Transcription

we found ourselves in beautiful Gatun Lake.

The lake was so beautiful -- just filled

with small islands, each covered with

rich green tropical plants as nature had

grown it. The ship zig-zagged in

among these islands all morning

until about 10 A.M. when we approached

Culebra cut. The trip across the lake was

all too quickly done to suit me. They

say it is filled with alligators.

Culebra Cut was so much smaller

than I thought it would be but very

long at that. There was only one high

hill in the cut and we went very close

to it -- one had to look straight up

to see its top. All thru the cut we

passed dozens of pretty little waterfalls

that trickled over the canal banks into the

canal.

Then we passed into and thru Miraflores

locks -- 2 of them -- and then into Miraflores

lack, thru the Pedro Miguel locks and into

the Pacific end of the Canal. At about

11:30 we tied up to the Fueling dock at

Balboa for fuel oil and fresh water. It

was terribly hot at this dock. Right after

lunch we were presently surprised to have

Dr and Mrs Knight call at the ship for

us as I had phoned them from the other

side and having the wrong Knight was

told they had gone to the States. Changed

my dress and they started with us in their

old Ford. We drove out to Old Panama, a

beauitful drive about 9 miles, the country being

so beautiful to me. The palms, banana trees,

ferns, etc were so pretty. The ruins of Old

Panama were right on the Pacific with the

surf rolling in and roaring continuously. Vines

and trees grew all over the old ruins -- was too

pretty a spot to be deserted, it seemed. The ruins

dated back to 1638 -- the walls were

at least 6 feet thick and in the old

Cathedral tower large trees actually grew out of

it. On the way back to Panama we stopped in

at the Country Club to have a look at the

picturesque club house with its palm leaf roof

and thatched windows. The we drove around

town, saw the Presidente's Palace, a glimpse

inside showed a lovely patio, fountain, with