Our ship set off at twilight, passing under the Bridge of the Americas and following behind the White Dolphin, a refrigerated cargo vessel with which we would make the entire 50-mile transit. We watched in awe as millions of gallons of water flooded or drained from each lock within minutes and “mules’’ (small tug locomotives that ran on tracks alongside each lock) carefully guided our two ships as we navigated the narrow passage.
Many of us stayed up until 3 a.m. to experience the entire transit. Our exploration leaders narrated the trip, offering information on the history of the canal and an explanation of its inner workings, while we watched our ships rise and fall like toys in a big bathtub.
