At one time or another everyone has made lists of their favorite places to visit. For some the bulk will be made from places that they have already been to, while for others it will be places that they want to go to. It seems as though such things are known as bucket lists. Something curious is noted when these people are asked about their lists, one destination is often repeated in various different lists. Who would have realized that so many people have Panama Canal travel plans.
With it being such a popular destination its fortunate that there are numerous trips on offer, and they are of varying lengths. So no matter how busy you are you will always be able to find a suitable trip. Yet despite its popularity, there are still some who know nothing about the place, and therefore wouldn't know what to expect.
So if you look in an atlas you will find Central America, it is the thin bits of land which join North and South America together. It is acting as a land bridge. Although if you were to go back in time it was completely submerged. It also separates the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean.
For as long as man has sailed the oceans it was often thought how convenient a short cut to join the two great oceans would be. Up until the successful completion, the sea journey was many thousands of miles longer and it involved the stormy seas at the tip of South America. Even today it is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
It was the French in the 1880's who made the first serious attempt at joining the oceans. The engineer in charge of this project was a man by the name of Ferdinand De Lesseps. His name might sound familiar, and with good cause. He also completed a similar task linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas together.
Out of a total of the required fifty one miles the French had managed to excavate eleven miles. They had to abandon their attempt due to a number of factors. The main one being disease, with malaria, cholera and yellow fever ravaging the work force. The Americans took up the challenge, when in 1904 the bought the rights and the equipment from the French.
The Americans used literally thousands of workers on the project, but it still took then another ten years to finish the project. Fortunately the American plan involved the use of locks, and these proved to be the solution rather than a complete channel. There are three sets of locks along the full length and the total transit time is 9 hours. If you are only doing a partial transit you will possibly only see the one set of locks.
So if the Americans took over the project in 1904 and it took a further 10 years to complete, the year of completion must have been 1914. Most of you will have worked out that this means that the amazing project celebrates its centenary next year. Surely that will be an ideal time to take in your Panama Canal travel. There are so many different types of tours available, that people often feel spoilt for choice and do a different tour each year. It is small wonder that it was referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
With it being such a popular destination its fortunate that there are numerous trips on offer, and they are of varying lengths. So no matter how busy you are you will always be able to find a suitable trip. Yet despite its popularity, there are still some who know nothing about the place, and therefore wouldn't know what to expect.
So if you look in an atlas you will find Central America, it is the thin bits of land which join North and South America together. It is acting as a land bridge. Although if you were to go back in time it was completely submerged. It also separates the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean.
For as long as man has sailed the oceans it was often thought how convenient a short cut to join the two great oceans would be. Up until the successful completion, the sea journey was many thousands of miles longer and it involved the stormy seas at the tip of South America. Even today it is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
It was the French in the 1880's who made the first serious attempt at joining the oceans. The engineer in charge of this project was a man by the name of Ferdinand De Lesseps. His name might sound familiar, and with good cause. He also completed a similar task linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas together.
Out of a total of the required fifty one miles the French had managed to excavate eleven miles. They had to abandon their attempt due to a number of factors. The main one being disease, with malaria, cholera and yellow fever ravaging the work force. The Americans took up the challenge, when in 1904 the bought the rights and the equipment from the French.
The Americans used literally thousands of workers on the project, but it still took then another ten years to finish the project. Fortunately the American plan involved the use of locks, and these proved to be the solution rather than a complete channel. There are three sets of locks along the full length and the total transit time is 9 hours. If you are only doing a partial transit you will possibly only see the one set of locks.
So if the Americans took over the project in 1904 and it took a further 10 years to complete, the year of completion must have been 1914. Most of you will have worked out that this means that the amazing project celebrates its centenary next year. Surely that will be an ideal time to take in your Panama Canal travel. There are so many different types of tours available, that people often feel spoilt for choice and do a different tour each year. It is small wonder that it was referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
About the Author:
When you are planning ahead for Panama Canal travel, begin with a visit to our web pages at panamacanal.com today. You can see suggestions and points of interest here at http://panamacanal.com right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment