alexandriacardinals

December 24, a/k/a Christmas Eve

Panama Canal

[What better way to spend Christmas Eve . . . ]

[A beautiful day for a cruise through the Panama Canal . . . ]

[I believe this boat is delivering a local pilot . . . ]

[All the other ships waiting “in line” for passage . . . ]

[Mission completed . . . ]

[The third bridge over the Panama Canal, known as the Atlantic Bridge, is a road bridge under construction in Colon, which will span the Atlantic entrance to the Canal. When completed it will be a third bridge over the Panama Canal after the Bridge of the Americas and the Centennial Bridge, both on the Pacific side of the canal.  The bridge is proposed to be a double-pylon, double-plane, concrete girder, cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 530 metres (1,740 ft), and two side spans of 230 metres (750 ft).  The east and west approaches are to be 1,074 metres (3,524 ft) and 756 metres (2,480 ft) long, respectively.  (Wikipedia).  The estimated completion date is mid-2018.]

[Needless to say, all cameras on board are here!]

[I remain amazed at how they build these things?]

[The audience (passengers) are agog . . . ]

[Looks like we have another cruise ship in front of us . . . ]

[About to enter the locks.  The Panama Canal is an artificial 77 km (48 mi) waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.  The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade.  Canal locks are at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artifical lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 m (85 ft) above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 34 m (110 ft) wide.  A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016.  The expanded canal began commercial operation on June 26, 2016.  The new locks allow transit of larger,  post-Panamax ships, capable of handling more cargo (Wikipedia) . . . ]

[The new look of the modern tug . . . ]

[France began work on the canal in 1881, but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate.  The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914.  One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or the Strait of Magellan . . . ]

[Colombia, France, and later the United States controlled the territory surrounding the canal during construction.  The U.S. continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties provided for handover to Panama.  After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, in 1999, the canal was taken over by the Panamanian government and is now managed and operated by the government-owned Panama Canal Authority . . . ]

[Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, for a total of 333.7 million tons.  By 2012, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal.  It takes six to eight hours to pass through the Panama Canal.  The American Society of Civil Engineers has called the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world (Wikipedia).]

[And if you’re interested in the political history of the Panama Canal Treaties, you can read all about it in my Dad’s book . . . ]

[These “mules” (train engines) are used for side-to-side and braking control in the locks, which are narrow relative to modern-day ships.  Forward motion into and through the locks is actually provided by the ship’s engines and not the mules (Wikipedia).   The mules weigh 42 tons . . . ]

[A ship coming through from the Pacific side.  We are, incidentally, going through the original canal.  We were told a large container ship has to pay about $1.2 million to go through the canal.  Not sure what our ship had to pay . . . ]

[The ship ahead of us in the first lock . . . ]

[Our mules start forward . . . ]

[As two ships pass in the daylight, both sides are shooting photos . . . ]

[The boat ahead is now in lock number 2 . . . ]

[As we enter 1 . . . ]

[The mules will go up the ramp guiding us through as we rise with the water . . . ]

[Must be time for a breakfast break with boat friends, Jack and JoAnne, who arranged Ruthie’s birthday party.  They were a hoot . . . ]

[Local legend decrees that if you see an isthmus rainbow on Christmas Eve, you will be forever endowed with a TSA PreCheck . . . ]

[It didn’t work!]

[We’re going through the canal now, a major part of which is Gatun Lake . . . ]

[Another feature that is visible in the lake is the sets of canal markers.  These look like small white lighthouses.  When you see the first one on the right, watch behind it to the right and you will see another up a hill in a clearing.  The ships use these to guide through the canal.  Watch forward to see the ones currently in use and they will point a straight path directly up the center of the leg of the canal.  Every straight leg has a set of markers for each direction.  The bridge crew line up to the markers and stay straight to avoid any under water obstacles (tiggertravels.com).]

[The lake is 165 square miles large . . . ]

[Returning inside, the wall photo at Mamsen’s . . . ]

[A couple of Norwegian cross-country skiers?]

[Obviously shot through a window . . . ]

[A narrowing stretch of the canal . . . ]

[We must be getting close to the end . . . ]

[The aforementioned Centennial Bridge . . . ]

[Guide posts on the terraces . . . ]

[The end is nigh . . . ]

[In the distance, the aforementioned Bridge of the Americas . . . ]

[And there it is, the Pacific Ocean on the other side . . . ]

[And there’s Panama City again – one hour by bus, eight hours by boat . . . ]

[Feeling the waters of the Pacific . . . ]

[And under the bridge, the highway that goes from the southern tip of South Amerca to the northern tip of North America . . . ]

[And within sight of the Biodiversity Museum again . . . ]

[Putting the Bridge of the Americas in our rearview mirror . . . ]

[Ahead, the vast Pacific . . . ]

[Free of clutter, the city . . . ]

[Getting upclose and personal with the Biomuseo . . . ]

[We bused out here the previous day . . . ]

[Adios, Panama!]

[And as the sun sets . . . ]

[We look forward to an all day cruise on Christmas day . . . ]

[Proof that we did it . . . on the first Viking ship to pass through the canal.]

I get pretty much all the exercise I need walking down airport concourses carrying bags.  ~  Guy Clark

Up Next:  Cruise, day 11

December 23

Panama

[Ships, boats, and floating things all circling for access through the canal . . . ]

[By the dawn’s early light . . . ]

[We would not be going through the canal on this day . . . ]

[Coming into the port of Colon . . . ]

[Colon, from which . . . ]

[We would see tons of bridge cranes . . . ]

[And then board a bus for the short cross-country trip to Panama City, on the Pacific side.]

[Leaving Colon (this is all we ever saw of it) . . . ]

[Our guide, whose name we have forgotten, was an interesting fellow.  His Ancestry.com profile would list him as Chinese and indiginous American.  . . . ]

[Panama’s population was 4,034,119 people in 2016, compared to 860,000 in 1950.  In 2010 the population was 65% Mestizo (mixed white, Native American), 9.2% Black, 6.8% mulattoes, 13% White and 6% Native Americans. Ethnic groups in Panama include Spanish, British and Irish, Dutch, French, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Poles, Russians or Ukrainians (a large number are Jews), and Americans (Wikipedia).  Our guide noted there is a large Chinese population in Panama.  Panama has a considerable population of Chinese origin. The first Chinese immigrated to Panama from southern China in the 19th century to help build the Panama Railroad. There followed several waves of immigrants, especially after the 1970s, when the ensuing decades saw up to 80,000 immigrants from all over China. At least 50,000 Panamanians are ethnic Chinese, though some estimates count as many as 135,000. Most of the Chinese population reside in the province of Chiriquí. Some studies suggest that almost 1 million Panamanians have at least one Chinese ancestor  (Wikipedia).]

[Crossing the Panamanian countryside . . . ]

[It was about an hour bus ride to Panama City . . . ]

[Which is a modern city of skyscrapers . . . ]

[I tried to shoot the skyline as we bused through the city . . . ]

[SPI, the Institutional Protection Service, are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, retaining a small para-military security force (Wikipedia).]

[On the right, a similarity to Cedar-Riverside?]

[Probably the most surprising aspect of the entire trip . . . ]

[I really had no idea Panama City was Miami Beach, on steroids?  Hey, and Merry Christmas!]

[Moving out to Old Town, a better view of the modern city . . . ]

[We disembarked the bus for a walking tour of Old Town . . . ]

[The breakwater approach . . . ]

[With a nice subtropical park . . . ]

[Mindful of New Orleans . . . ]

[Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Quarter), also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe, is the historic district of Panama City.  Completed and settled in 1673, it was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panamá city, Panama Viejo in 1671, when the latter was attacked by pirates.  It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.  Panama city was founded on August 15, 1519 and it lasted one hundred and fifty-two years. In January 1671, the Governor Juan Perez de Guzman had it set on fire, before the attack and looting by the pirate Henry Morgan.  In 1672, Antonio Fernández de Córdoba initiated the construction of a new city, which was then founded on January 21, 1673. This city was built on a peninsula completely isolated by the sea and a defensive system of walls.  Today this place preserves the first institutions and buildings of the modern city of Panama. It is known as ‘Casco Viejo’ (Wikipedia).]

[A founding father . . . ]

[People of age had just completed an hour bus ride right after breakfast.  Guess what we were thinking about?]

[First president of Panama . . . ]

[Yep, we had to pee . . . badly!  (Often a major concern on cruise shore excursions – might want to consider Depends on such adventures.  There seems to be dearth of public restrooms particularly in historic areas.)]

[The Pink Panther?]

[Another founding father . . . ]

[Central Hotel Panama . . . ]

[Finally, in agony, the Super stopped at this small police station.  They happily obliged our need.  And we had a nice visit . . . ]

[Again, looking back on the skyline . . . ]

[We’ll drive out there soon . . . ]

[An artsy promenade . . . ]

[We’re at the “end” of Old Town, Esteban Huerta Seafront . . . ]

[And now heading back on a circle route.  Here, the French Obelisk . . . ]

[French Plaza . . . ]

[Big ole gnarly tree in the French Plaza . . . ]

[It was more than warm . . . ]

[The French Embassy . . .]

[Feliz Navidad!]

[Hi!  I’m in Casco Viejo.]

[As I recall, the bricks are now merely an old facade.  It’s the ruin of the Santo Domingo convent . . . ]

[Because it’s attached, I guess the unruins of the Santo Domingo convent . . . ]

[On street level, a clothing store . . . ]

[The Old Church (from the 1500’s) . . . ]

[As noted (and the following internal photos), Saint Joseph Church . . . ]

[The first head of state of the area that became known as Panama . . . ]

[Some architecture shots . . . ]

[Remember “we’ll drive out there soon”?]

[Well, the end of the peninsula has every appearance of being the main marina . . . ]

[With the skyline in the distance . . . ]

[Why, of course – the Flamenco Marina!]

[And the drive around . . . ]

[Back off the peninsula . . . ]

[And a roundabout . . . ]

[Frank Gehry’s Origami-Like Biomuseo . . . ]

[On the Amador Causeway, it opened in 2014 . . . ]

[Memorial to Dr. Arnulfo Arias, 3-time president of Panama . . . ]

[Back to the ship for dinner, the Super shoots the gingerbread house . . . ]

[I shoot my wish list . . . ]

[After dinner, to the Torshavn (the cabaret lounge) for music from Viking Duo . . . ]

[We dined with this couple, so they invited us here.  Nice lounge, the Duo played classic rock and roll, but this was the only night we went here.  Too late for old people?]

If you think adventure is dangerous try routine, it’s lethal.  ~ Paulo Coelho

Up Next:  Basketball?

February 23

First of all, it was going to be dicey just getting there.  This was the week of the three snow storms, and this one was number two.  I had to wake early to clear the slab and the snowplow ridge at the end of the driveway and then bulldog low the length of the unplowed driveway.  And when I got to “Weakie’s,” his association hadn’t been plowed yet either . . . 

It was a state tournament nostalgia trip for us.  “Weakie” (with Viv on the left) and I were the beginning of the Super Fans way back when, and he hadn’t been to a tournament, or even any local games, for a few years.  Something about approaching 80 now (next week), he’s not quite as nimble in Minnesota winters as he used to be – at 70, I’m not very good at it anymore either . . . 

Here we are celebrating the 2008 championship team at the St. Paul Hotel . . .

[OK, on to the venue at hand.  To be perfectly honest, we’re there for lunch at Cossetta’s.  This is probably my photo of the trip.  Have you ever seen such a look of adoration for a sandwich?]

[Oh yeah, the game!  We’re in!]

[TV coverage comes with being in the semi-finals . . . ]

[Thanks to a reminder from Sue Justice, I remembered to wear my lucky pink hockey socks . . . ]

[Our Cards take the ice . . . ]

[Family photo ops – looks like the O’Kanes . . . ]

[Then another surprise – Andrea Toft stopped by, carrying her twin sister Sara’s baby daughter, to say “Hi” and “You guys are still coming to these things?”  The Toft sisters were among our all-time favorites in the “old days.”  They graduated in 2006 (geez, they’re 30 now) and starred in what “Weakie” and I say was the greatest game ever played.  The high school league stuck Totino-Grace in our section that year (to get more metro teams in the state tournament?).  We beat them in the section final – 2-1 in double overtime.  The Toft sisters got both of the goals – on their 18th birthdays.  Here’s Sara (19) and Andrea (44) readying for their radio interview.  That spring, we went to their graduation party.]

[OK, back in the moment.  The Cards are introduced (from the scoreboard screen), beginning with Meg Shercliffe (5), sophomore.  The rest all have their names on the photos . . . ]

[Since we’re playing the No. 1-seed, we’re in our road uniforms.  While Warroad is a much smaller town that Alexandria, they have been playing hockey long before Alex recognized ice could be used for something other than just putting it in drinks . . . ]

[And away we go . . . ]

[Josie carries it up . . . ]

[Face-off in the Warrior zone . . . ]

[Alexis has the puck behind the goal, Kristin and Allison on both sides out front . . . ]

[Now where’d it go?]

[Olivia on point in the offensive zone . . . ]

[Arms in the air in your immediate area generally indicates your team has done something good . . . ]

[Yes, GOOAAAALLLLLL, by Kaci!]

[Cards led 1-0 . . . ]

[On the replay, there it is in the net . . . ]

[While that would turn out to be our only goal, we did have the usual foray in on net . . . ]

[Card fans on “TV.”]

[Mid-ice face-off – just a chance to do double hyphens . . . ]

[It somehow all fell apart after this?  After we successfully completed a 5-on-3 penalty kill, the Warriors scored two minutes later.  Then it seemed like everything they shot went in?  The final score, 7 – 1, was way worse than the game stats, but it wasn’t good.  Both class championship games featured the top two seeds – and they were terrific games.  In our class, Breck beat Warroad 3-2 in OT.  Remember we played Breck even in a regular season game, though we lost we outshot them.  Weird stuff happens . . . ]

[Channel 45 broadcast team:  Joe Schmit, Winnie Brodt-Brown, and Krissy Wendell . . . ]

[And it’s true, we have a young team.  But Breck and Warroad only had five seniors between them.  Yet we hear good things about our upcoming talent, so we’re already looking forward to next year.  I’ll have to retire my pink socks, however – they were from a different era . . . ]

[On the plus side, “Weakie” said he really had a good time despite the loss.  We left early when the outcome was not in doubt – we do not like to travel in the dark.  We came home on Highway 55, to avoid all the trucks on the interstate.  We stopped in Paynesville for an A&W on the way.  Also on the plus side, the Cards have finished 3 of the last 4 seasons with a win!  We had two 1-0 victories in consolation championship games, and this year we beat Proctor-Hermantown in the 3rd place game, 1-0!  Yes, we play good defense!]

I was thinking of making a comeback, until I pulled a muscle vacuuming.  ~  Johnny Bench

Up Next:  Back to Panama cruise?

February 21

OK, we’re not even there yet – but let’s get all the information you will ever need up front!

 

[Alex in the One Act Play . . . ]

[Allison O’Kane with a Character Award . . . ]

[Abby Williams (2007) and Ashley Holmes (2008) were winners . . . ]

[State champs 2008 . . . ]

[Consolation champs . . . ]

[McKenzie Revering (just above the “s” in Wells) on the all-tournment team . . . ]

[It was a beautiful winter’s day along the shores of beautiful Lake Darling . . . ]

[Just letting you know that I made it . . . ]

[Here’s my ticket . . . ]

[The 6:00 game . . . ]

[Cards take the ice for the 8:00 game v. St. Paul United . . . ]

[Card fans settle in . . . ]

[Card band settles in . . . ]

[Hockey moms hung these on the back railing . . . ]

[Go Cards!]

[I’ll cover the introductions on the scoreboard’s big screen, which has amazing definition . . . ]

[Here the camera’s on our goalie Hailee Bailey . . . ]

[Meg Shercliffe (5), sophomore]

[Josie Minnerath (6), senior]

[Anna Doherty (7), freshman]

[Micah Summer (8), sophomore]

[Marki Oberg (10), freshman]

[Olivia Kopp (13), junior]

[Mayson Toft (14), sophomore]

[Kristin Trosvig (15), senior]

[Hadlee Hansen (18), sophomore]

[Calley Richardson (19), senior]

[Alexis Heckert (20), junior]

[McKenna Ellingson (24), junior]

[Kaci Trosvig (25), 8th-grade]

[Erin O’Kane (26), junior]

[Talia Olson (27), senior]

[Amanda Bittman (33), sophomore]

[Taylor Breitkreutz (34), senior]

[Hailee Bailey (35), 8th-grade]

[Allison O’Kane (36), senior]

[We are the champions . . . ]

[Hailee settles in – I believe you’ll be able to tell when I’m shooting the ice and when I’m shooting the scoreboard . . . ]

[We’re off – Alexis wins the opening draw . . . ]

[Looks like Alexis is in on goal . . . ]

[Calley is in United’s zone with Kaci . . . ]

[The Marki line with Hadlee and Josie . . . ]

[Get it, Hadlee . . . ]

[Here comes Marki . . . ]

[She’s still chasing it . . . ]

[Calley . . . ]

[Exchanging with McKenna . . . ]

[Calley chases the rascal puck . . . ]

[But we had good vibes . . . ]

[OK, here we go . . . with Alexis, Mayson, and Anna . . . ]

[GOOOAAAALLLLL!  A beautiful move and wrister by Kristin . . . ]

[So, let’s get another one . . . ]

[Kristin on the big screen . . . ]

[We’re on a power play – because McKenna’s back on the point . . . ]

[Keep it in . . . ]

[Marki’s on the porch . . . ]

[Kristin swinging around behind the goal . . . ]

[Oooooooooooooooh!]

[Josie gets pummelled in the corner but keeps fighting . . . ]

[Taylor takes a shot . . . ]

[It may be a 4-on-4 with Allison on the forward line . . . ]

[Marki, to your left!!]

[Kristin spins to control the face-off . . . ]

[GOOOAAAALLL!  This one was really cool.  Kristin skated around behind the goal, saw the puck lying loose by the right corner, just reached out her stick one-handed and tapped it in . . . ]

[Kristin gets big screen coverage again . . . ]

[The Marki line – keep it going . . . ]

[One goal lead going in to the 3rd . . . ]

[Pile up by the SPU fans with Allison and Mayson . . . ]

[GOOOOAAAALLLL!  A breakaway backhander by McKenna . . . ]

[It’s final!  We’ll move on to the semi-final against No. 1-ranked Warroad . . . ]

[And the media photos after a win:  McKenna Ellingson’s (24) breakaway goal proved to be the game winner (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Calley Richardson (19) (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Talia Olson (27) (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Kristin Trosvig (15) (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Josie Minnerath (6) and Taylor Breitkreutz (34) (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Josie (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Taylor and Hailee Bailey (35) (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Again (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Hailee (Pioneer Press) . . . ]

[Hadlee Hansen (18) and Allison O’Kane (36) (Pioneer Press)]

[Kristin (Hockey Hub)]

[We win! (State of Hockey)]

[Alexis Heckert (20) (Echo Press)]

[Calley (Echo Press)]

[Way to go, Hailee (Echo Press)]

[Kristin leads the charge (Echo Press)]

I’m glad I don’t play anymore. I could never learn all of those handshakes.  ~  Phil Rizzuto

Up Next:  Part II