As we made our transit through the Canal, we encountered a few large ships making their own transit through the Canal. Pictured here is a Japanese freighter carrying grain.

Another large ship we encountered was this container-carrying ship. Container here means a trailer such as one that’s pulled by eighteen wheels. Notice that these containers are stacked twelve wide on this ship. Remember that passage is paid by the pound. I wonder if shippers of helium have figured out a way to get the Canal to pay them to make a transit.

Pictured here is Centennial Bridge, or, rather, what will eventually be Centennial Bridge. Our tour guide said that the bridge was scheduled for an August 2004 opening, but we think that the only vehicles that’ll be able to cross this bridge in August of 2004 will be airplanes and helicopters. This bridge is supposed to symbolize and celebrate Panama’s one hundred years of independence from Colombia.

(There was such civil unrest in Colombia that our ship wouldn’t even stop there. Our itinerary was changed to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, instead.)

This image was captured as we sailed under what will eventually be Centennial Bridge. By looking at this image, I believe Centennial Bridge’s completion will be at least a year—if not two years—behind schedule.

The Pedro Miguel locks are the middle set of locks in the Panama Canal, though they’re only about a mile-and-a-half away from the Miraflores locks. The Miraflores locks empty into the Pacific Ocean.

Here we are deep down in a chamber in one of Pedro Miguel’s locks. Notice that we’re being lowered in these locks, and recall that we were being raised in the Gatun locks. These are the original gates that were constructed and put into use back in the early 1900s.