Alright it's six in the morning,
we just landed in Panama City, we have a nine and a half hour layover
and we have a choice: stay here at the airport and do nothing, or get out there and
explore. And so which choice did we make? Was there really a choice or was it, we're
going to explore and what are we going to do? [Music] What we did was watch a massive cruise ship
magically levitate 54 feet right before our eyes through the miracle of modern engineering.
How does this happen? And just how much did this place change the way we travel, ship and
navigate around the entire planet? More than you could ever imagine. Science nerds: you're
gonna love this. And we're gonna explain why, as we take you to the Panama Canal
in this episode of Window Seat. [Music] "A little after 10 o'clock at night, we're
going to Panama. We got a canal to visit and we got an overnight flight to sleep on. Good
news is we've received some nice upgrades on the plane so hopefully we sleep better." Before we get
too involved in this episode of Window Seat, seems like as good a time as any to finally explain
something: our name. "Some people have wondered why Window Seat? And it's because when you sit at
the window seat you get the first glimpse of what awaits you down below. You get the first visual of
the magic that is 30,000 feet underneath you. And so that's why I think the window seat is crucial
when you book a flight. Don't mess around with these aisles or these middle seats... certainly
not middle seats... go for the window and you are going to be in for a real treat."
"Personally I prefer the aisle so I don't have to step over people when I go to the bathroom."
"But here's the thing, Aisle Seat doesn't have quite the same ring to it as Window Seat does,
so that's what we went with Window Seat." [Music] With that little bit of fascinating trivia out
of the way and with our six hour flight in the books. "Hello how are you doing?" We are on
the ground rendezvousing with our tour guide and on the road destination: the one thing
we can't leave this country without seeing. [Music] For those who don't know, the idea for the
Panama Canal dates all the way back to the 1500s. A Spanish explorer realized just a thin
strip of land separated the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans right here, but they couldn't figure out
how to get through. They tried to come up with a canal plan but finally deemed it impossible.
Fast forward a few centuries and the men behind the Suez Canal and the Eiffel Tower tried too. A
French company began digging a canal across Panama but it was a disaster, the planning was awful,
disease killed like 25 000 workers. They ran out of money. Not good. That's where we Americans
came in. "Alright, here we are. Panama Canal. It's still early in the morning. We haven't slept much
but uh it's cool. It's nice and warm here so that wakes things up." As we arrive at the Miraflores
Lock near Panama City we are among the first in line. And after we drop about 15 bucks U.S for
an entry ticket and head up to an observation deck overlooking the canal, we're about to learn
more about the U.S role in this modern marvel. Turns out in the early 1900s we kind of helped
Panama revolt from Colombia and declare their independence, in no small part so that we could
take over their operations here. A treaty gave us 500 square miles to construct the canal and the
Americans would get to run it in perpetuity. So as of 1914, this place was finally built. And
it changed everything. "This is the time saver if you happen to be captaining a ship across the
world because if you didn't take the Panama Canal you would have to spend 22 days going around the
southern tip of South America and back up into the Pacific. So this thing took a long time to build,
but it saves a whole lot of time now." So how exactly does it work? Well, ships like this cruise
ship enter from one side and they're towed by those electric locomotives you see right there on
a little track that will keep them centered in the lock. Once the gates are closed, they go through
a series of locks that will eventually raise the water some 85 feet above sea level. It works like
a staircase. From there they spend about 10 hours crossing the 40 mile long canal before repeating
the same process on the other side. And then they're off to explore the world. We were just
as fascinated to see it all happen as the people aboard this Viking cruise ship who experienced it
when we visited. "You get to see especially like a cruise ship roll through this place... it's just
it's a slow process. It's not a thrill a minute, but the engineering on it is really cool and
to know they did this over 100 years ago, it's pretty fascinating to watch, especially as you see
these massive ships... between the cargo ships and the cruise ships... coming through. Despite the
feat of engineering it's really cool to be here." As you can tell from the size of the crowd we
weren't the only ones here. Crowds are huge and they live up to their name, crowding
you out at every opportunity. "So if you get a good spot hold firm, hold tight.
Yeah that's a very good point. You know you get a good spot and then people try
and nudge their way in and that's why the video is bumpy in a couple of spots because my
camera got nudged, but you get the picture." By the way, if you were wondering, it is
not exactly cheap for those ships to pass through here. Every year some 14,000 ships
use the canal. "Lots of boats moving through including a cruise ship." And they each have
to pay a toll. For a big ship that toll can run almost half a million dollars. That means
nearly 2 billion bucks in tolls are collected here every year. So it makes sense that the
Americans would want to be involved in all of this. But it turns out we aren't anymore. "If any
agreement between two nations is to last, it must serve the best interest of both nations." In
1977, President Jimmy Carter transferred power of the canal back to the Panamanians.
An unpopular thing to do in the U.S, but the right thing to do according to him. And
that has made him a national hero here in Panama. In December 1999 the Panamanians officially
took over and it's been their canal ever since. We learned all about that history at the
Miraflores visitor center right next to the locks, where there's a food court and an IMAX theater
that tells the story of the canal in 3D. [Music] Alright so let's get real: if you're looking
for an action-packed thrill ride of a tourist stop in Panama, this might not be the place for
you. But if you, like these throngs of people, are into the science and engineering and
Ingenuity and history of the Panama Canal, you're gonna love this. Whether you realize it
or not, it revolutionized how we ship things, how we travel, and it changed global commerce
forever. "When you put in that perspective, pretty cool. Yeah maybe it's not a thrill a
minute, but it's still... alright. Alright this will not be called The Fast and
the Furious. The Slow and the Sluggish. [Music] Alright that's it for this episode of Window
Seat. but our adventure in Panama is not over yet. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel as we
take you to the Old Town neighborhood of Casco Viejo in just a couple of weeks. And please don't
forget to subscribe and hit like and share too, if you're so inclined, as we continue our travels
to every country on the planet. And if we miss something in this episode, please let us know in
the comments. We're back with a new episode next Friday. Meantime be sure to check out these other
episodes from Window Seat. See you next time!
