Tony James' photos
31 Floating Through The Rain-forest by Aerial Tram
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As the gondola slowly and silently progresses along, you will hear birds calling all about you and get occasional glimpses of animals in the trees.
30 Our Aerial Tram Guide
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The Aerial Tram ride is a slow progress up through the hillside forest, and each "gondola" had a local guide with anyone travelling to point out various interesting things on the way.
29 All Aboard the truck for the Aerial Tram Trip
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This time we are off to the Aerial Tram which takes visitors up to the observing tower at the top of the hill behind the hotel. Hard bench seats made the ride pretty uncomfortable, but hey, we are on safari!!
28 The Hotel Safari Truck
26 Vehicle Carrier MORNING GLORY Passing By
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Judging by the height above water level, this ship is travelling empty, going back for a new load.
25 Container Train Crossing Rio Chagres
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North-bound container train taking the ship containers to Colon, on the Caribbean end of the Canal.
24 Road, Rail, and Canal Traffic
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As the shipping is moving from salt water to fresh water, ships get lower in the water as their bouyancy reduces, so container ships need to shed part of their sea-going load when navigating the Canal. There is a rail link alongside the Canal which ferries the removed containers to the exit end for re-loading once safely back in the salt water estuary at the end.
21 Watching The Canal Traffic
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A bit of a slow occupation, but it was fascinating to see these sea-going vessels creep past so close to us. This vantage point close to a small lighthouse for night-time transits provided a good view up and down the Canal.
20 Rio Chagres Main Bridge
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The only road into Gamboa town, the road part seemed to be an add-on to the rail bridge. The road section was made up from railway sleepers, and not all were fixed down so could be displaced. It always felt a challenge to cross this bridge and we felt relieved to get to the other side.
19 Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus)
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This little creek off the Rio Chagres was quite popular with these local birds, and you could often see them bathing in the shallow areas.
18 Up-River View
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This huge water catchment system transfers water into the Canal from the interior highlands.
17 Chagres River Edge
16 Gamboa Resort River Drive To Canal
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Our hotel is quite isolated "at the end of the road", but it is a fairly easy walk down to the side of the Canal.
15 Metal Artwork In Foyer
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With an interior height of ~10-15 metres, birds flying around looked quite natural, although these were amazing large metal artwork.
14 Gamboa Resort Foyer
13 Gamboa Resort Foyer
12 Gamboa Resort Foyer
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Finally at the foyer, it is a breath-taking size, with huge picture windows along the front overlooking the river. That area had be constructed into indoor three tier gardens, with pools and waterfalls. This picture is the upper area and made up of 4 stitched-together pictures to give a wide angle view.
11 Gamboa Resort Old Canal Accommodation
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Not quite there yet! Through the access gate, we passed through a. Row of buildings which were accommodation for the Canal construction managers. These are now turned into flats for family visitors and included with the main hotel.
