Riding Through The Panama Canal - Partial Passage

This Caravan Tours of Panama is a total immersion of the Canal.  We have viewed two locks, one set on the Pacific side of Panama and the other on the Caribbean side, last night we viewed a Nova film on the history/building, and now today we were on a tourist boat going through the locks.  What an interesting day!  We boarded a tourist boat with other tourist this morning outside of Panama City.  Six hours later we had gone through the Miraflores Locks, Pedro Miguel Locks, and passed through the Culebra Cut.  We have not just ‘seen’ the Canal, but we have ‘felt’ the Canal.  

Another aspect that we did not realize – the country of Panama is an isthmus going east and west (we naturally think it goes north and south)  – due to its location, the sun actually comes up over the Pacific Ocean at Panama City and points along the Pacific coast – it is unreal, but true.     

Pictures will hopefully show you some of our experience. 

Approaching the Locks

Entering the Lock (Notice the water level)

Lock Gates Closing (Notice the Double Gates for Safety)

Water Level Rising

Leaving the Lock

The Culebra Cut

Container Ships moving through the Canal

Leaving Our Ship

Vacuum Dredge

Bucket Dredge

Dredge Connected to Drainage Pipes

Tomorrow we are heading to Resort on the Pacific beach.  Before we know it will be flying home to Iowa.