Going through the Panama Canal

The alarm rang at 6:45a.m. We were up earlier and ready to see the ship go through the Panama Canal. It is quite a process. There were three locks, then the lake, and then two more sets of locks. We supposedly set a record paying over $330,000.00 to pass through the canal. That cost is based on the number of passengers and other factors. Going through the PC saves boats approximately 8600 kilometers as opposed to going around the tip of South America. Anyway, the process lasted until about 3:30pm. We watched the mules (trucks on tracks) pulling the ship, waved at people on other ships, took pictures, tried to find the best view, and looked at the jungle. Very interesting especially when you consider how old the canal is and what all went in to the construction. The Panama Canal is now going through a process to widen the canal and be able to accommodate new wider ships. Today was also Nancy's birthday. Some waiters helped us sing to her at breakfast. We gave her a card and wished her Happy Birthday at lunch. Tonight we had roses on the table waiting for her, she had a cake with candles and wait staff sang again. Did I mention balloons by her door, too? Tonight we are sitting in the Pacific waiting to tour Panama City tomorrow.