The day before our gymnastics coaching camp began, my host Andres Llanos Gerardino took me for the classic tourist visit. There’s a terrific museum including a 3D documentary video.

Andres treated me to a buffet dinner overlooking the locks themselves.

The ships are huge.

Most interesting are the machines that guide the various sized ships safely through. Like land tug boats.

We watched 4 ships pass. … That took a goodly amount of vino tinto. 🙂

more photos

The hundred year history of this massive venture is fascinating. An expansion will open 2014.

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is a 48-mile (77.1 km) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. …

There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake (85 feet (26 m) above sea-level). The Gatun Lake was used to reduce the amount of work required for a sea-level connection. The current locks are 110 feet (33.5 m) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is being built.

… ownership of the territory that is now the Panama Canal was first Colombian, then French, and then American before coming under the control of the Panamanian government in 1999.