We are currently at 9° 22′ 51.45″ N 79° 55′ 28.73″ W, anchored just outside the entrance to the Panama Canal.

I got up at 6 this morning, hoping that cargo operations in Cartagena would give us an opportunity to get off the ship. No such luck. They were actually ahead of schedule, planning to wrap things up between 8 and 9. In the morning. Oh well. And as if to underscore the point, it started raining. No cigar for real.

I went back to bed, and woke up again at 8 to watch the last containers being put in place. Then Stephanie and I went up to the bridge to watch the boat leave the dock and get piloted out of the harbor. The rain had stopped, leaving some dramatic clouds hanging over the city, so I took a few photos.

The good news is that Panama was only a hop, skip, and a jump away. We spent the whole day getting here, and tomorrow morning we’ll begin to transit the canal around 4 in the morning. We’re planning on waking up for it. Should be in Balboa by 7pm.

Panorama of the highrises overlooking the harbor

Update: Eric Rewitzer used my photo above as the basis for a painting entitled Departing.