At one time or another everyone has made lists of their favorite places to visit. For some the bulk will be made from places that they have already been to, while for others it will be places that they want to go to. It seems as though such things are known as bucket lists. Something curious is noted when these people are asked about their lists, one destination is often repeated in various different lists. Who would have realized that so many people have Panama Canal travel plans.
With it being such a popular destination its fortunate that there are numerous trips on offer, and they are of varying lengths. So no matter how busy you are you will always be able to find a suitable trip. Yet despite its popularity, there are still some who know nothing about the place, and therefore wouldn't know what to expect.
A good place to start is with a world atlas. Look for central America, these are the thin countries which join South and North America together. In olden days it helped with migration by acting as a land bridge, but millions of years ago these countries didn't exist as they were completely underwater. These areas also provide a land barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic ocean alongside the Caribbean Sea.
For as long as man has sailed the oceans it was often thought how convenient a short cut to join the two great oceans would be. Up until the successful completion, the sea journey was many thousands of miles longer and it involved the stormy seas at the tip of South America. Even today it is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
It was the French in the 1880's who made the first serious attempt at joining the oceans. The engineer in charge of this project was a man by the name of Ferdinand De Lesseps. His name might sound familiar, and with good cause. He also completed a similar task linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas together.
Out of a total of the required fifty one miles the French had managed to excavate eleven miles. They had to abandon their attempt due to a number of factors. The main one being disease, with malaria, cholera and yellow fever ravaging the work force. The Americans took up the challenge, when in 1904 the bought the rights and the equipment from the French.
The Americans literally employed 1000's of people during their involvement. Finally ten years later they finished the whole project. It was possibly the decision to use lock gates which enabled them to successfully finish the task. Now it only takes 9 hours to go from one ocean to the other, and takes in all 3 sets of locks. If you do only a partial transit then you will only see a single set of locks.
The American involvement starting in 1904 and taking ten years to finish, must mean it was 1914 when it was completed. So you will have already discerned that next year is the centenary for this feat of engineering. For many there will be no better time to enjoy their Panama Canal travel plans. With so many different types of trips to choose from sometimes it is difficult to come to a decision, but this eighth wonder of the world should not be missed.
With it being such a popular destination its fortunate that there are numerous trips on offer, and they are of varying lengths. So no matter how busy you are you will always be able to find a suitable trip. Yet despite its popularity, there are still some who know nothing about the place, and therefore wouldn't know what to expect.
A good place to start is with a world atlas. Look for central America, these are the thin countries which join South and North America together. In olden days it helped with migration by acting as a land bridge, but millions of years ago these countries didn't exist as they were completely underwater. These areas also provide a land barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic ocean alongside the Caribbean Sea.
For as long as man has sailed the oceans it was often thought how convenient a short cut to join the two great oceans would be. Up until the successful completion, the sea journey was many thousands of miles longer and it involved the stormy seas at the tip of South America. Even today it is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
It was the French in the 1880's who made the first serious attempt at joining the oceans. The engineer in charge of this project was a man by the name of Ferdinand De Lesseps. His name might sound familiar, and with good cause. He also completed a similar task linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas together.
Out of a total of the required fifty one miles the French had managed to excavate eleven miles. They had to abandon their attempt due to a number of factors. The main one being disease, with malaria, cholera and yellow fever ravaging the work force. The Americans took up the challenge, when in 1904 the bought the rights and the equipment from the French.
The Americans literally employed 1000's of people during their involvement. Finally ten years later they finished the whole project. It was possibly the decision to use lock gates which enabled them to successfully finish the task. Now it only takes 9 hours to go from one ocean to the other, and takes in all 3 sets of locks. If you do only a partial transit then you will only see a single set of locks.
The American involvement starting in 1904 and taking ten years to finish, must mean it was 1914 when it was completed. So you will have already discerned that next year is the centenary for this feat of engineering. For many there will be no better time to enjoy their Panama Canal travel plans. With so many different types of trips to choose from sometimes it is difficult to come to a decision, but this eighth wonder of the world should not be missed.
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When you are planning ahead for Panama Canal travel, begin with a visit to our web pages at panamacanal.com today. You can see suggestions and points of interest here at http://panamacanal.com right now.
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