Preconceptions

This first stretch of travel abroad has had as its final target the Panama Canal.  It was something that held my attention for short spans of time while I was growing up.  The idea of making it, the political problems, the unsuccessful attempt, and of course the difficulties in making it a reality.
The cost of human life, through accident and disease was significant, but the will to make it was strong as well.  The difference it has made to world commerce is vast, and the impact on ship size was long lasting.
The preconception part of this post is from not checking a map when I was younger.  The Canal goes from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and in my mind this meant that it went from East to West (or West to East) in a more of less straight line, traversing through Panama and Gatun Lake, the body of water that made the whole thing vastly easier to do.  I still had that idea in mind when visiting Panama.  The large map on the wall of the hostel on Boquete showed Panama stretched out with its longest length being left to right, and the Canal slicing it at a slight diagonal.  I had to double check the orientation of the map a couple times to make sure it was not sideways.  Yes, Panama runs mostly East-West, with the canal cutting through it in a mostly North-South direction.  My childhood preconception keeps trying to turn the whole thing at right angles from what it really is.  This has not been good for my sense of direction.

In other news, the Panama Canal turns 100 years old August 15th, having opened officially on that day in 1914.

In other other news, the widening of the Canal has stalled due to cost over-runs.  Apparently the contractor did not take the country of Panama seriously when they said they would not pay for any over-runs.  Can you say lawsuit?

In other other other news, in a deal with China, Nicaragua has started its own Canal, which will need way more digging than both the original Panama Canal and the expansion combined.