Day 9 – Sail the Pacific Ocean

Today was a sea day, as we sailed the Pacific Ocean, occasionally catching a view of the coast of Panama in the distance.

I was up a little earlier than usual for a sea day and was able to make it to the first lecture of the morning. “The Long Way Home – The Global Navigation of the Pacific Clipper” by Guest Lecturer Ben Rich. This was the amazing story of a pilot who navigated ”the long way home” to New York after being trapped in New Zealand following the Pearl Harbor attack.

Pacific Clipper Around the World - The Long Way Home

Not only was this tale fascinating, but I especially enjoyed how it related to my connection with the famous Pan American Clippers, or flying boats. My first project when I was hired by the City of Miami was the preparation of a historical research study of the Pan American Seaplane Base and Terminal Building at Dinner Key for the America’s City Halls project. Pan Am established a base for its Clippers here in 1931, and its final flight took place in 1945. The terminal building was adapted for use as Miami’s City Hall in 1954.

Pan American Seaplane Base at Dinner Key, Miami, Florida

Sea days are also the perfect opportunity to catch up on blog posts, since I’m typically behind in posting. While I’m writing, however, I sometimes fall into rabbit holes when I want to learn more about a topic that’s of particular interest to me. Given my architectural history background, I started researching the story behind the buildings of the Panama Canal, and this entertained me for hours. No wonder I can’t finish blog posts on time!

For anyone else that’s interested, I learned that in 1912, Austin W. Lord, head of the Department of Architecture at Columbia University, was hired as the architect for the Isthmian Canal Commission by Colonel George Goethals, chief engineer for the construction of the waterway. Lord’s task was to work out a general theme in which all buildings “from Toro Point to Taboga Island would be of a prevailing style.”

Lord initially referred to the style he decided upon as a “modification of the Spanish Renaissance.” Later, he would add that these buildings had a “decidedly Italianate” type of architecture. Italianate is the architectural style that we use today, although these are much simpler in design than is typical. This was due in part to Goethals’ insistence on efficiency and savings and preference for concrete as a building material.

Lord was terminated in 1913, but not before he had developed the plans for the Administration Building, as well as the control houses at the three locks. Lord set the standard for the next generation of Panama Canal Zone architects to follow.

Although we never saw the Administration Building, we did have great views of the three control houses, which are said to be the most photographed structures in Panama. In fact, these control houses, with their red tile roofs, reinforced concrete construction, and arched gates, are an emblem of both the canal and Panama itself. We were also able to see three other structures around the Gatun Locks that reflect the same architectural theme.

A Few Buildings of the Panama Canal

Tim and I attended another informative lecture this evening by Resident Historian Dr. Robert Cribb. “New World Civilizations” explored the rich empires of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca prior to the arrival of Columbus. I was happy that Tim, who is an archeologist, agreed with Dr. Cribb’s presentation.

New World Civilizations - The Americas Before Columbus

The World Café featured another culinary event tonight, and this one was “Taste of South America.” Although I enjoyed everything I tried, I was especially fond of the desserts.

Taste of South America - Desserts