Afterwards, we boarded the van again and headed to the Miraflora Locks of the Panama Canal, for our afternoon tour.
On our way through Panama City to get to the locks, we passed the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) building and the monument that stands in front, honoring Goethals, a prominent person in the building of the canal. I took pictures through the bus window as we paused in front of the building briefly.
ACP Building and Goethals Monument in front; note Panama flag at top of building 6846
Cool looking tree on ACP grounds; couldn’t resist taking a picture of it 6847 
Once at the tourist center at Miraflores Locks, we went to the top level, where the viewing platform was and looked down at the locks. A ship was just coming through the locks and it was interesting to see the process again but from the shore. It gave a different perspective. One of the first things I took a picture of, however, was the old-timey “mule” (tug locomotive) enshrined on the grounds below. It is for my youngest (almost 3-years-old) grandson, who loves “choo choos.” That important task accomplished, I turned my attention to the canal locks.
Old timey “mule,” tug locomotive (on display, near center by smallest green tree) once used to pull ships through the canal 6855 
Other tourists watching a very large ship pass by (note that it’s stack is much higher than the people who are watching from the fourth floor of the building! 6858 
Another ship approaches the locks from the direction of the Juan Miguel Locks 6872
Lock gates closing. I didn’t realize until then that there are double gates, especially visible in the first photo 6862, 6863 
A Panamax ship entering the lock 6864
Mules pulling the ship into the lock 6866
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Gates closed behind the Panamax ship 6867
View of both lanes of lock; note that one is full and the other low 6868
Miraflora Locks Control Tower, which I couldn’t photograph when TSS went through because my camera batteries were dead. Better late than never!
Miraflora Locks Control Tower 6869
After all that excitement, our tour guide, who hadn’t been doing much because all the commentary was coming over the loudspeaker system, told us that we could go through the museum on our own and set us loose to tear through the three floors of exhibits and also get to the gift ship before we had to leave, giving us an hour less on the tour that we should have had. The museum had very dim lighting so many of the pictures I tried to take didn’t turn out. Some that did, more or less, are here. One that was “less” I’ve included anyway because the exhibit concept was so fabulous. It represented trees (poles) on top of which were birds and other critters on diamond-shaped something (paper? Vinyl? ??). It was like being in the rainforest. I couldn’t get the camera to be still long enough to photograph it without blurring but I hope the idea will come through.
The absolutely fabulous exhibit 6880
One thing I really, really wanted to see in Panama was a sloth. Fearing I’d never get the chance, I took this picture of a picture of one from the museum exhibit. As it turned out, it was a wise idea. This is my sloth!
My Panamanian sloth 6881
In another area of the museum were models of types of watercraft that have plied the canal over time and also replica models of “mules” and of trains that were used in the excavation and building of the canal. In other areas were a relief map of Panama, a hands-on area that included a simulator of the “bridge” of a ship traversing the canal where one could virtually guide the ship through the canal. I didn’t have time to spend doing it but there’s a photo of me at the bridge, giving orders to the crew or talking to the control tower over the phone.
Cute boat; a tug, I think 6882
Buveh on the Bridge 6885
Relief map of Panama 6886
After rushing through the rest of the museum, I dashed down to ground level and into the gift shop. I ended up choosing a few things and was at the checkout when another Tour groupie came up to me and said, “The tour guide wants us back on the bus now.” Well, I was just starting the purchase transaction and had to see it through, so I just did it. When I finished and walked out, the tour guide was standing there, waiting impatiently and herded me out then started down the long flight of stairs to the parking area. I started down, more slowly and then spotted a “choo choo” on the grounds. So I stopped to photograph it for you-know-which little grandson!
The other old timey Mule (choo choo) 6887
When I finally got to the bus, the tour guide seemed fit to be tied, but it was right on the deadline he had given us so I didn’t know what the rush was all about. On the way back to the ship in the van, I saw The Panama Canal Train passing by. I wanted a picture of it so I whipped out the camera as fast as I could and snapped it. This is what I got.
At least it shows the distinctive colored stripes on it (the green is grass on the ground) 6889
A few minutes later, when we were stopped at a red light, I saw another one coming and got this picture.
It’s not a whole lot better, but its shape is more distinctive 6891
Finally, as we were crossing the Bridge of the Americas, I spotted TSS at anchor in the harbor and got this, possibly my best yet, photo of it.
TSS, here we come, just in time for dinner! 6892
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