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And Now.....We're headed through the Panama Canal on the way to Alaska

But first, a stop in....

Oranjestad, Aruba

What a nice way to end our Caribbean travels

I guess these people are really close to their neighbours from across the street.

Here's a nice little fountain inside the shopping mall:-

Hang on....what's that doing in there?	Wow, the water taxis get you close to the shops here!	....and here's where they go in.

This is what the whole thing looks like from a distance:-

A beautiful resort hotel about 5 minutes from the dock:-

....and close by, the home of Tessa, the friendly Siberian tiger (they even had sessions where you could pat her).

"man, it's too hot for this!"

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The Panama Canal

Here we go.....

Only just out of bed in time to see the first lock....

Where did all that extra water come from?

....and into the beautiful Gatun Lake (my personal favorite part of the canal)

I guess this is what they
mean by 'heavy' traffic.

All the dirt stirred up from dredging
created some interesting colors.

There was even a beach there....

(for some reason, the captain wouldn't stop)

Gamboa

The half-way point, and center of a lot of maintenance activity.

The new crane they've brought
in to lift the lock-gates.

And the old one
it replaced.

But it's OK!
They seem to like each other.

(between you and me, I think the old one's more photogenic)

This is where some of the local workers live.

The Continental Divide

Apparently, through between these two points is the Continental Divide.

Lots of traffic on the old canal today.....

I guess the pilot knows what all these signals mean?

Now, THIS is the way to travel:-

Pedro Miguel

Now we're getting into the business end of things....

The view from the promanade deck....normally 4 floors above sea level!

One of the old locomotives that
guide us through the Pedro Miguel lock.

Ever get the feeling you're being followed?

Miraflores

The newer locomotives of the Miraflores lock line up like daleks with the beautiful scenery providing a contrast in the background.

The locks closing....

At this point, the whistle blew and the workers all picked up their packs and lunch-pails and headed home....I thought we were going to be stuck there!!

Going

Gone!
And all that water disappears into the Pacific ocean.

A close up of one of the 'daleks'

The visitors center, complete with
grandstand for 'jealous' onlookers.

The new, multi-level visitors
center still being built.

And the resort off in the distance....

The swingbridge, for crossing the canal in case of emergencies.
(not to be used for the home-time whistle)

Looking back to the lock on the other side:-

....and the final view of the last lock as we leave it behind.

A half white/half black lighthouse (what's that about?)

The Bridge of the Americas is the final exit-point:-

And the view of Panama City as we leave:-

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Costa Rica

Puntarenas

The busy markets on the beach-front.

Boy, they make big sandcastles round here!

With all the heat, it's a good thing this taxi's air-conditioned....

...and a short distance away, the bustle of 'downtown' Puntarenas:-

A typical suburban street.

The sign says 'for sale' - I guess that's what they call a 'fixer upper'.

On the other hand....this church shows that there is some nice architecture around:-

From here, we're headed up the coast of Mexico, the U.S. and on to Vancouver, Canada.

click here to continue this journey

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