Ruth C. Stuhl and George M. Chevalier were born and raised in the Canal Zone where their father was employed by the Municipal Engineering Division. From early childhood they have been actively interested in all aspects of Isthmian History and have spent a life time exploring historical sites and searching for relics of the past. These stories were collected over many years from material written mostly during the nineteenth century and reflect the frank views and experiences of those travellers in crossing the Isthmus of Panama.
To better understand these travels my sister Ruth and I sought to duplicate these journeys where ever possible as time permitted in our lives. In some areas these ventures were more difficult than when done in years gone by. But always there was an eerie feeling that we were not alone as we labored along those now silent trails. In June 1975, Ruth died of a massive heart attack while trying to cross over the Camino Real, in the upper mountain area, to Porto Bello.
What we experienced in our hikes gave us a deep appreciation for what those early travellers accomplished and I hope these stories bring others a feel for those adventurous days as you too cross the Isthmus of Panama.
