The Panama Canal

These locomotive engines are called mules and they tow the
ships in the canal rather than using the ships engines.

A mule.

A mule.

These men are line handlers whose job it is to tie smaller yachts
along the canal using the 125' lines each yacht must have aboard
before entering the canal. Each yacht must have four lines and four
line handlers, one on each corner of the boat. After entering the canal
the ground line handler throws a monkey fist attached to a light heaving
line to be attached to the lines aboard the yacht, they then pull the boats
lines up and go to work.

A military ship behind us in the first lock.

A lock with the water at about the lowest level.

My buddy boat with Captain Andy and crew.

Inside the canal.

The doors closing before the rush of thousands of gallons of
filthy water pours in to lift us up/

Typical canal wall that was opened for business in 1914.

The bow of Andy's boat.

The mule tracks going up heading west.

Mule tracks again.

Steepest train tracks seen to date.

Moving west in the next locks, 3 locks up and 3 locks down
and you're in a different ocean.

Canal offices along the way.

Mule waiting for something to do.

Lock office.

The military ship we came through with.

Captain Andy again.

When Andy gets to Malaysia he will have completed his
circumnavigation.

Entering another lock.

Leaving the lock to enter into Lake Gatun.

A cruise ship in Lake Gatun waiting for passage East.

A dredging operation that continues year round.

A supply boat moving people to work.

Part of the dredging operation.

Dredging.

This bridge parallels the canal.

This vessel can drill up to four holes for explosives to be placed
for what ever it's needed for.

A tractor barge, very modern and powerful.

Multi-purpose machine.

These boats have several rotating pods that have a cage around
 a propeller on their bottoms to maneuver any direction using a
 joy stick at the helm.

One of the bridges of the Americas.

Trans-american highway.

Water control for the rainy season.

The bridge.

Quite an accomplishment.

Going west in the second set of locks after spending the night
anchored in Lake Gatun.

Andy and his adviser from the canal company. Each small boat
must have an adviser on board and the ships must have a pilot
on board to make the transit.

It's a little intimidating when the big ones come in behind you as
you travel west.

The other half of the canal.

From my stern.

The great land mark, we are the at end.

Colon, Panama

 I'm back after a prolonged absence and frustration with this site only being available in Spanish. I have finally worked out it's bugs and learned a little more about this program. Here are some pictures from Colon, Panama. Most of these pictures were taken with a small pocket camera and several from inside a taxi, so pardon the quality.

Neighborhood park near Club Nautica Marina

This is in a better part of town, not too many places like this.

So your walking along and all of a sudden your crippled.
There are so many holes in the sidewalks you quickly learn
to always pay attention exactly where you place your feet.

One many "Chicken Buses" that used to be school buses in the US
and have been imported, fitted with large diesel engines, painted by
great artists and will take you around for 25 cents. The term Chicken
Bus comes from when it was common for the locals to board with any
thing they wanted, like their chickens. Also they drive like kids playing
chicken on the road, basically they are maniacs and have been given the
name "Bad Boys". They are king of the highways at least in their own minds.

This is inside of a Chicken |Bus, also so called Rojo Diablo,
Red Devil. The seat back of the driver is on the left with the
rear view mirror in the center of the windshield. Cute, huh?

Mr. Guard with his 12 gauge watching the public.

More Chicken Buses with the blue cranes from the harbor in the background.

Yet more.

All taxi's are yellow and there are hundreds of them always
waiting to give you a ride.

This was taken from my boat in the harbor where  I was anchored.
Ships move in and out day and night 365 days a year. The canal
never closes and the sounds never cease.

Another local area.

Near the bus station.

Typical street corner in pretty town.

Part of the hood.