A view of our ship, the NCL Pearl, at the Panama Canal. I took this picture shortly after disembarkation and prior to our hour and half long bus trip to the port where we were to ride the ferry.

While on the bus towards the port for our ferry ride, we passed by a new lock named Agua Clara under construction.

Agua Clara

Along the way, we passed by many heavily forested areas.

The Chagres River

This was the tiny port where we boarded our ferry to cross the Panama Canal from the Carribbean side all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Here'a another view of the tiny port where we boarded the Tuira 2.

This part of the Panama Canal had very brown water. At first, it was kind of a let down to see it that way it was. I was expecting a lot cleaner water. Turns out, the canal did look clean. Dredging was the reason for the brown color of the water at this section of the canal.

Right from the moment we arrived in Panama, ships, tankers, and ferries could be seen going through the canal in both directions.

"Why is the water here so brown?" we all wondered. Our guide explained that the color along this stretch of the canal was like so due to the dredging going on to make it bigger and deeper.

This is a view of the forward part of our ferry.

This was a view of the prison where the former Panamanian dictator, Manuel Noriega, is currently serving a life sentence. I had watched this man on TV while he was still in power back in the late eighties, early nineties. How time flies. We were told that he is now in his eighties.

These were our fellow passengers who sat at the very front of the ferry. These were the very brave ones who didn't mind sitting under the very hot sun right from the beginning of the sailing right to the very end. Marc and I were seated right behind them but in a more comfortable shaded area.

"Alone and the canal all to myself!

This sight of a small hill along the canal reminded me of rice terraces present in Southeast Asia.

This is a close up view of the quaint looking hill. Turns out, cement was placed on the side of the hill to prevent landslides.

This was the first of two bridges we passed along the canal. If my memory serves me right, this was called the Bridge of the Americas.

This was how the side of the wall along one lock looked like.

Another mule

The lock gate totally open and pushed to the side to give way to our ferry

Here's one ship that followed our ferry. Just a few minutes later, it sailed just a few feet behind us, literally.

Who can that man be at the other end of the ferry?

This is one lady employee of our ferry talking to a worker on board a Colombian ferry which sailed so close to ours.

It was 5 pm when we arrived at this set of locks. From aboard our ferry, we could see many of the lock workers both from the observatory and offices nearby preparing to go home.

This was the observatory where many locals went to get a view of a part of the canal and see ships pass by. We could hear loudspeakers advising visitors that the facility was going to close at 5 pm. By then we had been aboard since 11:00 am.

A partial view of the Port of Balboa, Panama. From this port, ships head on to the US and Canada.

From aboard the ferry, we got a glimpse of the impressive Panama City skyline.

The Centennial Bridge

Another view of the Port of Balboa

A part of the Centennial Bridge

The Biodiversity Museum in Panama City designed by Frank Gehry of the Guggenheim Museum fame

A view of the Biodiversity Museum and some yachts from the Balboa Country Club

A very hazy view of the skyline of Panama City around 6:30 pm. After so many hours sailing along the Panama Canal, we reached the Pacific side. What a ride!