After departing Costa Rica at 11pm we traveled overnight to the mouth of the Panama Canal by early morning. The canal appeared mostly as a narrow river, and the MV Explorer journeyed at a slow speed through the Gulf of Panama to the first locks built on the Miraflores Lake. Mike and I had already determined that we were in good shape in the library, so we spent much of the day gazing at the scenery. Contrary to popular belief, from the Pacific the Canal runs more to the north than to the east, as shown on this map. I grew up in a town on a river with locks, so I can’t say the experience of going through the Panama Canal was all that interesting to me, but the photos give a sense of what it was like.
More interesting was what was happening on the inside of the ship. Our last days were like that of senior year at college: everyone spending as much time together as possible, aware that it would all end soon. Margie and I metamorphosed into social butterflies, flitting from birthday parties to drinks in the staff lounge to lengthy dinners with friends and daughters to evening talent shows. I marched with the faculty at Convocation where 44 seniors decked out in life jackets and Vietnamese sun hats processed into the Union. On one of our final days at sea the Captain announced that he would be gunning all four engines to give us the experience of going 30 knots, as fast as any ship the size of the MV Explorer can go. And it was a thrill!! The Captain kept us up at top speed for a good half hour or so, giving time to move around the ship and get the full effect from all angles. It was actually the most fun to be aft, watching the huge plume of the ‘rooster tail’ and the large rippling wake we left behind. Some of my favorite people photos were taken here, everyone excited and happy and living in the moment…
For in no time, we were awakening on our last morning on ship, eating our last breakfast, and watching as the city of Miami came into view. We slowly chugged into the harbor, all 850 of us on deck. The small group of family and friends awaiting our arrival seemed to grow bigger, and as we got closer there were enthusiastic waving hands, big banners, and many smiles and tears. Kids got on cell phones to talk to parents on the dock: “Where are you? I can’t see you. Are you near the banner? You are? The big white banner or the big blue banner?” and so on. It would be hours before anyone actually got off the ship, what with Customs and baggage to deal with, so for us there was no sense of urgency, no springing into action once the ship actually docked. When the process for disembarking actually began the faculty and staff were allowed off first (as it should be!) and the rest was done by lottery, pre-determined days before. All luggage except ‘carry-on’ items had been packed and left outside cabins for crew to take away the day before, so about 2000 bags had to be transported off the ship before any person could walk down the gangway. Finally! at noon the announcement was made for faculty and staff to muster in Timitz Square on deck 5. Photos, hugs, tears, promises made to be in touch soon, and then we were walking down the gangway. Far off from the 7th deck, Margie and I heard a familiar voice call out to us: “BYE, MOMS!!” We both recognized the voice of our daughter, Becca, and even though we couldn’t really see her in the crowds we turned and waved wildly… it was as if we were also waving goodbye to the ship, the semester, and the incredible life we lived for four months.
Posted by Melinda Baumann 
