Visiting the Panama Canal | One of the world's greatest shortcuts
The Panama Canal, often referred to as the world's greatest shortcut, is an engineering feat that connects two mighty oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. Built in the beginning of the 20th century, the Panama Canal cuts through the narrowest part of Central America through thick rainforests and rivers in Panama. The history and construction of this man-made marvel holds its own share of hurdles and ingenuity, which makes its existence all the more fascinating! The French and the first attempt at building the Panama Canal The French were the first to come at the idea of building a canal to connect the two oceans, and thereby cut down travel time by about 3 weeks. Without a canal, voyages with ships required them to travel all around South America which was long, expensive and dangerous. On the other hand, the ocean floor was piling up with shipwrecks from not-so-successful voyages. Commissioned by the French government, Frenchmen Ferdinand de Lesseps set out to explore the...
