I really can't imagine a better way to finish my "June 2013" travel blog but with a visit to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal.
A short 20 minute taxi ride from Old Town and I was at the entrance to the Panama Canal Miraflores Visitors Center.
If I raved a bit much about the Canal's History Museum, this was equally and much much more exciting. This is where it all happens, it is where it has happened daily for the last 100 years. Not just has it happened daily, but it has happened the same way every day for the last 100 years. The system has not changed (at all) since it opened.
They have a really good "functional" museum with exhibits from all aspects of the locks and dams. Inside is a theater that shows a 15 minute 3-D movie about the Canal (must see). There are also observation decks on the 1st, 2nd and 4th floors.
I arrived about 10 am and shortly afterwards it was announced that there was a ship entering the locks. I wasn't about to miss this and headed up to the 4th floor and wow, it finally registered that I was overlooking the Panama Canal.
Albeit not the largest ship that came through that day, it was still exciting. OK, it was really exciting to see my first ship go through.
I watched about 6 or 8 ships go through that day, using both channels. Decided I should take a break and had a fantastic lunch buffet (to the tune of $40, but worth it) at the Canal's 2nd floor restaurant.
Before arriving at the Canal, I really never had a desire or need to go through the canal in a ship/boat. I really just wanted to see it. See how it works, what it looks like, how it operates, etc. But now, having seen it... I want to take a ship through it !
So, there's just no way I can express the excitement, but it was certainly the pinnacle of my June 2013 travels. It is a man made wonder of the world, one that American's should all be proud of (since the French couldn't finish building it). This experience ranks high in my top 5 travel experiences, maybe just below watching the sunrise over the Acropolis in Athens.
This was the largest ship to come through while I visited. According to the Canal, this ship paid about 250K to go through the Canal.
Thanks for letting me share some stories and photos of my June 2013 travels.
Until the next time....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
