Panama Canal Transit

What an exciting day it was for Vann and me to make our first trip through the Panama Canal!  It was a full day, passing under the bridge on the Atlantic side, Puente Atlantico, before 8:00am and then proceeding into the first two Gatun locks.  Once on Gatun Lake, it was a pleasant (if uneventful) float across the lake before arriving at the Pedro Miguel lock and finally the Miraflores lock, arriving at the Pacific Ocean at around 4:00pm (but, oddly enough, still in the eastern time zone!)

There was an interesting ship in the channel beside us, a yacht transport.  Someone looked up one of the boats, the Calliope, and discovered that it was offered for sale at 12,900,000 Pounds Sterling.  (I wondered if it were being delivered to its new owner…possibly a .com type in Silicon Valley.)

Another thing that surprised me was a grandstand filled with people just there to watch the comings and goings of the ships.  I remember that in Italy there were always cars parked at the end of the runway at our airbase, watching planes take off and land.  I think the fascination must be the same.   Much waving from their side and ours as we passed in review.

Once on the Pacific side, the skyline of Panama City came into view.  Our itinerary did not call for a visit, but I went to Perplexity, our AI source, and asked for a few adjectives to describe the city.  The list included: Vibrant, Modern, Historical, Tropical, Diverse, Bustling, and Urban.  Panama City’s skyline: