Welcome to the latest installment of the Williams-DeBeikes adventure log! Yesterday we had a wonderful time taking a tour of the Panama Canal. We woke up much too early to then take a much too long drive into Panama City. Dad's navigational skills have much improved since Friday and we got to the pier without delay. All six of us then boarded a boat that proceeded to take us on a 4-hour narrated tour of the canal. It was so interesting to learn about the creation of the Panama Canal! It's hard to imagine the effort, time and manpower it took to create it back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I bet a bulldozer and a back hoe would have looked mighty nice back then. By far the most interesting aspect of the tour was going through the locks. The locks are a very cool elevating system where the water from the higher elevation level is fed into the lower chamber allowing ships to rise up to be level with the next lock. This takes you from the Pacific to Lake Gatun and then eventually to the Carribean ocean. It was fascinating to see the locks in action! I can't believe the ingenuity of it all - even after all this time, they still work! After the locks we spent the next couple of hours observing the Panamanian jungle (yes, we even saw a crocodile!) and seeing MASSIVE container barges pass us by. After the tour we ran to the store to buy some necessities, like swimwear and Cheetos, and then spent the rest of the afternoon tubing in the ocean! If that doesn't make you jealous, I don't know what will.

Below is a picture of the locks in action. Once we were enclosed inside the lock the water starting pouring in through underground, gravity-fed tunnels that lifted us up 3 feet a minute. It was very cool to watch. After this picture we threw in several more pictures of us in front of the temple and touring Casco Viejo from our Friday adventures. I especially like the last two. I think Mom and Dad decided that Peter needs to start earning his keep around here. However, I think shaving ice for the occasional 2 bucks an hour won't cut it.

Annie DeBeikes



This is a picture of Cassandra applying for entry into the old Dominican convent in Casco Viejo, Panama. Get thee to a nunnery. In case you are interested, Collin.