An image of a water-saturated resort and dramatic clouds after a storm at the Gamboa rainforest in Panama.
Water Saturation
Water Saturation
Tag Archives: Panama
Panamanian Rainforest
Panama, in addition to its Canal, City, and beaches, has lush rainforests.
The virgin rainforest of Gamboa ascends some 280 feet from the shadowy forest floor through the dense undergrowth and up to the sun drenched canopy with its thousand shades of green that are only interrupted by the vibrant colors of flowering trees. Colorful birds and butterflies are abundant here.
This area is a sanctuary for the native flora and fauna. One can easily spot monkeys, toucans, alligators and turtles during a boat tour on the Chagres River.
Rainforest Waters
Gamboa Rainforest Resort
Panama Handicrafts
When one hears about Panama hats, you think that these hats are from that country. However, these hats were originally from Ecuador. Since there wasn’t a lot of demand for them in Ecuador, some entrepreneurs decided to sell these hats in Panama due to the traffic of the Canal.
These strong, lightweight, attractive, straw hats were perfect for deflecting the tropical sun of Panama, and also ideal for those who were crossing the Canal to spend outdoors in sunny California during the Gold Rush.
Ecuador’s most famous export is called a “Panama” hat. People in Ecuador hate that.
Panama Hats
Colorful handicrafts for sale on the side walks of Casco Viejo, Panama City.
Casco Viejo Handicrafts
Iglesia de San Jose
The massive Golden Altar of Iglesia San Jose is remarkable. The towering structure isn’t actually solid gold–it’s carved mahogany that has been covered in gold leaf (and paint). but looks opulent
Perhaps the most remarkable is the story about why it’s still around to see. It survived the pirate Henry Morgan’s looting of Panama Viejo in 1671. Legend has it that a priest disguised it by painting it black and then convinced Morgan that it had already been stolen. After Panama Viejo was abandoned in the wake of Morgan’s raid, the altar was later moved to its present location in Iglesia San Jose, one of Casco Viejo’s many churches.
Iglesia de San Jose
Casco Viejo Balconies
The French stayed in Casco Viejo when they made their attempt to build the Panama Canal in 1881 so naturally there is French architecture with balconies reminiscent of the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Old Town Balconies
A Stylish Balcony
Decorated with Panama Colors
A building in Casco Viejo decorated with Panama colors on occasion of the country’s independence.
Decorated with Panama Colors
Casco Viejo, Panama City
Casco Viejo, also known as Casco Antiguo or San Felipe, is the historic district of Panama City.
Founded in 1673, after the former capital Panama Viejo burnt down and was looted during a pirate attack, Casco Viejo was once the hub of Panamanian culture and civilization. Jutting out into the sea on a peninsula (a site chosen to guard against the next pirate assault) Casco was later abandoned when modern Panama City sprouted its skyscrapers across the bay.
But after many years of neglect, Casco is experiencing a renaissance. In 1997 the UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site and gave financial incentives for restoration projects. And while the historic district is still somewhat of a work in progress, that’s exactly what makes it exciting. Walking the streets in this quarter is a schizophrenic experience: burned-out shells of old, dilapidated, cracked buildings inhabited by squatters stand side-by-side with chic new coffee houses, gourmet restaurants, boutique hotels, and some of Panama’s hottest clubs and bars.
Casco Viejo Panama City
Cat Posing
Islands on the Horizon
A view from the Panama beach of the islands in the horizon
Islands on the Horizon
Morning at the Ocean
A peaceful morning at the ocean in Panama …
Morning at the Ocean
Low Tide
A revealing low tide at a beach resort in Panama City, Panama
Low Tide
Sunrise in Panama
Finally the sunrise over the ocean and in between the clouds in Panama
Sunrise in Panama
Ships Lined-up at Sunrise
Ships are lined up on the horizon at sunrise to enter the Panama Canal
Ships Lined-up at Sunrise
Early Morning Serenity
The serenity of early morning sky and clouds on a beach in Panama City, Panama
Early Morning Serenity
A Beach in the Morning
Early morning at the beach awaiting sunrise in Panama
Beach in the Morning
Morning Sky at the Beach
Anticipation that the sunrise can’t be too far behind at the beach in Panama City, Panama
Morning Sky at the Beach
Setting to View a Sunrise
A perfect setting to view the sunrise at the beach in Panama City, Panama
Setting to View a Sunrise
Mules
From the outset, it was considered an important safety feature that ships be guided through the Panama Canal lock chambers by electric locomotives, known as mulas (mules, named after the animals traditionally used to cross the isthmus of Panama), running on the lock walls. These mules are used for side-to-side and braking control in the locks, which are narrow relative to modern-day ships. Forward motion into and through the locks is actually provided by the ship’s engines and not the mules. A ship approaching the locks first pulls up to the guide wall, which is an extension of the center wall of the locks, where it is taken under control by the mules on the wall before proceeding into the lock. As it moves forward, additional lines are taken to mules on the other wall. With large ships, there are two mules on each side at the bow, and two each side at the stern—eight in total, allowing for precise control of the ship.
The mules themselves run on rack tracks with broad gauge, 5 ft, to which they are geared. Traction is by electric power, supplied through a third rail laid below surface level on the land side. Each mule has a powerful winch, operated by the driver; these are used to take two cables in or pay them out in order to keep the ship centered in the lock while moving it from chamber to chamber.
Working Mule
The old canal locks can barely fit the huge container ships – they often come too close to the edge with hardly room to spare. With as little as 2 ft (60 cm) of clearance on each side of a ship, considerable skill is required on the part of the mule operators.
Little Room to Spare
Waiting
The Panama Canal is undoubtedly one of the most famous landmarks of Panama. However, despite its prominence, few people know that Lake Gatun, situated in the beautiful valley of the Chagres River, forms a major part of the Canal, carrying ships for 33 km of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama. The lake also provides the millions of gallons of water necessary to operate the Panama Canal locks each time a ship passes through, as well as supplying drinking water for Panama City and Colon.
Lake Gatun is a vast artificial lake formed between 1907 and 1913 by the building of the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. At the time it was created, Gatun was the largest man-made lake and dam in the world.
Ships waiting in Lake Gatun to enter the Aqua Clara Lock …..
Waiting
Expanding the Canal
Cocoli Locks – Pacific Ocean
Agua Clara Locks – Atlantic Ocean
Miraflores Locks in Panama Canal
Panama is well-known for its canal that provides a connection between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Miraflores is the name of one of the three locks that form part of the Panama Canal, and the name of the small lake that separates these locks from the Pedro Miguel Locks upstream. In the Miraflores locks, vessels are lifted (or lowered) 54 feet in two stages, allowing them to transit to or from the Pacific Ocean port of Balboa in Panama City.
Miraflores Locks in Panama Canal
A visitors center allows tourists to have a full view of the Miraflores locks operation.
Canal Observation Galleries