Walking In My Grandfather's Footsteps - The Panama Canal

In December 2022 I took a Lindblad/National Geographic trip to Panama and Costa Rica.  It was a fabulous trip for so many reasons.  Most importantly because my maternal grandfather helped build the Panama Canal.  He was there with Isthmian Canal Commision from the spring of 1912 to the summer of 1914, with a trip back to Ohio during that time.  

My grandfather passed away when I was 10 and I did not ask enough questions of him or of my mother before she passed away.  There were a lot of pictures and luckily my mother wrote down what the pictures were.  I was able to put those in a photo book, which I took with me to Panama.  It was heartwarming that others on the trip really enjoyed seeing the photos.

Most of his photos of the locks were of the Gatun Locks, which we traveled through.  I also saw some buildings in Panama that he had photographed along with the Gamboa Penitentiary.  

My grandfather - E.E. Nussbaum  (Valerie has the trunk his foot is on)

   

                        Government building in Panama by Cathedral -  then and now

                                                  Golden Altar - then and now

                                Gatun Locks being built and now going through the same lock

  

Sightseeing boat on Lake Gatun then and now 

Gamboa Penitentiary then

Gamboa Penitentiary now

There were so many other great parts of the trip. Of course I loved the wildlife!  Howler monkeys, 3 Toed Sloth, fish and turtle while snorkeling, Red Headed Manakin, Male Frigatebird, Laughing Falcon, 2 Toed Sloth, Toucan, lizard, Spotted Dophin.