Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida                                                                              March 23, 2022

We’re back in Miami.  We were last here on December 21, 2021.  That was a long time ago, and we were not expecting to be back any time soon, yet here we are on the Magical Mystery Tour where you never quite know what is coming next.  We decided to do airboats in the Everglades which we had never done before.  We hopped on the tour bus and almost immediately were informed that we have been mispronouncing Miami all of our lives.  Not “My am Me”  as I expect all of you have also been doing with your Midwest non-accent, but  “Me am Me” which I guess if you look at how it is spelled might make some sense.  The guide was pretty adamant as the term is from area Indians' name for the nearby river.  It is not connected to the Indians with that tribal name who lived in the Ohio river valley. 

We spent forty-five minutes on the bus getting to the slowest moving river in the US, and maybe the world according to our boat guide, approximately ½ a mile a day.  These “facts” have not been independently verified by your tour hosts.  Our group of 29 all fit on one boat.  What happened to all the two seaters we always see on tv?  Ear plugs were distributed.  This was a good idea since what you have is an airplane engine and a huge propeller with no sound shielding whatsoever.

Our driver took us out the narrow “driveway” explaining how humans had screwed up the Everglades and how it was slowly returning to health which means rising water levels in the park.  They had rebuilt and raised the docks we used to board the boat.  The guide expects water to eventually overtake their grounds and main building requiring them to relocate their business.  He also explained how this affects the gators in the area by eliminating places for them to sun and to site their nests.  He showed off a bit as we “took off” into the main swamp area.  These boats go fast and take wide drifting turns over the water and weeds and grasses.  They are also loud, even in the front of the boat away from the engine.  

He zipped us around the swamp then took us to his special spot where he “called” “his” alligator.   The alligator is one who he has formed a “relationship” with by feeding fish in the spot.  The alligator came and gave us a lovely photo shoot as we learned that python snakes in the area along with the rising water have created massive problems for the gators.  The nesting sites for the gators are limited and the snakes reproduce much faster and hunt the gators, even the adults.  Back at the tourist center we got a ranger talk with live gators on display.  They really know their gators here.  

Back on the bus and back to MeaMe.  We had loaded up much of our souvenir stash into extra backpacks so we sought out FedEx and mailed it to our do-everything niece Nicole.  What would we do without her?  We then went to a Tesla dealership and ordered a Tesla for delivery when we get back in July.  Yeah. 

Back to the boat and off to, wait, what, we’re not going to Bermuda?  We just spent an hour and $40 each for entry visas.  Weather?  We’re going to, what is a Great Stirrup Cay?  Oh well, you’ll have to tune in later to find out, just like us.