These pics and commentary are from Bill Thornton

The Panama Canal is a marvel of the modern world. Began by the French...who went broke. The U.S. continued the building...using workers from all over the world under tremendously difficult conditions. Persistence and money finished the job. Turned over to the Panamanian Government in 1997...the canal and museum is now ran with great pride of ownership. The largest fee for the use of the canal was over $350,000 based on tonnage. The smallest fee was minimal....a swimmer and his dingy swam from the Atlantic to the Pacific. A very large scale addition to the canal is being built...for the super tankers.