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:: Liming, Locks and Waterfalls
May 14, 2000
Liming, Locks and Waterfalls
St. Lucia and Panama
Eight days at sea - crossing the Atlantic Ocean - is a nice place to visit, but I'll never want to live there. Bligh, Cook and Columbus, whose lives and exploits I studied during the crossing, have all my respect. I spent a good number of days trying to relocate to a smoother sailing cabin while experiencing a deeper appreciation for these pioneers and the seafaring challenges they overcame more than two centuries ago.
So I, and 25 other modern-day voyagers, wasted no time celebrating in St. Lucia - our first port after a week-long stretch at sea.
"Liming," or relaxing, was the only activity that interested me - deckside on the Carnival II catamaran en route to Anse Cochon bay. We snorkeled, admired very cool fish and shook our groove things as Natalia, one of our crew, led us in the popular local line dance, "Nickel, Dime, Dollar." Only after floating among flamingo tongue mollusks and hand-feeding crumbled hard boiled eggs to stoplight parrotfish, did we enjoy the complimentary rum punch while waving to neighboring yachts in picture postcard Marigot Bay.
Two more days at sea brought us to Panama.
Like crabs in a barrel we were, clawing at wares crafted by the colorfully clad women of San Blas. Only for a moment could I convince myself that I was above this free-for-all, bargain basement tourist behavior. But curiosity and the dread of missing out on the goodies got the better of me. I, too, elbowed my way through the mass of bodies eager to deplete the limited supply of molas - multi-layered fabric art -- brought for sale by the women from the Kuna Indian community.
 Afterward, on our day-long approach to what some call the "eighth wonder of the world," folks became downright weepy recalling time spent traversing the Panama Canal. For years, I thought, what's the big deal? Sitting in a boat for nine hours as it threads through locks seemed akin to watching hair grow.
I should have paid more attention in high school. Had I done so, I would have held a more enlightened opinion of the architectural and engineering magnificence that forever changed travel by sea.
We reached the first entry - the Gatun locks - with plenty of daylight on our side. Two cameras and binoculars swung from my neck as I hoisted myself onto a top deck railing for the best view. I monitored the rise of our ship as each lock incrementally filled with water, eventually bringing us level to the man-made Gatun Lake. I applauded the "mule" drivers - the technicians operating traincar-like vehicles with double cables attached to each side of the ship - as they safely guided us through the locks and then gave us the thumbs up.
 As it turned out, I didn't have to trade my dignity for molas after all. In the town of El Valle, my last stop in Panama, there were enough molas to blanket Tolland County.
A 90-minute drive along the Pan American highway got me there. According to geologists, el Valle is the crater of a dormant volcano. This valley rises 600 meters above sea level and is what my guide, Froggi, called a recreation town, populated by Panamanians with second homes. You can visit the ancient petroglyphs, take a stroll through the Sunday market, ride a bicycle, Moped or horseback ride. But if your time is short - as was mine - make your first stop the Canopy Adventure at el Chorro Macho.
If you've ever seen the movie "Medicine Man" with Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco, you'll know exactly what you're in for - a bird's eye view of the forest via cable and pulley engineering. Suspended by a harness exactly like those used in rock climbing, you glide (or careen, if you choose) to and from six platforms enjoying the local flora, fauna and, of course, El Chorro - the waterfall. No experience necessary, as expert guides escort you and explain everything you need to know - in Spanish. If there were ever an opportunity to become fluent, this was it!
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