Cruise the Panama Canal, see the Gantun Locks, visit with the Panamanian people and purchase Panamanian crafts.

Ouch! Tight squeeze! Here the ship is controlled by the locomotives on the ground.
Dinner on the back of a cruise ship as we go through the amazing locks!

Tattooed and culturally rich people of Panama. World famous Panamanian crafts for sale.


"The little engine that could" pulls the Ship into the locks.
The beginning of the abandoned "French" cut Canal on the Atlantic side

Wow, Wow and Wow! This is a good way to express the unique experience of the Panama canal.
Let's first talk about a brief history of the Panama Canal.
After the French finished building the Suez Canal in 1869 they looked excitingly at the possibility of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in much the same way. This would become the Panama Canal (but not for a very long time). The long laborious process of digging and dredging began in the early 1880's. Unfortunately, diseases such as Malaria and Yellow fever in conjunction with mudslides and flooding claimed the lives of many workers and proved to be a long and costly endeavor. After much loss and many years of failure it became evident that a sea level channel cut through this jungle area would not be feasible.
Under Theodore Roosevelt America officially bought and took control of the failing canal project in1904. The Americans did not have an easy time forging on with the canal project and it's many problems either. The first order of business was to fumigate areas and kill mosquito larvae. Standing water was drained, brush cut back and oil poured over standing water that could not be drained to snuff out mosquito populations. Sanitation became a leading issue to control the mosquitoes and control disease spread by their bites.
In the early 1900's the US government decided to abandon the "French" sea level cut and adapt the current day Lock system. Seeing the locks in action as the water rises and falls passing your ship on through the canal is truly an amazing engineering marvel.
On the Atlantic side of the Canal you will see the abandon cut of the canal going into the jungle and you can imagine the sacrifice of the many men who died trying to make the canal a reality.
I recommend going to all of the lectures on board your Cruise ship regarding the building of the canal because it is very involved as well as amazing. The native inhabitants of Panama appear to be a people unaffected by time. They appear to be a proud, hard working people immersed in a wealth of ancient tradition. Their tattooed bodies and colorful clothing are and outward display that these are no ordinary people. I recommend taking advantage of meeting these people either by taking a tour to their villages (available on some cruises) or letting them come to you for example a day at Gatun yacht club will allow you to talk to these people and purchase their unique and world famous crafts.
I recommend a cruise through the Panama Canal as an experience of a lifetime. You may contact me for assistance in finding the right cruise for you. Large or small, fast or slow up close and personal? I can help you find your perfect match for this special occasion. Contact me at: http://mwolfe.cruiseone.com
Cruise on!!