Gatun Locks — Attraction in Cristóbal

We passed the Gatun Locks, a series that dropped us around 87 feet down to the Atlantic side of the canal. For this set of locks, I hung out on the promenade deck where I Could easily see the train cars guiding us through and see that the gap between the ship and the side was less than a foot wide. You go from being at ground level to looking at a wall until the ship moves forward, or conversely being about 3 stories up and sinking to ground level. Here, more so than the Mira Flores or Pedro Miguel Locks I was able to watch the train/tram engines descend on their 45 degree slants as they moved us...

Panama Viejo is well worth a visit to see how the indigenous people lived and the first colonization by the Spaniards. The ruins are evocative of the past and the museum is very nicely done. It's interesting to wonder how if Henry Morgan had succeeded in taking Panama City and remaining there, what would the future of Central and South America have been? Would all South American countries have become part of the British empire? Would everyone in Central and South America today be...

Panama Canal and its locks should be considered as one of the most important engineering marvels of the human race. It's a fantastic experience to get up close and somehow personal to its amazing operation. Watching from a ship and see another large ship gets lifted and released at the other side is really something. "Amazing" wouldn't do justice. And NO, contrary to G-classification, it's not a "tourist attraction". Has to be seen at least once....