Cruisin the Panama Canal!

 We had an entire day to watch the process of crossing through the Panama Canal!  What a neat experience it was...so much to see...so much to learn about.  This was the sight of us first entering the canal lanes on the Atlantic Ocean side.  There are two lanes, and you can see the cruise ship in 

front of us as it's being raised in the locks ahead.

 These are the "mules" they attach to your ship.  Six mules in all, two in the front and one on the back of each side.  They have guide wires that keep the ship straight and in line to move along the canal.

 Here we are coming into the first lock, and then they close the lock behind you and start filling it up.  It rises fairly fast, 28 ft. and then you are ready to go into the next lock, three in all for a total of 84 ft.

 This is how much room there is on each side!  Only about a ft. and a half to two ft!

 A look ahead as we approach the last lock, out onto Gatun lake where they built the dam that supports the rise in water for the ships to pass across Panama 84 ft. above sea level.

 This is the thick jungle they had to cut through to be able to dig the canal.

 Grandpa and Brent at the back of the boat, as the locks close behind us!

 Views from out in the lake where we spent the better part of the day.

 Approaching the Continental Divide, the highest part!  There is a beautiful Centennial Bridge there for Panamanians to cross from one side to the other.  These are views of the cuts and terracing that needed to be made for them to dig through the Divide!

 Our ship barely clearing the bridge!

 Entering into the set of locks on the other side, to start going back down.

 You could see the spires of the Temple amidst all the greenery and towards Panama City in the background.

 The double set of locks in the last bunch.  The second doors are just a safety thing!

 Looking back through the last locks that we had just passed through, 

going on to the Pacific Ocean side.

 Here are some of the pics from our ship The Queen Victoria, Cunard Line.  It was very beautiful, 

and all decorated for Christmas.  It was very "British" and classy!!

 The main swimming pool area.

 The grand lobby area.

 The huge theater and balconies.

 Brent and I headed to dinner the night of my Birthday.

 The Winter Garden room.

 The buffet areas.

 The "Queen's Room" a beautiful ballroom and tea time area.

 The day after we crossed the Panama Canal, we visited Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

We went on a bus tour with Mom and Dad.  We enjoyed Costa Rica very much!

 This is the plant that the cocoa beans come from.  They are in the white core of the plant, in pods.

 We also got quite a treat, they took us to a park and some school children came and danced for us in their native costumes.  They were beautiful children!!  We enjoyed seeing them so much!

 Just some of the sights along the way...the sugar can fields...

The coconut and mango trees...

 Awesome fruit stands line the streets...

 Everything was so green and pretty, with so many different trees and flowers and fruits growing everywhere!

 They have so many different species of trees, that they gather them all together to make different crafts.  These trays are an example of all the beautiful woods .

 More of the crafts and carvings they do out of the various woods.

 And their beautiful brown sand beaches!

 One of the main cathedrals in the town square, and the grounds around it!