A Land Divided – a World United – the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal has been called “the big ditch”, “the bridge between two continents” and “the greatest shortcut in the world”.
One look at the immensity of the Panama Canal, and you will understand why a French company with a labor force of 10,000 men went bankrupt trying to excavate it. The project, while conceived in 1534 by Charles I of Spain, began in 1882 and ended seven years later in disaster with over 22,000 people dead from disease and pestilence.
The United States took over the assets of a French company in 1902 and began the process of finishing the canal.
It is a epic story, appreciated best by transiting the canal by ship, viewing what many historians say changed the face of the industrial world.
This 51 mile water tollway shaved over 7,900 nautical miles off the distance between New York and San Francisco.
Sailing the Panama Canal not only offers a rich detailed and fascinating history narrated by an on-board Canal historian; it is the natural beauty that surprises most of all – an ever changing panorama of jungle clad hills, shimmering Lake Gatun, the high arched span of the America’s Bridge, and of course the intricate workings of the locks and gates themselves.
As you approach the canal from the Atlantic you travel through 7.2 kilometers of dredged channel. Your ship then proceeds for a little over 11 kilometers slightly westward before reaching the Gatun Locks. Huge ocean liners are lifted, as if they were toys, 85 feet by three sets of locks, to the level of Gatun Lake. This lake resulted from damming the Chagres River and broaching the Continental Divide. This combined with the Gaillard Cut was a feat equal to digging a trench 10 feet deep by 55 feet wide from New York to California.
Passing through Gatun Lake to the mouth of the Gaillard Cut and down the 13 kilometer channel, you arrive at the Pedro Miguel Lock, which has a drop of 31 feet. This lock borders Miraflores Lake, about 55 feet above the level of the Pacific. Your ship continues about 2 kilometers through Miraflores Lake and reaches two Miraflores Locks. These locks lower your ship to Pacific tidewater levels. Leaving the Miraflores Locks you continue 4 kilometers to Balboa on the Gulf of Panama.
From the deck of your ship or your own private balcony, you’ll marvel as the locks open one into the other. The locks are double to allow one ship to be raised while another is being lowered. The lock chambers on the Panama Canal are 1000 feet long and 110 feet wide. Transit time through the canal is usually seven to eight hours. As a counterpoint, there is the natural wonder that surrounds the man-made one; a lush, virgin rain forest; impenetrable and inviolate, except for the canal. Imagine yourself watching the sun rise in the Atlantic and set in the Pacific. Visit Mayan ruins and colonial cities.
You can watch cliff divers plunge from dizzying heights or hike in a cloud forest where hummingbirds dart in greater numbers than crows back home.
Early in 2000 the United States turned over 100% control of the canal to Panama after jointly sharing its protection and control since 1977. The final cost of the canal US$336 million dollars which is less than the cost of the new cruise ships that pass through.
While transiting the canal is an incredible experience, remember your cruise, depending upon itinerary, will also take you to places like Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Cartegena, Columbia; Santa Cruz; Zihuatanejo and Hualtulco, Mexico or perhaps Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Oranjestad, Aruba or possibly Willemstad, Curacao and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Engineered as carefully as the Canal itself, these cruises combine just the right number of exciting ports with long, leisurely days at sea. And no matter which direction you go, you’ll discover a remarkable collection of wonders, both natural and man-made.
Stay tuned, this year marks the start of a great expansion of the Panama Canal, another engineering marvel, but that is a whole other story…
Sid Kaplan
May 5th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
sucre? that's an avenue…. i dont even know where you actually are, because sucre has many blocks, and there are two many combis, custers, and buses but not all of them go thru sucre, some buses you will be able to catch them close to sucre
however the best thing would be a taxi cab, they are not that expensive
May 5th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Well, I don't know how much it would be, but the costs are a LOT cheaper in Peru. I had my C-section there. The doctors and nurses are more attentive to you. I know that just a doctor's visit is usually between 20 and 50 soles (7 and 15 dollars).
Also if you're just curious and want to know, for example, your glucose and cholesterol levels which cost 5 soles each ($1.50), you don't need to first go to the doctor, then get a doctor's referral, wait a week for results and all of that. (I got my results the next day, depending on which tests you ask for.) You just go straight to the lab people. You don't need prescriptions for things either. If you know what you want to get, you go to the pharmacy and get it that easily.
Some doctors probably would speak English there. Prices vary depending on which private clinic you go to.
May 5th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
the place where i live is the most beautiful city on earth miraflores or miraflowers (look at the flowers) even the name is pretty,so gay lol
May 5th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
hell thats f…. cool, me encanta!!!
May 5th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Buen video lindo panorama desde el aire,bien producido felicitaciones!.Ah quiero acotar (leo los comentarios)que aca en California los mas ricos viven en cerros.Un abrazo a mis paisanos! viva el Peru!
May 5th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Miraflores and san isidro district
, the best hotels there 
check this link ,
http://www.peru.info/e_ftossttbusquedaeng.asp?tb=aloj&ic=2&cl=1&ct=1&ts=1&xdDpto=&consulta=submit&clasif=Hotels&txtclasif=Hotels&txtCateg=All&dDpto=&txtCampo=
http://www.peru.info
May 6th, 2010 at 8:39 am
On a recent trip to Peru a month ago, I used two different ATM's in Miraflores.
I was given the exchange rate of 3.00. This was also the exchange rate I was given by the money exchangers that stand on the street corner. They advertise 3.05 however you will never get it. They always come up with some kind of excuse.
Both ATM's charged me a $3.50 service fee which was later refunded by my bank in the USA (It's their standard procedure to refund ATM fees.)
You might as well get Soles from the ATM since if you get USD you'll have to exchange it for soles anyway.
Another word on exchanging money – Make sure the bills you are exchanging are in perfect shape – no tears and no markings, otherwise they won't accept them. Be careful exchanging USD on the streets, there is also a lot of conterfiet Nuevo Soles floating around.
May 6th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Peru: un pais de esperanza, un pais de una voluntad inquebrantable, ese es mi pais.
May 6th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
impossible, you need to take a flight to cuzco, from there take a train to machu picchu. flight time is around 1 hour, train time around 4 hours, so you get the idea =/ besides, going for 1 day to such magnificent place? get at least 4 days , there is more to see in cuzco than Machu Picchu,
May 7th, 2010 at 11:34 am
You could take an airplane from Miraflores to Cusco. From here you should take the train to Agua Calientes which is a more touristic solution than a local service. From here you can decide weather to walk the Inca trail, which is gorgeous but takes more time, or hop on the bus to Macchu Picchu. I'll send you a link to a blog where the trip is described completely with pictures, for example of the train and more information on prices!
http://www.yukiba.com/782-machu-picchu-peru-south-america-trip.html
May 7th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
esta chevere el video !!!
May 7th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
yo viajare a peru – lima especificamente miraflores.. q lugares me recomiendas para visitar?
May 7th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
this was sooo fun
May 8th, 2010 at 1:40 am
First of all Miraflores, Lima and Peru are very different places which you might be use to in America. If you expect to find a lot of similarities, then I would suggest to stay at home. If you are looking for a change and can adapt easily to a new environments and a new way of life, then proceed.
Miraflores is considered one of the nest districts in Lima. It houses most of Lima's 5 start hotels, best restaurants and shopping centers. It borders another popular district, San Isidro, considered Lima's financial district. Both this areas are very popular with tourists and ex-pats.
Housing in this areas will be more expensive than other areas in Lima, specially because of it's popularity with ex-pats.
Overall, everything else will pretty much be the same through out Lima in regards to cost of living, attitude towards Americans, employment opportunities.
However, regarding employment it is not easy for a non-Spanish speaking foreigner to get a good job in Lima. The unemployment rate is quite high and there is a lot of competition for good jobs. It will depend a lot on contacts your girl might have that can open doors for you. Most Americans I have known that lived in Lima usually worked as English teachers, translators or for American based companies.
Food is great, as long as your palate likes to adventure beyond McDonalds and BurgerKing.
Finally, to the guy that answered that Peru is close to communism, I would ask him to please respond to subjects he has knowledge of. Today, Peru is far from being a communist/populist country and the current goverment has distance themselves from Chavez's and has good relationships with the USA and Europe.
May 8th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
mostro!
May 8th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Hi from Brazil!
Very good your flight and movie.
His video shows that Lima is beautiful and you as very good in Paragliding.
Congratulations for your movie
Saludos desde Brasil!
Muy bueno vuelo y vídeo.
Pudo perceber por su producion que Lima es muy bonita y vos muy bueno en parapente.
Felicitaciones por su video
May 8th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
well, there's a lot of ways to came to plaza san miguel. but it's like 15 minutes in car if you go by costa verde, an avenue near to the beach.
but if you go by the city it's like 30 minutes.
=D
May 9th, 2010 at 7:33 am
In Miraflores, I do all these things now.