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Published: February 10th 2014
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The directions are not very elaborate. “Follow Highway 90 west. You’ll see a Shell station on your left. We’ll meet you there”. The annoyingly ancient basic GPS system in our rental car looks more like colorful digital spaghetti than a map on which you would actually find your location, but with its (and an old-school map. and a bit of common sense) help we find the Tamiami trail and head towards our meeting point. It’s hard to believe that on both sides of this highway there are (nearly) endless swamps. The highway cuts through the Glades straight as an arrow to the other side of the peninsula, without giving away much of the spectacular nature and scenery only meters away.
Captain Bill looks the part of a swamp man. Authoritative, casual, seasoned, tanned. It’s obvious that we’re now far from the bustling and happening Miami Beach, and have entered the Everglades. Art Deco and Little Havana left behind, swapped for nature and swamplands. We follow the Captain in our car to the airboats.
We’ve booked a semi-private airboat tour in hopes of getting more out of the experience. Figured the extra $20 could be worth
avoiding ending up on a large boat. Having 30 tourists leaning over you to take a picture of an animal or a plant is a zoo, not a wildlife encounter. Not my idea of getting close to nature. We’re put in the same boat as a French trio. Captain Willy is our skipper for the day. He asks where we are from. I say Germany, which is not entirely true, but explaining the current situation of residence versus country of origin would take valuable seconds away from the tour. Willy couldn’t care less either way. So off we go.
The airboat is floating on top of the water (as do most boats, but airboats more so than others) powered by a huge propeller (or fan?) at the back. The vessel is not big, but fast, loud, and highly maneuverable. We’re gliding on top of the water rather than plowing through it. Bending the reed rather than cutting it. Within seconds of taking off I’ve decided that I like it. I want one.
The tour is cleverly staged. Save the best for last. Build it up. Turn it into a show. Don’t give away the good stuff first, make them want more until the very end. Hardly a coincidence, but works for me.
First out; a flower. Water lily? Probably not. Captain Willy mentions the name. My flora is limited to distinguishing between tulips and roses, and I would probably nail a cactus on trivia night. This particular water living flower resembles none of the aforementioned. Pretty enough though. I take the obligatory photo. The name is gone within seconds of heading for the next sight.
The next sight is a special treat, a hidden gem, compliments of Captain Willy. A little island in the water, hidden by the reed. At first it seems like any other little plot of land sticking out of the water. But Willy tells us to bear with him. He calls out. Soon a colorful little fella peeks out of the reeds. A bird of some description, blue/green with yellow legs. Probably specific to these swamps. At first he’s a bit cautious, but soon realizes that it’s his buddy who has come, and jumps on to the boat. The fact that Willy brought some treats probably helps to overcome his shyness. The skipper has brought a bag of Cheetos. The bird – again the name eludes me – happily accepts a few Cheetos. The Captain has spotted a few other birds, these ones brown. Tells us to get out cameras out. He throws a Cheeto into the air. One of the brown birds catches it in the air. Nice trick. Well done. Willy proudly claims “It’s not easy to be cheesy”. Seriously? A joke about being cheesy, that is beyond cheesy. Some kind of reversed irony or something. But it’s part of the package. It’s about cracking making the passengers smile and get that extra dollar of gratitude. We laugh politely.
“Are you ready to go see some gators?” Willy asks. “Yeah” we respond in unison. More as part of our role as tourists on this tour than out of sheer excitement. But of course we still want to go see the alligators. Birds and flowers we’ve got back home. What we haven’t got are man-eating beasts. Our captain takes us to the spot where he knows he can offer us alligators. It doesn’t take long before the first one is spotted. Our boat is quietly floating, engine off. The alligator is quietly approaching us. A couple of meters long, identified as a female by our guide. With a cautious curiosity it’s lurking past the boat.
A few minutes later we spot another one. A larger male this time. Swimming right up to the boat. He’s in no hurry, and why would he be? These reptiles have rules these waters for thousands of years, and – compliments of the status as a national park – will continue to do so for many years to come. I’ve seen alligators in the wild before, but either from dry land or a large swamp boat. We’re now in his element. If you’re attacked by a gator deep in the Glades, no one will hear you scream. Ok, that dramatic it’s not. We’re in the US, safety comes first. We’re not allowed to feed or touch any of the animals. Still, it’s at least a little bit thrilling to be a couple of meters away from a creature who wouldn’t think twice about dragging you away, drowning you, and eating you. He certainly wouldn’t feel bad about it.
Time’s up. On the way back we stop at a little island where the most interesting sight is a group of unidentifiable insects hanging from a tree branch. Willy tells us that people actually live out here, on islands like this. Very different from the glamorous Miami Beach only an hour away.
Back at the dock Captain Willy gets his well-deserved fiver. It’s commercial, it’s a bit cheesy, but it’s also evident that it’s something he loves to do; welcome outsiders to his world. The Everglades surely has a lot of nature’s best to offer. And on board an airboat is the way to experience it.
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