Accident Among Alligators

On Friday we decided to do a bit of nature watching. I started by admiring the Chef's curls during breakfast and enjoying the sunrise.

Dear Santa, please make him have nice curls in Jersey. Thank you.

Lots of this for days put me in a great mood.

Our hotel, the Edgewater.

We like bunnies, deer and adorable baby pigs. However, none of those are native to southern Florida. The only real beast that thrives there is the alligator and his cousin, the crocodile.

Cute

Early in the morning we took a bus to the Everglades National Park. I enjoyed the long drive there through Miami city and out to the big highway that is bright and clean. They are nothing like New Jerseys snow tortured highways that crack from the cold and split open making huge holes in the winter.

There we were ceremoniously introduced to our tour guide who instructed us on alligators. He told us they are fresh water creatures, eat meat and fish and generally don't attack humans. Nice. Their cousins the crocodiles, are salt water beasts and do go chasing humans for dinner. Not so nice. We boarded an air-boat which is basically a flat aluminum boat that can go very fast in shallow water.

The air-boat

It has no brakes. It cannot go in reverse. The only thing it can do is accelerate and steer. Our group got it. About 15 tourists from every corner of the globe boarded the air-boat and the guide got on the back of the boat to steer it while he drove. I think I was the only American who understood southern Floridian twang (the dialect our tour guide spoke.) We moseyed on out of the main waterway and got onto the back water canals of the Everglades. One alligator popped his head out and eyed us with suspicion.

The guide turned on the speed to get the boat to the main area for alligators and the boat started flying forward. A minute into the flight the boat lost all steering. We headed for the middle of some tall marsh trees. The guide bellowed, "Hold on, hold on, hold on ya'll!" But it sounded just like "Howled own! Howled own! Howled own, ya'll!!!" and I knew the Russians on the boat understood nothing till we crashed and the air-boat tipped on their side, then they got it.

Crashed into the ravine. I'm so glad my husband took the dangerous seat on the edge. Way to go, Prince Charming!

The guide called for help. In the meantime we all sat very still hoping the boat wouldn't tip over into the alligator inhabited water.

We might make it to youtube

waiting for help

I was glad I wore jeans and that my chubby legs wouldn't look like savory bbq chicken if we indeed went into the swamp. Luckily, another airboat showed up after a few minutes and we each carefully tiptoed onto it, avoiding to rattle the crashed airboat.

Climbing into the safe new boat

I wonder if alligators can digest life jackets?

Our old boat, stuck in the alligator infested marsh.

The rest of the ride on the new boat was thankfully uneventful. We saw a few alligators and I was happy once we docked and were on firm ground.

Can  you spot the gator?

I'm learning that I prefer to see animals with both feet on the ground. This goes for horses and now alligators.

We saw an alligator show where a man wrestled a bored and sleepy looking gator, then walked around the gator park taking pictures till our bus came back and we went home to South Beach.

Getting ready to wrestle the gator.

Down gator! I wonder how many times a day this poor alligator has this done to him? It seems unfair.

a 7 year-old gator

Such cute hands!

Nap time

A boy I know disturbing the sleeping alligators with a stick. Boys will be boys...

Exactly how I felt when we crashed

You are in the south and don't forget it. 

I have to say I loved being in God's gator country and hearing everyone speak some form of Southern American and blasting good old fashioned country music. It was like medicine to my Yankee beaten soul.

I was exhausted from the day so went to get a sandwich to enjoy after nearly having been eaten by gators. I went back to La Sanwicherie and got an amazing sandwich called "the tropical". It had mozzarella cheese, avocado, tomato, papaya, pineapple, orange and mango slices. It was heaven. I could barely fit the sandwich in my mouth but I finally got the hang of it and ate it like an alligator would have eaten me.

I love their countertop

Yum in a bun

We ended the day with a stroll on the beach. Then got some beers and pizza and had a little happy hour in our hotel condo. All in all it was an exciting day.