Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Panama Canal... Part 1 of 2

I was up a 6am to be ready for the transit of the Panama Canal. It was a beautiful day for our transit of the Canal, taking us from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.  The morning scattered clouds overcast kept the sun off everyone watching the transit. It was, as usual, a captivating experience…The Panama Canal considered by many to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world has been a key conduit for international maritime trade since it was completed in the early years of the last century. Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal with the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side and the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side created a far shorter, significantly more efficient water route from the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. We transited the first set of locks and entered Gatun Lake and started our journey across the canal and later we passed Gamboa where the maintenance Division is headquartered.  This is about the halfway point in the canal.  Today was another hot day the temperature and humidity in Panama is sometimes can be quite oppressive, even for a sun worshipper like me…12:30pm it was 104 degrees with the heat index. Later in the afternoon, we transited the Pedro Miguel Lock and shortly thereafter, the Miraflores Locks.  We were out of the locks around 5:30pm with some nice views of the Bridge of the Americas and Panama City skyline at dusk.  As usual, I took way too many photos but, that’s just my way…  It was a wonderful day!!!!  Part 1 of 2