Panama Canal trip brings family history full circle
Wayne County resident Donna Johnson, right, took a cruise through the Panama Canal in late 2024, recreating a trip from 44 years ago. Johnson is pictured with Capt. Diego Perra after he signed her Panama Canal map from her first trip in 1980.
At the end of last year, Wayne County resident Donna Johnson took a cruise through the Panama Canal with a good friend, recreating an adventure she had experienced 44 years ago with her parents and husband, who have all since passed away.
Johnson is a retired teacher. She taught Spanish in the area for 38 years. Originally from New York, she moved with her family to Caracas, Venezuela, where they lived from 1956-61.
“I learned my Spanish living there,” she said.
Nineteen years later they decided to return to Caracas for a visit. Instead of flying, they opted for a cruise on a cargo ship. Johnson explained how passengers were allowed to travel on a cargo ship.
“We took our trip in July of 1980,” she said. “These cargo ships only sailed until 1984, and then they were discontinued. They could carry up to 100 passengers. Being classified as a passenger ship allowed them to get in and out of ports quicker than traditional cargo ships. The focus was not on the passengers at all.”
They started the trip in Mexico, traveled through the Panama Canal and got off in Venezuela. Johnson visited the school and church she used to attend. They visited some of her father’s former employees.
In the years that followed, Johnson’s parents and husband passed away. She decided to recreate the journey as a way to honor their memory. For the recent adventure, Johnson chose the cruise ship and itinerary that would enable her to most closely follow the same journey through the canal.
Construction on the Panama Canal was started in 1904 and completed in 1914. Larger locks were added in 2016 to allow for the expansion of trade with larger ships.
“We chose a ship small enough to transit the same old historic locks,” she said.
Additionally, she made sure they would travel in the same order through the locks, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Even the dates of the original and recent journeys had significance for Johnson, although that part wasn’t planned. On the trip with her parents and husband, their day of transit through the canal was July 28, 1980. During the trip last November, the transit day was again the 28th. It was Thanksgiving Day and would’ve been Johnson’s 49th wedding anniversary.
“What are the odds of that?” she said.
The actual travel through the canal is an all-day event. Johnson said for their November cruise, they left the dock at 6 a.m., and the transit took until 6:50 p.m.
“I was glued to the outer decks the whole time taking pictures,” she said. “It was such a thrill.”
One of the things they enjoyed watching was the “mules” who guide the ship through the locks. The mules are actually electric locomotives.
“They are called mules,” Johnson said, “because originally, they really were mules. They keep the ship in position so it doesn’t fluctuate from side to side.”
During the Johnson family’s original voyage, all the passengers had been given a map of their route.
“At the bottom right on the map is the insignia stating with my name and date and the captain’s signature that I transited the canal,” she said.
Johnson brought the original map with her on her recent journey, where she shared her story with the ship’s maître d’ in the dining room.
“He made arrangements for me to meet the captain,” Johnson said.
So the captain on her recent cruise signed the map for her as well.
Johnson shared how she and her family enjoyed the original cruise so much, even though the focus was on cargo and not passengers.
“It was so interesting to me,” she said. “I’m not one that needs to be entertained. They had someone who explained to us what the cargo was. We would stand outside and watch all those containers unloading and loading.”
Johnson’s love of travel started as a child.
“At the age of 8, I lived in Venezuela,” she said. “My parents instilled in my brother and me a love of traveling. They taught us how important it is to be exposed to and learn about different cultures, people and languages. When I taught, I had so many students that had never been out of the state of Ohio and didn’t know what it’s like to see how different people live and to have an opportunity to interact with them.”
It was because of her travels that Johnson knew she wanted to be a Spanish teacher. After leaving Venezuela and moving to Ohio, her family continued to have travel adventures.
“My father was a seed salesman, and we would always be able to travel in the summer,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the career I’ve had. It’s kind of like this trip has brought everything full circle, and I wanted to do it to honor my husband and parents.”