Entering the Panama Canal

We woke up around 6:00 AM to watch us go through the Panama Canal. The cruise ships pay $100 per bed slept in and $80 for each empty bed making them the top-paying ships. The Island Princess paid around $250,000 to go half-way through the Canal. I think the ships above are waiting their turn because the "Big Spenders" go first.
Unfortunately, I had a sinus infection, so we didn't go on the upper deck for the prime Canal-watching spots (and we missed our $179 excursion all the way through the canal, too). So, all of these photos are from our balcony or the television screen.
Above is the "French Cut"---not bikinis or green beans, but the first (unsuccessful) attempt to build the Panama Canal. One of the documentaries we watched said, "The French tried to build the canal using calculations, but the Americans used innovation." I love that comment---it says so much about our philosophy of education.
(Television screen above) This shows us heading into the locks with the Maurodam beside us. According to the Onboard Expert (Tom Ryan), our captain was furious that the Maurodam took our spot---we were supposed to precede them.
The little locomotives are called "mules". Their job is to prevent us from bouncing off the sides. It's hard to believe that when this canal was built, they expected to fit 3 ships in each chamber. Today, ships like the Island Princess are built specifically to go through the canal and fill a chamber.
The Princess photography crew is taking photos of passengers going through the canal.

One of our days "At Sea", we were provided with poster board, paints and markers to make a sign---where are my creative, artistic daughters when I need them? After this photo, I folded the poster up and put it in the trash. On our way through again, I noticed they were filming AGAIN. I ran to get my folder up poster, hung it on the balcony and THAT's the one that made it on the souvenir video and television promos---I think they thought I'd done Origami with it and the textures were interesting. . .

(Television screen) This shows the Maurodam entering Gatun Lake (and off our balcony in the lake)
Gatun Lake is not a natural feature, but an integral part of the Panama Canal---the water from it fills the chamber allowing the "giant water elevator" to transport the ships. The water is from a dammed river but also the damned rain (it is in a rainforest).

At this point, I was glad we forfeited our money to ride in a tender in driving rain to a yacht club where we would board another boat for 8 hours through the canal.
I was more comfortable sitting on our balcony, sipping coffee, putting compresses on my swelling face. . .