Flipping Book | The new Panama Canal | Salini Impregilo Library

45 The smallest “ship” to ever cross the Panama Canal was actually a man, the American adventurer Richard Halliburton. In August 1928, like any other ship, Halliburton registered with the port authority, declaring his weight and thus pay- ing a transit fee: 140 pounds, that is 36 cents. Then he dived in, followed by a boat with a pho- tographer and a man hired to protect him—especially from the curiosity of the alligators. The trip lasted nine days, including stops. This is just to say that the Canal is unique, and that it can be crossed in many different ways… We also took our time on this journey, even though we didn’t swim across. After leaving one island in the Atlantic to reach another island in the Pacific, we traveled by boat, helicopter, on foot, and, naturally, on ships which each and every day cross the old locks and the new ones. We explored, discovered, asked questions: but most importantly, we were in awe at what we saw. We took pictures of our impressions. And in the evening, when our memories of the day resurfaced, offering new colors, we jotted down our feelings in a notebook and annotated our curiosities. Panama, here we come. The Journey