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IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A CRUISE BEFORE,
BUT HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT TRYING A CRUISE...
"THIS" IS THE ONE TO CHOOSE....
SO COME ALONG FOR A LITTLE TASTE OF....
"CRUISING THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL".
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APPROACHING THE PANAMA CANAL FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SIDE
WELL, HERE WE ALL ARE IN GREAT ANTICIPATION. WAITING FOR OUR CRUISE SHIP TO BEGIN IT'S JOURNEY INTO THE FIRST LOCK FOR PASSAGE THROUGH THE CANAL.
JUST ONE OF THE MANY OTHER SHIPS WAITING FOR PERMISSION TO BEGIN PASSAGE INTO THE FIRST LOCK (THERE ARE 8-LOCKS).
THE PILOT APPROACHING OUR CRUISE SHIP
EVERY SHIP IS REQUIRED TO BE BOARDED BY
THE LOCAL PILOT AT WHICH TIME,
THE PILOT TAKES OVER THE CONTROLS
OF THE SHIP FROM THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN.
IT IS THEN THE PILOT'S JOB
TO SAFELY GUIDE THE SHIP INTO
THE FIRST LOCK WITH ONLY "INCHES" TO SPARE
ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SHIP.
APPROACHING THE FIRST LOCK
WITH THE PILOT AT THE HELM.
A CLOSER VIEW OF THE FIRST LOCK
AS YOU CAN SEE,THERE ARE TWO PASSAGEWAYS.
WE WILL BE ENTERING THE ONE ON THE LEFT....
AND WILL BE CRUISING FROM EAST TO WEST.
(Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean)
THE LOCK ON THE RIGHT, IS THE PASSAGEWAY FOR THOSE TRAVELING FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST...
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE A SHIP WAITING
FOR THE LEVEL OF THE WATER WITHIN THE LOCK
TO DROP TO THE SAME LEVEL AS
~THE ATLANTIC OCEAN~~
BEFORE THE LOCK WILL OPEN
AND ALLOW THE SHIP TO CONTINUE ON IT'S JOURNEY.
THE ELEVATION OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS HIGHER THAN THE ATLANTIC...
THUS THE REASON FOR THE LOCK SYSTEM WHEN THE CANAL WAS BEING BUILT.
THE PASSAGE TAKES HALF A DAY...
AND THERE IS LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL SCENERY
AND LAKE WATERWAYS BETWEEN EACH LOCK!
A WELL-WORTH EXPERIENCE...
AND AWAY WE GO!
A VIEW OF THE TWO DIFFERENT WATER LEVELS ON EACH SIDE OF THE GATE
THE SHIP WILL SIT BETWEEN A GATE SYSTEM
UNTIL THE WATER IS PUMPED
AND BROUGHT TO THE PROPER HEIGHT.
AT THAT TIME...THE GATES WILL OPEN.
THEN YOU BEGIN THE NEXT STRETCH OF THE JOURNEY
UNTIL YOU REACH THE NEXT LOCK.
(only one ship at a time within each gateway)
A VIEW OF THE WEST TO EAST PASSAGEWAY
FROM THE BALCONY OF OUR CABIN
A VIEW OF THE PANAMA CITY BRIDGE...
AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE A HAZY AFTERNOON IN THE PACIFIC.
LATER THAT EVENING....
~A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET~
VERY ROMANTIC!
WELCOME TO ACAPULCO, MEXICO!
THE LAST STOP OF OUR CRUISE.
CLIFF DIVERS WAITING
FOR THE RIGHT WAVES
TO MAKE A DIVE...
GETTING READY!
UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON
BEFORE OUR LAND TOUR BROUGHT US HERE....
THE SUN WASN'T IN A GREAT PLACE
FOR TAKING VIDEO.
THE DIVE!!
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CLICK HERE TO SEE A MAP OF OUR CRUISE