Chapter 3: The Journey to Peru
Part 2 - Panama to Lima, Peru
AS TOLD BY GRO AGERSTEN
It was Christmas Eve, but so very different from the traditional Christmas Eves we were used to! The most obvious difference was that it was hot, of course, but in spite of the different circumstances, it became a memorable day!
Around 6 o’clock in the morning, we docked at the entrance to the Panama Canal. It was so exciting! Everything we saw was more grand and exotic than we could ever have imagined! We saw the pilot arrive on board, and he had the very best Christmas presents with him: mail from home! We pored over the letters from friends and family and thought about them enjoying our traditional Christmas celebration today, warm and comfortable in each other’s company, in spite of the cold and snow outside. Oh, how we wished we could be with them right now!
Thankfully we were soon distracted from our tears and homesickness by the clock striking noon and indicating that it was time to go to lunch in the dining hall. Delicious smells were coming from the galley, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree stood at the entrance to the dining room. The tables were a sight to behold, laden with Christmas dishes of every kind. Everyone should be able to find something to their liking here! We enjoyed the lunch tremendously, both the food and the atmosphere were lovely. It was an added bonus that the ship was sitting quietly in the water, so there was no need to chase plates and other utensils around on the table!
Around 6 o’clock in the morning, we docked at the entrance to the Panama Canal. It was so exciting! Everything we saw was more grand and exotic than we could ever have imagined! We saw the pilot arrive on board, and he had the very best Christmas presents with him: mail from home! We pored over the letters from friends and family and thought about them enjoying our traditional Christmas celebration today, warm and comfortable in each other’s company, in spite of the cold and snow outside. Oh, how we wished we could be with them right now!
Thankfully we were soon distracted from our tears and homesickness by the clock striking noon and indicating that it was time to go to lunch in the dining hall. Delicious smells were coming from the galley, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree stood at the entrance to the dining room. The tables were a sight to behold, laden with Christmas dishes of every kind. Everyone should be able to find something to their liking here! We enjoyed the lunch tremendously, both the food and the atmosphere were lovely. It was an added bonus that the ship was sitting quietly in the water, so there was no need to chase plates and other utensils around on the table!
Picture: Maino with some of her Christmas presents.
In the afternoon, we let Maino open the presents we had brought from Norway. Some were from us, and others were some from family. She was fun to watch! Later the Christmas celebrations continued as everyone on the ship gathered on the passenger deck before dinner. All the seamen, from deckhand to captain, received a present from a Seaman Church and also from the shipping company. We were surprised to find that there were even gifts for the passengers! There were especially many extra gifts for little Maino! John and I received several boxes of chocolate which we were able to store in a refrigerator so they would not melt before we arrived in Lima! After all the gifts had been passed out, the captain asked John to read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Everyone listened quietly, then joined their voices to sing some of the best known Christmas Carols. It was a moving and solemn moment. I think the thoughts of many on the deck of the “M.S. Margrethe Bakke” traveled back home to Norway that Christmas Eve in Panama.
In the afternoon, we let Maino open the presents we had brought from Norway. Some were from us, and others were some from family. She was fun to watch! Later the Christmas celebrations continued as everyone on the ship gathered on the passenger deck before dinner. All the seamen, from deckhand to captain, received a present from a Seaman Church and also from the shipping company. We were surprised to find that there were even gifts for the passengers! There were especially many extra gifts for little Maino! John and I received several boxes of chocolate which we were able to store in a refrigerator so they would not melt before we arrived in Lima! After all the gifts had been passed out, the captain asked John to read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Everyone listened quietly, then joined their voices to sing some of the best known Christmas Carols. It was a moving and solemn moment. I think the thoughts of many on the deck of the “M.S. Margrethe Bakke” traveled back home to Norway that Christmas Eve in Panama.
We entered the Panama Canal after a delicious dinner. There were three locks to travel through, and each took about 20 minutes. After traveling a bit on the canal, we came to a lake. While we sailed slowly across the lake, John and I opened our presents on the deck, rejoicing over the nice and useful things our family had sent with us. There was also a wide range of Christmas cakes and coffee to enjoy as we watched the scenery go by that moonlit and cloudless night.
After a while, the captain invited us up to the bridge, and we watched from there as we entered the canal again on the other side of the lake. It was well lit and beautiful, with lush jungle on both sides. At three in the morning, we finally reached the end of the canal and were taken through some more locks to get out into the Pacific Ocean. Now the course went southward toward the port city of Buenaventura, Colombia.
After a while, the captain invited us up to the bridge, and we watched from there as we entered the canal again on the other side of the lake. It was well lit and beautiful, with lush jungle on both sides. At three in the morning, we finally reached the end of the canal and were taken through some more locks to get out into the Pacific Ocean. Now the course went southward toward the port city of Buenaventura, Colombia.
In letters home, we wrote about this wondrous Christmas Eve on the Panama Canal:
“We have had a wonderful Christmas Eve, although one totally different than those we are used to. Before dinner was served at 18.30, we gave Maino’s presents to her in the cabin. She was so busy trying to open every gift that she had no time to see what was inside before she went to unwrap the next one! She received many nice and fun things. Thank you all for the gifts! We were about to get a heatstroke inside the cabin, therefore, we left our gifts for later. We unwrapped those on deck after dinner. There we sat alone and thought of you at home. Thanks for all the fine gifts you had sent with us!”
“We have had a wonderful Christmas Eve, although one totally different than those we are used to. Before dinner was served at 18.30, we gave Maino’s presents to her in the cabin. She was so busy trying to open every gift that she had no time to see what was inside before she went to unwrap the next one! She received many nice and fun things. Thank you all for the gifts! We were about to get a heatstroke inside the cabin, therefore, we left our gifts for later. We unwrapped those on deck after dinner. There we sat alone and thought of you at home. Thanks for all the fine gifts you had sent with us!”
Buenaventura, Colombia
Christmas Day was a very hot and sultry day. Nothing much happened that day and we went to bed early since we had stayed up half the night going through the canal. When we woke up the next morning on December 26th, we lay at anchor outside Buenaventura waiting for a berth. We were very curious and looked into the city through binoculars. It was a bit disappointing because the only thing we could see was an overabundance of hovels densely built on the land. It was not until dusk that we were finally allowed to dock. Unfortunately, the view was not any better up close. The beautiful palm trees and the exotic tropical plants around the town stood in sharp contrast to the drab huts. At that time, Buenaventura was a small town with a very bad reputation. Other passengers who knew more about South America had warned us about this in advance. (The city has grown and appears quite different today.)
The day after, we went out for a walk after breakfast and toured the city. It looked a little better in daylight. Along the ocean on one side of the harbor, there was a pretty park with tall palm trees and beautiful flowers. The city also had a small area with nicer houses and some shops. There I found some incredibly beautiful children's clothes at a very cheap price. I just had to buy a couple of dresses for Maino. But mostly the town consisted of small sheds with an open wall straight out to the street. I wrote a letter home about this: "We trust that Buenaventura is one of the worst places in South America. We hope so fervently. Because this was bad!"
In the afternoon, “Margrethe Bakke” left the pier and headed further south to the port city of Guayaquil in Ecuador as the next stop. The whole next day was spent traveling in a quiet and calm sea, and in sunny and warm weather. The date was December 28th. We spent most of the day writing letters. It was good to have a small travel typewriter! But a little after lunch we were interrupted in our writing when Neptune himself showed up on the passenger deck! We had crossed the equator. There was a small ceremony for the occasion. Those of us who were crossing for the first time, received a kind of diploma or certificate from the captain. It showed the time and date of the crossing.
Guayaquil, Ecuador
On December 29th, we woke up at the pier in Guayaquil. Together with one of the passengers we took a taxi to the post office in the center. It was extremely hot, and the traffic was heavy. The sidewalks were crowded by people who were selling things, and their goods were lined up in the streets: they sold everything from tools, perfumes, shoes and ... well, you name it. There was of course a large variety of fruits, and also live chickens and turkeys.
At an appointed time and place, the taxi came and picked us up again. He drove us on a tour of the city. It was quite large. We saw the poor district where ramshackle huts stood close together in mud and dirt. He also drove us through the rich section that had beautiful large houses and gardens. Here was an enormous difference between rich and poor! Even at the cemetery, where he also took us, there was a big difference between some fantastic great tombs and the heap where the poor were buried. It was really sad to see! We returned to the boat, barely in time for lunch. The boat left the port late at night. It was exciting to think that the next stop would be in Peru!
At an appointed time and place, the taxi came and picked us up again. He drove us on a tour of the city. It was quite large. We saw the poor district where ramshackle huts stood close together in mud and dirt. He also drove us through the rich section that had beautiful large houses and gardens. Here was an enormous difference between rich and poor! Even at the cemetery, where he also took us, there was a big difference between some fantastic great tombs and the heap where the poor were buried. It was really sad to see! We returned to the boat, barely in time for lunch. The boat left the port late at night. It was exciting to think that the next stop would be in Peru!
SALAVERRY - TRUJILLO, PERU
New Year's Eve 1966 we docked at the quay in Salaverry, the port city to the bigger city, Trujillo, a few kilometers further inland. The day before, we had sailed along the Peruvian coast. There was a huge difference from the coast of Ecuador where the coast was overgrown by tropical forest. Here, some miles further south, there was only desert as far as the eye could see. We were a little disappointed by this, and began to wonder if the whole of Peru was desert.
Of course, this was not so. It is true that most of Peru’s coastline is desert, but the desert does not extend very far inland. The high Andes mountains that rise sharply from the desert strip keep the rain clouds forming over the inland jungle away from the coast. The cold Humboldt current from the Antarctic is also contributing to this special climate here on the coast. However, it is green and lush where the rivers flow into the Pacific, and this is also where you can find the bigger towns in Peru.
Of course, this was not so. It is true that most of Peru’s coastline is desert, but the desert does not extend very far inland. The high Andes mountains that rise sharply from the desert strip keep the rain clouds forming over the inland jungle away from the coast. The cold Humboldt current from the Antarctic is also contributing to this special climate here on the coast. However, it is green and lush where the rivers flow into the Pacific, and this is also where you can find the bigger towns in Peru.
Salaverry was a small place almost covered by desert sand. We and a few other passengers took an old, rickety bus into Trujillo and spent a few hours there before taking the same bus back. Trujillo had a beautiful "Plaza," a park with flowers and palm trees. Around it lay many fine old buildings in the Spanish style. They had the typical arched porches of dark wood against white walls. It was an experience to walk the streets in a Peruvian city. Imagine! We were finally in Peru!
The boat also went in to Chimbote, a city with some large fishmeal factories. It did not smell very good! We were happy when the boat once again slipped away from the dock. The next destination is Callao, Lima's port city!
The boat also went in to Chimbote, a city with some large fishmeal factories. It did not smell very good! We were happy when the boat once again slipped away from the dock. The next destination is Callao, Lima's port city!
Callao-Lima
January 3rd, 1967, at noon we were headed in to Callao, a day before the estimated time. We were told that there would not be a berth until the next day. So we had to lie at anchor off the harbor all day.
Picture: Port of Callao outside Lima
How disappointing! After all, we were very anxious to arrive at our final port. To our great delight, we found out that a little boat would leave the ship and go into the harbor at 3 o'clock that afternoon and return to the ship at 7 PM. We eagerly left with the little boat, and to our surprise, the Swedish missionary families Lindgren and Anderås, totaling 10 people, were waiting for us on the dock! It was a great "happy reunion"! Well, not actually a reunion since we had never met, but we had kept in touch through letters and pictures, so it still felt like one.
Finally, we were at the end of our long sea voyage!
Picture: Port of Callao outside Lima
How disappointing! After all, we were very anxious to arrive at our final port. To our great delight, we found out that a little boat would leave the ship and go into the harbor at 3 o'clock that afternoon and return to the ship at 7 PM. We eagerly left with the little boat, and to our surprise, the Swedish missionary families Lindgren and Anderås, totaling 10 people, were waiting for us on the dock! It was a great "happy reunion"! Well, not actually a reunion since we had never met, but we had kept in touch through letters and pictures, so it still felt like one.
Finally, we were at the end of our long sea voyage!
