Going Through the Panama Canal

"The land of the divided, the world united." It's hard to imagine a more fitting motto for what in no uncertain terms irrevocably changed the Western Hemisphere forever. For fifty miles the canaltransects the exotic emerald jungles of Panama and gives one an appreciation of what a Herculean task it was to build thiswaterway before the advent of computers and giant earth movers.

Approaching the canal at 5:00 a.m. See the arrow pointing to show which side to enter?

Easing toward the first gate--sun is rising.

The water is making the ship rise to the next level--needs to get to the reddish area of the gate.

This is the landscape of the area around the canal--one third of Panama is tropical rainforest.The lighthouse is for the ships traveling on Lake Gatun.

Slowly the 'mules', electric towing locomotives, pull the ship through.

Note the 'mule' pulling us --the same thing is happening on the left side of the ship.

Opening slowly, a cleverly designed 40 horse power motor opens and closes them..

The gates start to open: 70 ft. tall and 745 tons each. They were manufactured in Pittsburg.

Wider,

wider,

wider,

wider,

The ship is passing through the first set of gates.

The ship approaches the second gate. It will go through the same process as it passes through the gate. It will rise to the lake level: 85 ft. above sea level.

The ship is ready to enter onto Lake Gatun.

Another ship prepares to pass through from behind our ship.

This is a view at the right of our ship. An oil tanker is passing throughthe gates next to us. It is like a two lane highway.

This oil tanker is going in the opposite direction.

Notice that there is not much room for the ships to pass through.This picture was taken from a balcony on the cruise ship.

(Lago Gatún) Lake Gatun is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for 33 km (20 miles) of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/pancanal1.html

Interesting Facts

* The cargo ship Ancon was the first vessel to transit the Canal on August 15, 1914. * A boat traveling from New York to San Francisco saves 7,872 miles by using the Panama Canal instead of going around Cape Horn. * The highest toll paid for a transit through the Panama Canal until 1995 paid by the Crown Princess on May 2, 1993; it was US$141,349.97. * The lowest toll paid was US$ 0.36 and was paid by Richard Halliburton who crossed the Canal swimming in 1928. * The San Juan Prospector was the longest ship to transit the Canal; it was 751 ft. (229 m.) in length with a 107 ft. (32.6 m.) beam.`` * Each door of the locks weights 750 tons.

Going Through the Gamboa

Rainforest Near the Canal

Lake Gatun seen from the aerial tower.

The aerial tram slowly traveling throughthe canopy of the Gamboa Rainforest.

The aerial tram takes us to this tower.

An Indian Village seen from the tower.

A flower that looks like dreadlocks with beads.

A sloth up in a tree.

Jungle in Costa Rica

Going through the jungle in a pontoon inCosta Rica.

A guide is showing a banana flower that grows a new bunch of banana.

Local ducks by the water’s edge.

There are small black bats on the trunk of a palm tree.

A white egret is flying in front of the pontoon.

A trip to remember!