Today was the Canal visit - I am sure everyone who comes to Panama City visits the canal and locks at some time. Today we took what is called a partial traverse. Which means we started in Gatun Lake, the highest point of the canal, and descended 31 meters through Pedro Miguel locks and then through another 27 meters in each of the two chambers of the Miraflores Locks to the Pacific Ocean level. In the process we passed under the.

• Centennial Bridge, a new suspension bridge opened in 2005 that crosses the canal along the continental divide between Gold Hill and Contractors Hill, and

• the bridge of the Americas which opened in 1962 and looks very much like the Sydney Harbor bridge and is part of the Pan-American Highway that we have been following since Texas.

It was interesting to see the canal up close, but not a surprise, since there are so many documentaries about its construction on the Discovery Channel. Less well known to us was some of the history and politics surrounding the return of the canal zone to Panama, and the invasion of Panama by US troops during Noriega's reign.

After the canal tour Norm drove us back to the Miraflores Locks where we toured the museum come exhibition building beside the locks and had the opportunity to see two panamax ships pass through, they are quite a sight. However once the expansion of the canal currently underway is completed in time for the centenary of the canal in 2014 ships 50% larger in both length and width will be able to pass through the canal.!!

Panamax ships are the largest ships that can pass through the canal, while in the locks they only have 2 feet clearance on either side. Ships larger than this are called postPanamax.