I woke up at 7 and made a bee-line right to the observation deck. The crowd was already forming as we waited out turn to transit the Panama Canal.
I had observed ships going through on my trip to Panama in 2005, but this was definitely different. A great view to all the ships waiting passage and then watching each lock wall open and close (designed by Leonardo da Vinci!).
We enter the lock:
Then water spills in until it’s at the same level as the next lock:
then the walls open and we proceed to do the same all over again until we’re on the higher, Pacific side:
and away we go!