Panama Canal

Welcome to the Panama Canal ladies and gentlemen!

An amazing piece of engineering begun by the French, and finished by the United Corp of Engineers United States of America.  Design is amazing as it raises the ships up through a series of three locks to reach an inland lake.

The ships are guided by electric trains, front and back, as the clearance is only about 18 inches on each side of our ship.

The rain gives quite the impression on these photos.  No the water is not splashing up.

 After the water raises us up, then the locks open and we are towed by the trains and pushed by tugs to the next one.

Here you can see the ship ahead of us through the third lock.  The water depth in the locks is showing.

Friends from the USA originally from Japan, who now live in Miami.

Two doors on the locks solved both pressure issues as well as ensuring a good fit.

Crazy Larry and I up early for the show!

View from the bridge in the cabin on TV.

Good photo of the electric trains.

The water pressure plays against the lock doors as they open towards the ship.

Economically the Canal is amazing as goods travel 7-8 days less.  Fuel consumption is lower, costs are lowered, jobs created, and environmentally less fuel used is a good thing.

Cargo is amazing to see on the other ships.

After a day of getting up early, and watching our way up over and back down to the Pacific Ocean we retire to our room for a good nights sleep.  Greeted by our new mascot compliments of our cabin steward.