Facts about the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal has a length of about 80 kilometers between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Built in one of the narrowest areas of the continent; this water route joins North and South America.

The Channel uses a system oflocks that are compartments with entrance and exist gates, which function as water lifts. Through the locks the ships are lifted from sea level (either Atlantic or Pacific) to the level of the Gatun Lake (26 meters above sea level); this way, ships can sail through the channel of the Canal.

Each set of locks bears the name ofthe village where it was built: Gatun, located on the Atlantic side, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores, both in the Pacific.

The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of locks comes from Gatun lake by gravity, and it's poured into the locks through a system of main culverts that extend below the chambers of the locks from the side walls and the central wall.

Construction for the new locks has already begun, this will allow much larger cargo and cruise ships to travel through the canal that have not been able to do due to their size.

Funerals

Funerals? The other day we were driving down the Panamerican Highway on the way home when I noticed in the distance what seemed to be a bad traffic jam! As we got closer I realized what it was.....a funeral was holding up traffic. Well the first car carried the deceased, and then behind that car you could see about 40 people walking in the pouring rain! Behind them were more cars associated with the funeral. It brought memories of me growing up in Puerto Rico when I used to see this all the time. The people walk as a gesture of respect for the deceased. And you have to admire them for doing so in the pouring rain. It brought memories from when I was a little girl and I used to see this all the time which seemed normal to me. This is not something I saw back home and now I see down here.

When you do silly things you get sick!

First you have the hot, cold, rain, no rain, weather going on. Then you have me in my lot planting away when a rain storm catches me and I got drenched while I waited to get stuff packed in my car. This happened last Thursday. Result: I got sick. Today I ran down to the local doctor and picked up an expectorant, a cough medicine with codeine, and 3 amps of a strong antibiotic. All prescriptions and with my 'retiree' discount it cost me all of $31. Seasons are changing here now, we are switching to the rainy season and even though it rains all the time, sometimes it is cool, sometimes it is humid, or very cold, or hot, breezy or not breezy at all.

I do hope to go back to planting this week but I will try to stay away from the rain, I need to recover from this quickly so I can go back to sleeping at night and not sitting up in bed coughing!

Stay tunned for more to come. This weekend we are trying to catch up to the Tall Ships that will be crossing the Panama Canal in the 2010 Bicentennial South American Race. I believe 13 tall ships will be crossing the canal. This should be an awesome event especially for photography buffs!