Guna Yala : Mamitupu

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A very traditional island, the making of coconut soap, sugarcane press. Focus on daily Guna tasks and also they sale a lot Guna molas



Mamitupu River

Guna Yala : Achutupu Island

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Achutupu is an Island  in Guna Yala. The island is home to a dense population of Guna people: one of the most densely populated in Guna Yala. It is a popular gateway to the rest of Guna Yala, though there is no place for tourists to stay the night.

Walking around Achutupu can be an interesting experience. All the women are dressed in Guna's traditional costume. Children in varying states of undress play in the streets and on the beaches. Many families own pigs.

Despite obvious overcrowding, islanders reserve space for a basketball court which, with the nearby stores, is the hub of local life. There is also a Gathering House, where the community governs its affairs. The Chicha House is the other important public building and is where islanders celebrate the coming-of-age of their girls.

What to do in Achutupu ?

 

Spend a day observing traditional Guna village life

Hire a boat to take you to one of the many surrounding islands

Ask about the large community gathering house in the center of the island: many important Guna   events take place here.

How we Celebrate Carnival in Panama ?

How much water is required to fill a lock chamber?

 

101,000 cubic meters of water are needed to fill a Panama Canal lock chamber. An average of 52 million gallons of fresh water are used in each transit.

What was the total construction cost of the Panama Canal ?

The total construction cost of the Panama Canal was of approximately US$375,000,000, which included the US$10 million paid to Panama, and US$40 million paid to the French Canal Company for the rights to the Canal. Some authors mention a cost of US$387,000,000, but this amount includes the expense of fortifying the Canal, which is a cost separate from the actual Canal construction.

How long does it take for a complete transit?

A ship takes an average of 8 to 10 hours to transit the Panama Canal.

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Panama Canal Full Transit Tour

 

 

Who was the 1st Chief Engineer during the construction under US administration?

On May 6th, 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed John F. Wallace Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal Project. The job awarded Wallace a $25,000 annual salary -- the highest of any government employee other than the President. On June 21, Wallace, along with assistant engineer William Karner, set sail on the Allianca from New York. After a rough weeklong voyage, the ship arrived in Colón, Panama during the rainy season. The streets were thick with impassible mud and houses elevated just a few feet above dirty, foul smelling water. Wallace and his men were not optimistic about the future in their new home.

Wallace realized almost immediately that the Isthmus' harsh terrain would be a serious obstacle to construction. The task ahead of him seemed impossible: to dig a channel 50 miles in length and 30 feet below sea level stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific coast. He would have to cut through dense jungle, control parts of the flood-prone Chagres River and haul away sections of the Culebra Mountain hundreds of feet above sea level. Daunted, Wallace asked for more time to survey the area, but Roosevelt's directive to "Make the dirt fly!" prevented any further delay

To meet the government's demands for fast, visible progress on the canal, Wallace attempted to excavate the spoil as quickly as possible, but flooding and landslides caused repeated setbacks. The delays damaged morale among workers already suffering from terrible food and living conditions.

Logistical problems added to the inefficiency. At the start of the project, the laborers only had at their disposal the antiquated machines left behind a decade earlier. Soon Wallace ordered newer equipment from the U.S., but the giant steam shovels excavated more spoil than the existing train infrastructure could remove, forcing Wallace to operate them at 25% of their peak efficiency or less.

Wallace also faced bureaucratic challenges from Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC). A seven-member presidential committee was established to help avoid the inefficiency and corruption that had plagued the French 15 years earlier. The ICC had to approve every decision Wallace made in the Canal Zone. With engineers filling out more than 1,000 work request forms weekly, even the simplest tasks often took months to complete.

Overwhelmed, Wallace resigned abruptly in June 1905. His successor was railroad mastermind John Stevens, engineer of the Great Northern Railroad that traversed the Pacific Northwest. Right at the start of his tenure Stevens did the one thing that Wallace failed to do -- stop digging.

Itinerary : Panama Canal Full Transit Tour

About 8-9 hours

  

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The tour starts at 7:00AM at the Flamenco Island in Amador Causeway in Panama City. You will check-in at the ship to start this adventure. The ship will cross under the Bridge of the Americas (Puente de Las Americas) and then start your transit through the Miraflores Locks, the first set of locks. While in Miraflores you will ascend 18 meters in two steps. After that you will find yourself transiting the artificial Miraflores Lake which is located just between the Miraflores Locks and Pedro Miguel Locks. You will still be in the Pacific Ocean.

At Pedro Miguel Locks the ship will ascend again another 9 meters in one step. While exiting Pedro Miguel Locks you will transit the Gaillard Cut (Corte Culebra). This area is full of history, is one of the most important points of attraction of this trip. Also, you will witness the works being done for the Canal expansion project.

Then you’ll find Gatun Lake. The second largest man-made lake in the world. You will find the Barro Colorado – Smithsonian Research Station and then you will transit the Gatun Locks the last and only set of locks located in the Atlantic side. At this point you will experience a 26 meters drop in three different steps which will complete your transit through the Panama Canal.

You will dock at Pier 6 in the Colon area where the transportation is provided to return to Panama City.

What's Special about the Panama Canal Full Transit Tour?

• English/Spanish guide-narrator.
• Continental Breakfast.
• Complete Lunch, bottled water and soft drinks
• Snacks
• Transportation by bus from Colon to Flamenco Island in Panama City where tour started

Albert Einstein brief Panama visit

On January 4, 1933 aboard the Steamship Belgenland Professor Albert Einsten Albert Einstein, one of the world's foremost scientists, and author of the theory of relativity cross the Panama Canal on route to California

Distinguished Travelers Visit Panama's Bazaars at the City of Colon : Professor Albert Einstein, with his wife, laden with packages of souvenirs for their children, purchased in the bazaars of the tropical city, where they stopped while en route to California Einstein insisted that the Hindu clerks be included in the photograph

Professor Einstein with Frau Einstein enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride in Front Street Colon, Rep. of Panama.

Steamship Belgenland crossing the Panama Canal

Itinerary : Panama Canal Partial Transit Tour

About 5-6 hours

You will start the tour at 7:00AM from Amador Causeway in Panama City. You will take the tour bus which will transport passengers to the Gamboa area, where the trip starts. This transfer will take 45 minutes. Then you board the ship and you will be transiting the Gaillard Cut, this area is one of the most important attractions of the trip because it’s full of history.  

Then you will cross under the Centennial Bridge and that is when you will be on the way to transit Pedro Miguel Locks. Also, you will witness the works being done for the Canal expansion project. When entering Pedro Miguel Locks you will experience a drop of 9 meters in one step and find the Miraflores Lake, an artificial lake that connects Pedro Miguel Locks with and Miraflores Locks. 

Now you will enter the last set of locks called Miraflores Locks in the Pacific Ocean where you will be lowered 18 meters in two different steps. You will be sailing the Pacific Ocean on the way to the disembarkation point at Amador Causeway but before that, you will be passing under the Bridge of the Americas (Puente de Las Americas). You will be in the Panama Bay and that is the end of this unique trip.

What's Special about the Panama Canal Partial Transit Tour?

• Go through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Panama Canal Locks.

• See the famous Gaillard Cut
• Learn about the history of the canal and its strategic importance.
• Learn how transit ships navigate through the Canal maze.
• See the work being done to expand the Panama Canal.
• Enjoy a delicious Breakfast.

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