw--not just the ones you might expect, like Coca Cola, but lots of different products like Snyder's chips, Philadelphia cream cheese, Pantene shampoo, and lots of other things that I know I'm forgetting right now. That was refreshing for me, because I'm accustomed to visiting countries that have a less favorable impression of the US.

I also visited Panamá Vieja today. It's the original Panama City, built by the Spaniards around 1513 when Balboa reached the Pacific coast. Panamá Vieja was very accessible by sea, which was unfortunate when pirates attacked and destroyed it in 1519. The city center was moved to a more protected location.

Modern-day Panama City:


The cemetery for workers who died while building the Panama Canal




A cargo ship entering the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal



And you all know how much I love ruins/history/nerdy things--this is the bell tower of Panama Vieja, most of which was destroyed by pirates in 1519