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Published: October 4th 2010
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Swim Buzzards Bay
Supporting a great conservation cause Its an early start from Acushnet. We're off to the Swim Buzzards Bay with Bob and Emma and its a beautiful day. This is an annual event run by volunteers, with the entry money going to an organisation for conservation of the environment in Buzzards Bay. There are heaps of entrants swimming across the bay, some in the competitive category, but plenty doing the swim for fun with lots of volunteers out in kayaks and boats supporting and encouraging. Bob is the MC at the finish line, so its a good opportunity for us to spend time in the sun on the beach while he does his thing. Lots of spectators gather to support the participants and there's even a chef there donating scrummy food free to competitors and to spectators for a donation to the cause. Its a great event and well organised and its fantastic to see so many people supporting and very enthusiastic about protecting and enhancing their bay.
We help pack up and head to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Bob's workplace. Today is a special day at the museum as its the birthday of Herman Melville who wrote Moby Dick, so there are all sorts
New Bedford Whaling Museum
North Atlantic Right Whale and foetus skeletons of festivities organised including sea shanty singing, whale hat making and puzzles for kids. Suspended from the ceiling in the museum foyer are huge skeletons from whales that met accidental deaths near this area (like being hit by ships), including one pregnant whale with a foetus. Also on display are old paintings and photos from the whaling days, boats and whaling equipment. And there's all sorts of whale products they used to make from whale bone and blubber and baleen and teeth, from corsets to bird cages to brushes and oils. There's even a replica bow of a whaling boat that you can walk around, with beds below and equipment on deck.
Whaling was the early basis for a lot of the wealth in this area, so its a huge part of the history here. But along with the history of whaling, the museum also has heaps of informative displays about whale biology and behaviour, and scientific research. Its all about conservation through education - that whales are amazing, intelligent and beautiful creatures and there are so many less of them around now. Killing them just seems barbaric.
An historic tall ship is in the port at the
moment and open to the public. The 177 foot Gazela was built in Portugal in the 1880s, sailing the Atlantic as part of the Portuguese cod fishing fleet to fish the waters near here. She is believed to be the oldest wooden square-rigger still sailing in American waters and as we explore the ship we imagine sailing her with the multinational crew sometime in the future... watch this space.
On the way home we stop at the Portuguese Festival of the Blessed Sacrement, a large area full of multiple music stages, stalls, amusement rides, and kitchens selling all sorts of Portuguese favourites. One of the highlights and a great idea for home is the barbecue pit, a huge bed of glowing charcoal over which are suspended kebab skewers almost 2 metres long. Wow. You get to buy bags of meat, combine it with vegetables of your choice and load and cook your own enormous kebabs. Definately a meat lovers paradise here. And truckloads of beer. There's some sort of record about more beer being drunk at this festival than maybe Oktober Fest, but we can't quite remember. Hmmmm.
Back to Bob's place where Kris has prepared a delicious
Feast of the Blessed Sacrament
Cook your own Carne de Espeto barbecue pit BBQ dinner which we eat on the deck. Its been really refreshing to spend time with these guys at their home, surrounded by nature, with squirrels, butterflies, chicadees, hawks, bats, and (Tessa's all-time favourite) hummingbirds hovering at the butterfly bush.
Next day before we get catch our bus back to New York we're treated to a yummy local creamery icecream while we watch some baseball, then its a picnic in the park with swan boats paddling on the lake. And as Emma know heaps about Egypt she writes a list of places for us to visit there later in our trip - fantastic!
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