When John F. Stevens took over as chief engineer in 1905, he zeroed in on the two problems that had defied the French and ended their venture in bankruptcy—how to excavate through the mountainous terrain of Culebra Pass and how to dam the raging Chagres River. Heavy rains that shortened the work schedule and ever-present mud slides had turned the French method into a two-steps-forward-one-step-back proposition. Helped by advances in technology, the Americans were able to stay ahead of nature and devise an integrated solution to both problems.

Travelers who decide to learn about the country’s modern history before the start of their Chile tours will encounter Pablo Neruda and his poetry. Neruda knew poverty from an early age, born into a Chilean economy in ruins and a rigid caste system that allowed no upward mobility. Raised in the La Araucania region of southern Chile surrounded by disenfranchised indigenous peoples, the seeds for Neruda’s political philosophies were sown. He remained a lifelong crusader for social justice and a better life for his people.

Better worker housing was built, though workers were segregated by race and black employees given inferior housing to white workers. Sewer systems were installed. Especially-equipped refrigerated rail cars were imported that allowed food to last longer, and low cost meals were made available to the workers. Clubs were established for relaxing after the long work-day.

It goes without saying that a great way to get acquainted with a destination is through the country’s literature. Those who are planning to travel to Chile will have plenty of options. Fans of modern literature probably know the works of Isabel Allende, a prolific novelist and cousin of the late Chilean president, Salvador Allende. Born in 1942, Allende has written several best-selling semi-autobiographical novels, including her first, The House of the Spirits (La Casa de Los Espiritus 1982) that tells a story of post-colonial Chile.

For decades, the United States had been biding its time, positioning itself for the job. The U.S. wasn't alone. To prevent each other from snatching the opportunity first, the U.S. and Great Britain signed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty in 1850, agreeing that neither would act unilaterally to build a canal across Central America. By the time the U.S. signed its next canal agreement with Britain, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, in 1901, the French attempt to build the Panama Canal had failed. The new agreement allowed the U.S.