EPISODE 019: Carole’s Journey Crossing The Panama Canal

It started as a dream by French diplomat and businessman Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1880 and finally ended with an American effort that completed the Canal in 1914. More than 25,000 lives were lost building the Panama Canal, many of them Caribbean laborers and others from around the world who died from malaria, yellow fever, snakebites, and other health and occupational accidents incurred in this wild adventure. Prior to the completion of the first Canal, ships and ocean liners would have to go around Cape Horn in South America to get from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean(or vice versa). Building the Panama Canal significantly cut the time and cost of delivering products, freight, and people around the world.I had the good fortune of crossing from the Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Ocean side of the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean on January 10, 2024, during my South American cruise. It was a thrilling adventure and one I plan on repeating sometime in the future.This crossing only awakened my curiosity to learn more about the region, the history, the culture, the explorations, and the opportunities for the people of Central and South America. That's the value of travel. You want to learn more, do more, and give more as you share your experiences with others.Enjoy this podcast and share it with your friends, family, and colleagues who either know about this historic engineering feat or have only read about it in history books!===============PANAMA CANAL DOUMENTARY FEATURING DAVID McCOLLOUGHhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzJRUAeF5o0