Panama Canal

I traveled to Panama City to dance with salsa artist Jerry Rivera for the Panama Carnival in February 2009. On my day off I had the opportunity to visit the Panama Canal. There are various locks throughout the canal and the one I visited was the Miraflores Locks.

I had always read and heard about the Panama Canal but I never imagined myself right visiting it and experiencing how the ships pass through. It was an awesome and unique experience. There is also a museum with about 4 floors starting with how the Canal originated to the insects found while creating it, how the Canal works and there is a simulator as well.

The first floor started off with the history of the canal and one poster said "Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps founded the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique de Panama in 1879." "…plan was to dig a ditch 22 meters wide and 9 meters deep." However i remember it was not started until 1904 and finished in 1914.

Some of the animals found during the beginning of making the canal were the owl butterflies, bedbugs, and moths among others.  Posted here you will see some pictures I took inside the museum and of the canal as well as videos. I recommend a visit to the Panama Canal so you can all experience this hands on. 

 Here you can see a ship coming in and waiting for the water to fill up all the way to the top. Then the gate will open and the ship will be able to pass to the other side. 

 In this picture you can see how on side of the canal the water has fully risen and the other side is halfway filled. These two ships are waiting to cross. 

Here is a video of the canal with ships passing through and the water rising and gates opening. Check it out. http://www.vimeo.com/16416957