Rising to the Occasion

To think the Panama Canal was excavated, constructed, engineered without the use of modern equipment… No heavy earth movers, no steam shovels, just man power. The Gaillard Cut, which represents 15% of the waterwayʼs total length, necessitated the excavation of enough material to have built 63 pyramids, similar to those found in Egypt. First the ship had to be raised from sea level on the Caribbean Sea 27 feet to Gatun Lake. Then had to be lowered on the other end via two locks to the sea level of the Pacific Ocean. It was an all day affair, and was reported to cost around $337,000 for the passage.
The picture shows a freighter being elevated in the canal next to our ship. We followed soon thereafter.