Our Friend Calvin is in Panama and We Decided to Take Him on an Adventure Hilarski Style.

First We Decided to Head to Fort San Lorenzo at the Entrance of the Chagres River.

In 1502, during his fourth and final voyage, Christopher Columbus discovered the Chagres River.

By 1534, the Monarchy of Spain had, following its conquest of Peru, established a rainy-season gold route over the isthmus of Panama—Las Cruces Trail—most of which consisted of the Chagres River. The trail connected the Pacific port of Panama City to the mouth of the Chagres, from whence Peru's plunder would sail to Spain's storehouses in the leading Atlantic ports of the isthmus: Nombre de Dios, at first; and, later, Portobelo. (The dry-season, overland route—the Camino Real—connected Panama City with those ports directly.)

Attracted to the treasure, pirates began attacking Panama's coast around 1560. To protect the Atlantic terminus of Las Cruces Trail, Spain built Fort San Lorenzo at the Chagres River's mouth. From 1587 to 1599, the fortifications evolved into a sea-level battery.

In 1670, buccaneer Henry Morgan ordered an attack that left Fort San Lorenzo in ruins. He invaded Panama City the following year, using San Lorenzo as his base of operations.

In the 1680s, the Spanish constructed a new fort 80 feet (24 m) above the water. Set on a cliff overlooking the entrance to the harbor, the fort was protected on the landward side by a dry moat with a drawbridge. During this time, the town of Chagres was established under the protection of the fort.

Then We Had Lunch at the Old Fort Sherman (American Army Base).

We saw many Panama Police playing soldier and plenty of wildlife like this Coati. They are my favorite animals of Panama. The Coati, genera Nasua and Nasuella, also known as the Coati-Mundi.

Crossing the Panama Canal New and Old Locks.

Here is a Video of US Crossing the New Locks at Agua Clara Before They Were Completed.

This is a Video of Us Crossing the Old Locks at Gatun.

Yes, VIP Panama Tours was our old Panama tourism business.

We Then Went to the Panama Canal Observation Center.

It is located on the hill overlooking Gatun Lake and the new Agua Clara locks of the Panama Canal Expansion.

Oops, You Caught Me Admiring Something Else!

A Cruise Ship is Just About to Finish Passing Through the Locks.

In the distance you can see the new bridge being constructed to make accessing the Caribbean side of Panama easier.

Ship Passing Through the Agua Clara Locks Assisted by Tug Boats.

The Tug Boats keep tension on the ship to keep it along one of the walls of the lock. This keeps the ships from hitting the sides of the locks.

Ships Waiting Their Turn to Enter the Locks.

Gatun lake is a man made lake that connects the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. It takes about 12 hours for ships to transit the entire Panama Canal.