From pase

become one of the few amongst
the tens of millions of rourists to
not only view but complete a
full transit of the Panama Canal.

B Over 13,000 ships make the

@ cight hour passage berween the

® oceans each year, but this only

relates to 37 a day and cruise
lines pav a heaw prefe rental fee
to be able to transit during day-
light hours to satisfy the passen-

By gers. We slipped by cargo ships
§ patiently waiting for a pilot to

@ board and start the steady and
extremely cautious — transit

me through the logs.

# As we entered the locks six
clectric diesel engines on cog
tracks, locally known as
“mules,” and each weighing 56
tons held the Rotterdam in a

Brigid position attached by steel

B hawsers. The ship steamed for-

fee ward under her own power, and

a once safely imprisoned berween

locks the gravitational use of

Mf fresh water from the man meade
Gatun Lake slowly elevated the

im ship 93 fect above sea level in

m@athree steps and then down

im again into the Pacific Ocean.

In between, the brilliant
green jungle-like atmosphere of

Mthe canal hid all memories of
the thousands of laborers who
toiled (and many who died) in

Methe stifling heat and mosquito

Slinfested swamps nearly a centu-
ryago. The $375 million cost, 2
staggering sum in those days,
Bwould be considered a bargain
today, especially by ship owners

mawishing to avoid the alternative

48,000 mile passage around

_ auth America’s notorious

ape Horn.
Once through the canal the
ship’s compass swung from
mesouth-south-west to north-
memenorth-west and we steamed in
Beight. of the coastline of Costa
gukica for a day before arriving at

. The beaches to the south
Attract. «many — winter-weary
ourists, but for the more
adventurous a day visit to the
Bapital San Jose, high into the
mountains is well worthwhile.
kaChis land sandwiched benween
anama and Nicaragua, two
ountries who have experienced
Bmore grief in the vast quarter
entury than many countries
ave in their entire history, has
yanaged to prosper without an
ny, Navy or air force. The
gemtandard of living, education

id general, prosperity is casily

misible. Tourism now exceeds
Moffee exports as the main
ource of income.

A day later we arrived at
vatulco (Wa-tull-co) which
‘om our anchorage didn’t
ppear to exist.

Slipping ashore in a tender
B we approached a cove, the
rown winter colored landscape
nfolded to reveal a hidden

mcitcred cove. Hotels and
hops appeared but so well built

d limited to no more than

Mpur storeys thar they blended
to the landscape with ease. In
other decade or so this quiet
tsort will have the bustle and
mricty of places like Puerto
Mallarta and Cancun, prosperity
Bra new generation, lost men-
ies for others.

The following morming we
pped into Acapulco passing

Bec Oucen Elisabeth ion her
nual world voyage and tied
p alongside, just a couple of
locks away from the bustle of
¢ city and marketplace. At

mane time this was the Mexican
sort to visit, bur with Puerto

@ullarta and) Cancun offering

r beaches, casier and
Bhicker access, fewer scheduled

Blines fly direct flights and now
is a quieter place.

Two days at sea and steadily

the temperature cools, the
breeze along the open prome-
nade now encourages you to
Wear a sweater, but the swim-
ming pool is still warm enough
to enjoy between buffer and
tea. Our last port of call, Cabo
San Lucas, has been developing
very much like its neighbour

=——

Puerto Vallarta, especially with

the road along the length of

Baja California now in) good
repair.

A great number of Canadian
licence plates are visible as many
Snowbirds own condominiums.
The local licence plate BS
Iv means Baja California Sur burt

06 Toyota

is often inter:
Columbia

tor Canadiai

preted as “

South.”
Mexico is cha

tish

wine and it

appears that the growth of

tourism is being fostered with a
steady hand, aware that a fack of
consideration to the ecolowy
could sow the seeds of disaster,

Previa. Critically
acclaimed as the finest mini-van in the *

world, Period. Factory rebates allow us to sell

these Previas well below dealer cost.

te eturns, new
Drice over

Eddie Bauer
edition,

Sunday, March 2, 1997 — North Shore News — 29

i Ships pay premium for Panama Canal daylight

Finally Los Angeles and still
the weather is fine. A recent
snowtall on the distant: San
Bernardino mountains adds a
rare view of a landscape all tao
often shrouded in smog,

For us it is time to. say
farewell to those who shared
our table in rhe restaurant -— an

engineer at Rockwell, an inten-
or designer tram Wisconsin,
and the ship’s doctor and his
wite (also from Wisconsin) who
at this moment are still aboard
the Rotterdam as she continues
her final world vovage in’ a
carcer that has spanned almost
39 vears.

== Siem Pattison Toyota
1765 Marine Drive, North Vancouver 985-0591

irs

including
leather!

2d, 2 auto, feet
ssretuins, new

Pe coupe, 5 spd,
eee black beauty,
B Must be seen

Just ARRIVED

'81 Mercedes 380 SL

auto, low km,
must be seen