Leaving Latin America

The Cessna Caravan on amphibious floats – one thing that is for sure is the attention this aircraft receives as we travel – it is a beaut! Typically when we are ferrying the MAF logo is also on the plane. When that happens – all over the world people not only notice the aircraft – many are aware of the work of MAF. It is remarkable how many times connections are made with people who are associated with MAF

A picture of the Panama Canal as we were flying in.

As many already know – Panama is well known for their hats – and the Panama Canal. As a family we flew to Panama on our way to Columbia in 2009, and we visited the Canal

A boat coming through the canal in 2009. It is remarkable how close to the edges the boat is.

The Panama Canal is an artificial 82 kilometre waterway that cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama and connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It is a very significant conduit for maritime trade between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The canal greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the oceans and allows them to avoid the lengthy hazardous route around the southernmost tip of South America. Because of how it has affected transportation this canal has had a massive impact and influence on global trade.

I read that its construction was one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken

From a distance you can see the lineup of ships waiting to go through. I read ships wait an average of 20 days to get through.

Panama’s historical area is called Casio Viejo. This area began renovations in the early 1990’s and has become a cultural, social and tourist epicentre in Panama. When we were here in 2009 we were told that it was unadvisable to go to this centre because it was unsafe.