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topfygad · 4 years

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Street excursion by way of the Florida Keys

Simply after a unbelievable 48 a number of hours in Miami, I used to be lucky sufficient to tick off a single of my best bucket guidelines targets of all time. I took a 7 days-very lengthy road journey via the Florida Keys.

Forward of we deliberate our highway journey by way of the Florida Keys, I’d spoken to so lots of people who had frequented this chain of tropical islands. They’d all commented on its fantastic surroundings, wonderful outside routines, Caribbean-like vibe and beautiful sunsets. And what can also make this one explicit of America’s best freeway outings is the breath-having Overseas Freeway and the enduring Seven Mile Bridge which perches on stilts over the turquoise waters.

Overseas Freeway

The Overseas Freeway is only one of America’s best feats of engineering and is sort of actually the picture that you just think about of when any person mentions this island chain.

Our eco boat journey within the Florida Keys

As a person who skilled loads of queries concerning the Florida Keys proper earlier than my journey, I thought-about I’d share a mini guidebook with you on the placement. From what to depend on if you search the companies of a auto in Florida to data about each part of the Keys, optimistically , it should act as a mini-guideline when you ever system your particular person highway trip via the Florida Keys.

Taking a road journey via the Florida Keys: A mini-manual

The Florida Keys: On a regular basis residing simply after the hurricane

The most important motive I used to be utilizing a road journey by way of the Florida Keys was part of a do the job journey, to provide concerning the restoration of the area subsequent Hurricane Irma (you’ll be able to learn the report right here).

When the tropical storm hit the Caribbean and southern components of the USA in September 2017, it devastated a number of areas of the world. I keep in mind seeing it on the information and asking your self how are you going to maybe get better from this sort of a horrific operate?

As we attained the beginning of the Keys from Miami, the impact of the hurricane wasn’t instantly obvious. As we drove extra south whereas, we began to acknowledge vacation homes and caravan parks skilled been devastated, palm timber ended up down and a few of the vegetation was terribly broken.

It was so unlucky to see, however I’ve to say, the speed at which they’ve recovered and turned issues round has been extraordinary. Inside eight months of the storm, almost three quarters of the lodging within the Florida Keys had reopened and you’re going to discover that solely a bit of proportion of the sights have nevertheless to re-open their doorways.

There are somewhat a a number of new motels additionally set to begin this calendar 12 months, just like the area’s fairly first all-inclusive trip resort, Bungalows Essential Largo. The area has actually bounced again once more and folks right now haven’t been set off coming proper right here.

The Essential Largo Bay Marriott Seaside Resort

Whereas it was straightforward to overlook that the hurricane at any time transpired, it did come up in dialogue now and another time with individuals we achieved. Some spoke concerning the households (and of sophistication, life) that had been dropped although others talked about the affect it skilled had on the wildlife.

However, a single factor that struck me was how resilient this space is. Particularly once we seen the hashtag #Islamoradastrong displayed all through constructions and once we frequented the Hurricane monument in Islamorada, a tribute to the 408 women and men who died within the hurricane of 1935.

The straightforward indisputable fact that hurricanes have created an look within the area’s file quite a few cases doesn’t make it any rather a lot much less devastating when a unique storm hits. However as we seen the constructing of latest stilted housing developments and the revamp of marinas, we realised how correctly this location copes within the wake of such disasters.

The place by are the Florida Keys and the way had been being the Florida Keys shaped? A bit of little bit of historical past

You’ll discover the Florida Keys on the southernmost portion of Florida in America. They’re a sequence of islands that construct a light arch into the ocean off the Florida peninsula, beneath the Everglades Nationwide Park. On one side you’ve gotten the Gulf of Mexico (the ‘Bayside’ of the Keys) and on the opposite, you’ve gotten the Atlantic Ocean (the ‘Oceanside’).

The second the Keys have been nothing in any respect extra than a swamp land inhabited by crocodiles however the Caloosa and Tequesta Native People lastly inhabited the placement proper till Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrived into the house within the 16thCentury.

The realm didn’t significantly develop into liveable until industrialist Henry Flagler constructed the famed East Shoreline railroad in Florida and resolved to delay it to the Keys. The situation hit difficulties simply after the 1935 hurricane however they managed to rebuild the infrastructure within the 1940s and ignite the tourism you see at present. With a great deal of heritage, wildlife, idyllic landscapes and fantastic meals, it’s easy to see why so quite a few people come on vacation getaway proper right here.

Easy methods to get to the Florida Keys

The perfect option to get to the Florida Keys and the best manner to try the Florida Keys is to get a freeway tour from Miami. We picked up a make use of automobile within the heart of town after which it was round 50 miles from right here to the beginning out of the island chain.

The second you get to Crucial Largo, you’re formally at Mile 100. These mile markers then function all the way in which all the way down to the southernmost isle of Essential West, acknowledged as ‘Mile Zero’. We uncovered the guests and highways in Miami a bit of bit loopy (there are so quite a lot of numerous lanes!) however it’s very easy if you hit the Keys as it’s only a particular person straight highway and the driving will get a lot extra chilled out – which signifies you’ll be able to loosen up a bit extra and benefit from the landscapes.

Driving in Florida

A pair points to take a look at previous to you use the service of your automobile to get to the Florida Keys are the actual fact your motorized vehicle is feasible to be computerized (so have a observe within the automotive or truck park previous to you go away), you can be driving on the appropriate-hand side of the freeway and you’ll require to shell out a toll for using the Florida Turnpike freeway.

If you’re utilizing the companies of a automobile, take a look at no matter whether or not the toll is included in your automotive use invoice. Or else, you could possibly have to make use of a SunPass transponder. And if you’re a US resident and you’re driving a private automobile, you is perhaps billed simply after your journey. The best level to do is confirm Florida’s Turnpike web-site for the newest particulars.

As quickly as you’re within the desired vacation spot, be ready to pay out for valet parking at your lodge. We discovered this was near $20 for each night and also you’ll be anticipated to tip the valet when you choose up the automotive. Only one factor to reveal in mind.

What are the varied places of the Florida Keys like?

We spent two nights in Crucial Largo and three nights in Important West, so we actually didn’t get to find the total of the Keys however we undoubtedly loved a few of the key highlights. Right here’s what to anticipate within the Higher, Heart and Decrease Keys.

The Increased Keys

The Increased Keys are terrific for diving, fishing and maritime life. Instantly in spite of everything, Key Largo (essentially the most vital of the Florida Keys) is precisely the place friends go to take a look at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef Level out Parkand Florida Keys Nationwide Marine Sanctuary, and the house is dubbed the ‘diving capital of the world.’ Within the meantime, Islamorada is dubbed the ‘sportfishing funds of the world’ and hosts a wide range of fishing and seafood festivals by way of the yr. It’s additionally residence to Robbie’s– a ought to-visit for mangrove excursions and an opportunity to feed the tarpon.

The Heart Keys

The Heart Keys even now have somewhat a modern-day Floridian ‘vacation’ actually really feel, with aquariums and household sights and smart lodging and vacation homes which are successfully geared to travellers. However, very similar to the Higher Keys, there’s additionally a loaded fishing and maritime heritage and an excessive amount of alternatives for boat excursions and excursions.

The rather more you examine, the extra you’ll come throughout quite a lot of the laid-back Keys life fashion commencing to trickle in.

The Decrease Keys

The Diminished Keys is the portion of the Florida Keys you entry after getting cruised over the legendary Seven Mile Bridge, one explicit of essentially the most photographed bridges within the planet.

It’s by which character followers seem to see the Nationwide Essential Deer Refuge in Main Pine, the place you will get kayaking adventures in Blue Hole and the place you’ll be able to relaxation on the seaside on the picturesque Bahia Honda State Park.

The southernmost island of Important West

I’ve to say, side of the pleasure of road tripping the Florida Keys is simply profiting from the environment and stopping at many viewpoints alongside the way in which. We uncovered the Increased Keys felt considerably much more linked to mainland Florida, with drive-via eating institutions and espresso chains and large supermarkets flanking the Freeway. While the additional down the Keys we travelled, the rather more we felt a neighborhood, island actually really feel, with shrimp shacks, artist stalls and neutral retailers beginning to seem.

On the time you hit Key West (my favorite island), it’s an extra story all alongside each other. They joke that Key West is sort of a area all by itself after they tried to type an impartial nation in retaliation to the authorities within the 80s. It might need solely lasted 60 seconds, however Essential Westers proceed to thrill themselves on their ‘Conch Republic’ identification, hanging flags exterior their properties. It’s additionally an individual of the quirkiest spots I’ve frequented. If I ever obtained the chance to think about a road journey by means of the Florida Keys as soon as extra, it could be Important West that will entice me again!

Are there seashores within the Florida Keys?

You will discover some seaside places within the Florida Keys however due to to the coral reef, they’re primarily guy-manufactured. A number of the higher lodges have their very own sandy coves these sorts of as by which we stayed on the Essential Largo Bay Marriott Seaside Trip resort. My favourite was the seaside entrance at The Attain Resort the place we put in a number of evenings. It was a captivating place to reach once more to quickly after a day of testing Essential West.

Are the Florida Keys actually value visiting?

Unquestionably! We favored the environment, the sunshine and the overall working expertise of driving down this paradise island chain. My favourite areas ended up the wonderful seafood, the fantastic boat excursions and the quirky and vibrant island of Essential West. As I say, I’d go once more in a heartbeat and it’s so fantastic to see the Keys have recovered proper after the storm.

Proceed to maintain your eyes peeled for lots extra posts developing on elements to do in The Florida Keys although you’re there.

Have you ever been to the Florida Keys and in that case, what had been your favorite areas and gadgets to do right here? Really feel cost-free to go away your responses and views and comply with The Journey Journo on Instagram for all the newest visuals.

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A part of this journey was protected by The Florida Keys & Crucial West Vacationer Board

from Cheapr Travels http://cheaprtravels.com/street-excursion-by-way-of-the-florida-keys/ via IFTTT

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randrvstheworld · 6 years

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Welcome to the jungle (literal & metaphorical)

I am happy to report that I had the most wonderful birthday; encompassing three day trip to the Amazon wetlands with my pal George who I bumped into quite by chance in Uyuni. Despite being basically a stranger he went out of his way to ensure I had a super great day; buying me a massive slab of birthday cake for breakfast, getting everyone to sing me happy birthday (twice) & treating us to a bottle of wine to share with dinner.

Our trip began with a smooth hour long flight on the world’s tiniest plane to Rurrenabaque in the north of Bolivia - a small rural town tucked into the edge of the Amazon jungle. We touched down in a very basic airport & were transported via jeep along two hours of dusty roads before reaching the starting point on the Yacuma river, a small tributary of the Amazon that snakes its way through the wetlands. We journeyed by boat for an hour or so to our lodgings for the next three days - a little collection of huts on stilts literally in the river, surrounded by jungle & all its wildlife: crocodiles & caiman swam below, monkeys & tree snakes & toucans & macaws in the trees above. It was such a beautiful place; despite supposedly being the rainy season the sun beat down on us for three straight days & we spent large portions of time relaxing on the deck, looking out over the river & the trees in dappled sunlight, feeling like the luckiest people. On our way to the lodge our awesome guide, Juan Carlos, pointed out turtles & capuchin monkeys along the way; pulling the boat up close to a thicket of trees so we could get a better look at the monkeys who then proceeded to board our boat & climb all over us trying to steal our sunglasses & search for any snacks we might have. Monkeys are super soft & cute & friendly with obviously no fear of us whatsoever. Their hands & feet felt like little baby hands & feet. It was a surreal & wonderful experience.

The evening comprised watching a sunset at Juan Carlos’ house; a similar hut on stilts backing onto a beautiful big meadow, where capybaras lurked in the long grass. We went in search of alligators on the way back with flashlights. Their eyes glowed orange in the beams.

The next day we trooped through the marshes in welly boots in search of anacondas & found one, just shy of two metres long. It was quite spectacular to see up close. Thick & ropey & beautifully patterned. I couldn’t help but wonder at all the other anacondas, & indeed thousands of other creatures, hiding away in this vast expanse of wild land.

The afternoon was spent swimming with pink rover dolphins, which was such a wonderful experience I can hardly describe it. We climbed back into our boat - our only mode of transport as river rats - & made our way to essentially a natural swimming pool: a large expanse of river where it connects to some smaller streams in a big pool. This, we were told by the super informative Juan Carlos, who has lived in the wetlands all his life, was where the dolphins go for their recreation time, much as we might enjoy a Saturday afternoon at a swimming pool also. Dolphins are very playful & friendly creatures & swam right up next to us as we splashed around in the water. River dolphins look very different to sea dolphins: much longer snouts & much shorter find, enabling them to dig & rummage in the river grass for food, properly burrow in to find snacks. They are also pink, somehow due to what they eat. It was truly magical.

On our last day we went piranha fishing. I failed to catch anything & realised in the process that fishing, being as it is a sport that requires much patience for very little reward, is not for me. I spent my time sunbathing on the boat watching everyone else attempt to hook a piranha. Everyone except Juan Carlos failed, who caught five, although George did manage to snag himself a rather impressive dogfish - it was really quite endearing how happy & proud he was of his catch. The piranhas were too sneaky for me - they kept eating the bait but refused to be reeled in. We then transported the fish back to the lodge where they were fried & eaten - from river to plate in less than 30 minutes, the freshest fish I’ve ever eaten! We ate so, so well on this trip - heaps of delicious fresh fruit & vegetables, we basked in sunshine & truly got back to nature, it was an incredible experience & an unforgettable way to turn 31.

I’m now in La Paz, a jungle in its own way: huge, dirty, bustling, overwhelming. Cami & Catherine (who I met in Sucre) are here which is great; today we spent a winderful day trawling markets, visiting the wonderful museum of musical instruments & watching the Cholitas wrestling, which is similar to Mexican Lucha Libre except the wrestlers are predominantly old Bolivian women in traditional dress, which, it transpires, is really quite a spectacle. Cami & Cat sweetly treated me to a birthday dinner last night - they really are so, so lovely & between them & George I feel like I have a solid crew of thoughtful, supportive friends who despite my still somewhat fragile mindset are really making my last bit of time here wonderful. I’m not sure I’m a fan of La Paz; its so busy I’m finding it quite overwhelming & in any case the weather is far too shite to spend a week with no money, & so on Tuesday I’m travelling back to Santa Cruz, where its hot & sunny & I can happily laze away my last week in Bolivia in the sunshine. I am really quite happy doing nothing when the weather is nice; just sitting around drawing & tanning & relaxing & soaking up as much vitamin D as I can before returning to the cold grey streets of the UK. Happily George will be in Santa Cruz too so at least I’ll have a buddy there.

I really just can’t wait to come home. I’m so excited to be back with my family in just two weeks. Now I’ve done my amazon trip I really feel like I’ve achieved everything I wanted to in South America & am glad to be feeling like I’ve fulfilled goals as opposed to failed at travelling. I’ve ended my trip on a high; now I just need to chill & wait for my flight. I have heaps of sketchbooking I want to do so I think I’ll be quite happy doing that. The thought of seeing everyone so soon & getting back to familiarity is really making me feel very good even though I’ll not be doing much for the next 14 days. Hopefully it’ll come round super soon. I’m really looking forward to it.

#bolivia #amazon #jungle #la paz #travel diary

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charlesandmartine · 7 years

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An Epilogue

It sounds a cliché to say Australia is a diverse country/ continent but that is exactly what it is. It is diverse, very very big and absolutely fabulous. It encompasses tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, dry arid desert, lush farmlands rich in fertile soil, and maritime climates similar to the UK. Its agricultural outputs are surprising; everything for making a beverage – tea, coffee, sugar. Everything you need for puddings; mangos, bananas, grapes, apples and much more fruit. And of course above the city of Adelaide, in the rich flat lands that used to be covered by sea, vines as far as the eye can see with so many household names in wine; wine that is second to none in the wine world.

I have said many times in this tome how BIG this country is, and Australia never ceases to amaze me. Do you know it took 5 hours of flying to cross it. You can almost get to the USA in that time from the UK. Half way, diagonally across the continent, we reached Alice and looking down on the dry landscape, we could make out lines that intersected others that were simple long ruler straight dirt tracks leading to somewhere, but even from 35,000 feet impossible to tell where. I had no concept of this amount of nothingness until we travelled this country.

Your Aussie has a bit of a reputation of, and is stereo typed as being a bit brash, loud, assured and certainly not shy and retiring. They can be a little loud, but they are big hearted, generous, very comfortable in their own skin and they are immensely passionate about their own very young country. When we left our ship’s first Australian port of call, Darwin, and the Voyager set a course for Port Douglas, the very loud female entertainer who heads the activities team on board, lead a misty eyed rendition of ‘I still call Australia Home’ The lyrics, designed to pull at the Aussie sense of home:

I've been to cities that never close down from New York to Rio and old London town, but no matter how far or how wide I roam I still call Australia home.

This they truly believe in a way that we, in the UK, do not seem to understand or view our own homeland. They are proud of their journey as a country and recognising it as being not much more than 200 years old, they have come a very long way from a tiny penal colony to an important independent state.

We loved this country and will undoubtedly try to return and travel to the west coast starting at Perth. We have visited five of the seven states; Northern Territory, Queensland, NSW, Southern Australia and Tasmania. We didn’t do Western Australia or Victoria and we feel beholden to the good people in those states to do this sometime in the future. Perhaps our favourite state has to be Queensland. The beautiful rainforests, the deserted areas with tiny townships with huge distances between them, the strategic history of Cooktown, the Great Barrier Reef, crocodiles, deserted beaches (because of the crocodiles most likely), the wildlife, especially the dawn bird song, and OF COURSE the fabulous sunshine and warmth of said sunshine on your skin. And not forgetting the beautiful city of Brisbane.

We loved behaving as Australians; believing we lived in Sydney as of course we did for what seemed quite a time. As we strolled around the city so often we felt a part of it, a member and so familiar with it as a city. As time progressed we no longer needed a map to guide us around the simple grid system of streets. The Rocks became our favourite area of Sydney, so pertinent to the development of the new settlement back in the 1780s and full of stories both of the suffering of the early colonials/ convicts and also the successes of some. And of course we never tired of taking photos of the Bridge and also the Opera House. The first time we saw the Opera House in all its glory was at breakfast on Voyager just before we disembarked for the last time. We went up to the top restaurant, sat down at a port-side table and there in front of our eyes, eye poppingly, just a couple of hundred metres away, was the Opera House; so iconic and representative of Sydney and for that matter of the entire continent of Australia.

On the subject of the Opera House, the locals were aghast when the city planners first suggested building an opera house. Do you know, they said, for a moment I thought you just said you were going to build an opera house! We are, they said. Why? They said. And when we heard that, we realised that opinion regarding the arts hasn’t really changed much. Maybe I am being a bit harsh, but there is no West End as such in Sydney and culturally speaking they seem a bit backward. They do like ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’ though. ‘Nuf said I guess. Celebrity?? Didn’t recognise a single one of them.

We like the way the Australians live. It is a more relaxed way of life; often a walk along the beach before work, or exercise along the grassy areas, or even time in the surf. Manly is very much split between an area Sydney dwellers use for relaxation (they come over on the ferry) and a dormitory town for Sydney Business workers, who I am told do get stressed but it doesn’t seem to show much to me. The myth of the Aussie bloke as an outdoor type, barbequing at every spare moment doesn’t seem to hold up. We did not see much evidence of this going on. Someone said there are too many flies to spend too much time eating outdoors. We had to hand our allocated fly over on departure. The advertising urging us to participate in a Foster’s Lager is another part of the Australian lie. There is no Fosters available. The beer in general is not good and more of a lager anyway. Hungry Jack’s is a very popular alternative to the Golden Arches and the Whopper is far superior let me tell you. People sadly don’t seem to say ‘g’day’ as often as you might believe, and I was only once called cobber, which was in Tasmania. I never met anyone called Sheila and the only Bruce was the hound where we lived. Bondi beach is often heralded as one of the best beaches in the world. The Northern Beaches from Manly upwards are better. People come for miles for the surfing and the jelly fish. It is fascinating to see schools giving surf lessons as part of the curriculum. What a way of life. Oh, did I mention the sunshine. You can actually make plans for outdoor activities, BBQs without the fear it will chuck it down. Mind you, when it does chuck it down, it really chucks it down.

We in the UK often seem to think everything is always better overseas and they have all the answers. Well, the Australian MPs are being investigated for fraudulent expenses at the moment. Sound familiar? Each State has its own assembly and then there is the all Australian Parliament made up of the Senate, the House of Representatives and then The Queen. (our one but normally represented by the Governor General) There is just as much bickering as in our own parliament. The state pension appears to be means tested and they are looking at including the value of your main residence to assess how much, if any, state pension you will receive. Nobody seem to give us a straight answer on health issues, but it would seem that you will get some amount of free health care, but you need to pay monthly into a Medicare system for the bits the government scheme does not cover. As in UK, there are petitions against closures of wards/ hospitals. There are at least three types of schooling; State, Private and semi-private where you pay some. They are arguing that standards are falling both locally and internationally. Martine has said that innovations are being proposed that were introduced to UK schools five to ten years ago! Then there are big issues with child protection. There is a Catholic order that apparently had possibly up to 75% of its number involved in child abuse! Then there are issues with immigration and refugees. Especially the people Trump has said he will not take from Australia. That is not to even mention the indigenous population problems. So there you go, on all levels the grass is always greener. It is always too tempting to compare one country with another and think they have bigger mountains, deeper lakes, better canyons than we have in the UK. We can’t change any of those things, but we can appreciate our own country for what it has. But it all seems much better when you have wall to wall sunshine.

We feel extremely privileged to have been able to spend this amount of time away in another continent and very grateful to our children for allowing us to spend their inheritance. We will take a vote on that one later. It has been the gap year that we never had in our youth. We have enjoyed this time immensely and it was worth every dollar of it. We have gained a real taste for railway travel from our time spent on the Ghan. Every single bit of the trip was fantastic we have fantastic memories. Our regrets were that we didn’t have another month to do the bits missed. It was good we made it to NZ. Unlike everyone else we know, we preferred Australia. We liked NZ but we loved Australia. It might well have been different if we had visited the south island instead of or as well. It has been so interesting to be in the land that we have heard so much about over the years; to see the place where the ten pound poms went from our class at school in the 1960s. In some ways Australia is a little bit of Britain but with sunshine: we share a Queen and a language, we both drive on the left, we have a common history prior to 1770, and we have a similar structure of parliament with the same royal standard above the buildings.

When we stepped out of Terminal 4 at Heathrow, sensed the cold, we almost turned around and got on the next plane back again. Australia is a very desirable place to be but it is so far away from anywhere and even the Aussies feel this I think. Those who have had links to the UK, if the truth be told, have a yearning for the homeland, but most say it is too cold and wet in the UK. We will strive to go back; we miss it already. It is good to be home and we will be meeting our new grand-son for the first time tomorrow and that we are most looking forward to and there is much to do ahead of us. The B&B diary is filling already and 2017 promises to be a busy year. So if you have, thank you for reading this. If you haven’t, well what can I say? What I can say is, if you haven’t been yet and get the opportunity, go see for yourself.

THE END

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jrmwriting · 6 years

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Novel Extract

Context: Lonesome George is a giant tortoise on a journey around the world. He is in the Amazon basin with some giant otters who are the other characters (Homer and Aesop). South American mythology is woven into the belief systems that I have created for the animals in the Amazon, and so this is a part where the story-telling otters recount one of their creation myths. 2800 words.

George woke up, having fallen asleep exhausted at the river’s edge. It was still day, so George could not have slept long; or could have slept very long indeed. Either way, he felt better now and got up to continue his journey. Realising he did not know where he was, yet again, lost in this interminable jungle without a hope of ever getting out, he stood looking out at the great river and saw two small brown heads bobbing up and down in the water. He was saved.

‘George!’ they shouted. ‘George! Is that you, George?’

‘Homer! Aesop!’

The two giant otters jumped ashore and bounded towards George with great joy. George too was delighted to see them and had a million questions that would have to wait because for now the otters were all over him making quite a fuss.

‘Where in the world have you been? We had just about lost hope of finding you,’ said Homer.

‘Well, I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you.’

‘Try me. We have had our own unbelievable experiences you know,’ said Aesop.

‘Well, it’s absolutely wonderful to see you both. I think that the snake got me where I was supposed to be. And if you too are still willing then we could restart our journey after a little rest.’

‘Yeah. Well, we were about to go home. What do you think Aesop?’

‘We have to, you know that as well as I do.’

‘Yes. We will. Do let us rest a bit first though. Where do you get your energy from? You look like such an old tortoise but I swear you have as much energy as the both of us.’

‘Of course. I feel fine; I am not all that old really. I was sleeping just before you found me but rest yourself of course, and let us tell each other of what happened. I think you will have a few new stories to tell at the party at the end of the world now, my friend.’

‘Okay, I will begin,’ said Aesop, as they settled down. ‘When was the last time we saw you? Ah yes, in the boat on the river. Well, I felt something strange in the air, and so did Homer, but he was above the water and didn’t hear what I heard. Sound travels faster under water and when I heard this enchanting melody and saw a kind of slight pink hue mix with the murky water of the river, I was able to predict what was coming.’

‘You knew what was coming?’ George asked.

‘Well, we had some idea, but we had thought it only rumours. As you know, we meet many animals from all over the Amazon at our gatherings. Some of them had come from down river and told stories of a haunting lament that can be heard as night approaches in a certain part of the river, just upstream from here. We had heard about animals jumping in the river and drowning themselves when they heard the song but thought it was probably just a story.

‘So when I heard this song I thought there was only one way to save you and that’s if you couldn’t heard the song. So I told Homer to knock you unconscious with a stone from the bottom of the river.’

‘Ah, that’s why he hit me. At the time I didn’t understand anything,’ said George.

‘Yes, sorry about that,’ said Homer.

‘Never mind, it had to be done. I trust that you were safe because of it.’

‘Well, not exactly, I heard the song later, but I was okay, I didn’t drown.’

‘Oh, then I do apologise. I didn’t know you could breathe under water, I didn’t think tortoise were amphibious.’

‘Oh no, we’re not. But I float quite well, so I didn’t drown.’

‘Ah, then you are truly lucky my friend, and perhaps we are also beginning to understand why such an unlikely animal as yourself is capable of this journey,’ said Aesop.

‘Yes, I think I’m starting to see that myself too. If all else fails, I can float.’

‘Yes, indeed,’ said Homer with a smile.

‘So, we heard the song, and couldn’t help but be bewitched by it. It was the saddest song I’ve ever heard. We were drawn to it, the same as all the other animals on the banks who heard the song. They jumped in: monkeys, rodents, birds, all kinds of animals that had no hope of surviving the currents of the river. We managed to survive because we can hold our breath under water for a long time, but we were still taken down to the depths with her song.

‘As she approached, the river was illuminated by pink light and we went down to swim with her. She was beautiful, but sad. A lone river dolphin singing of her lost children. Her pain was deep and she searched for them everywhere. As we were under, things started hitting our bodies, falling from above in the water. We tried to swim with her, with a profound desire to share in her pain, but she was fast, too fast for any other animal to keep up. And then these things falling on us were slowing us down. In the pink light I saw the face of a capuchin and realised what the objects were. They were the dead bodies of the animals that had jumped in the river,’ said Aesop.

‘It was horrific George. I have never seen such terrible suffering, nor so many dead animals. That part of the river is a graveyard.’

‘That’s awful!’

‘So, you’re right, we will be telling a new story at the party, more terrible than any before.

‘Well, after the dolphin had swum off we came to our senses and would’ve drowned if it had been much longer. Luckily we can hold our breath for almost as long as a crocodile, so we didn’t perish like the land animals. Once I had found Homer, we began searching for you but we didn’t know where we were so we swam up river until we recognised something and then tracked down until we found the boat.’

‘The boat?’

‘Yes, the thing we were carrying you down the river on. We found it, but you weren’t there.’

‘Oh yes, I must have gone by then. I did wait some time, but had my own encounter with the pink dolphin.’

‘Oh yes, please tell us in a moment. I’m about to finish anyway.

‘So, we found your boat but didn’t find you and we basically spent the rest of that day, until there was light, searching up and down the river bank for any sign of you. We must have gone quite far down in the search because we decided to sleep the night and come back up river in the morning. Good thing we did, because then we found you.’ said Aesop, finishing his account.

‘So what happened to you George?’ said Homer.

‘Well, it starts off pretty similar to your account but then it all gets a bit strange when I go into the jungle. Forgive me if it starts to get confusing.’

George gave account of his strange experience in the forest with the howler monkeys, discussed their prophecy and the similarities with the Ariranha’s own stories and told of the tea George drank in that magical clearing.

‘Ah we have heard of the howlers and their shamanic beliefs. They are said to drink that tea on a regular basis to keep them in touch with the spirit realm and to be able to reach the stars.

I’ve never actually met any one of them, or anyone who had taken it before. So it works. Amazing,’ said Homer.

‘Well, whatever it was, I definitely saw some strange things,’ said George, continuing his account. He spoke of his feelings of connection to the forest, the lack of control he had over his limbs, then of the Pichiciego that had travelled through space and time, the man in red clothes and finally the snake that led him back to the river bank.

‘Indeed that is a weird story, George.’ said Homer. ‘If some little frog had come up and told me that story at the party I would think they were crazy but since it’s you George, I am obliged to believe the story; and be even further convinced that you are a very special animal. I agree with the monkeys: you are the one who can make this journey. You are clearly being guided by forces unknown to any of us. Perhaps it’s the ancestors in the sky, perhaps it’s the gods, perhaps it’s just circumstance; but what’s the difference between circumstance and the stars aligning anyway?’

‘Well, I wouldn’t pretend to be all that. I just seem to find myself on this journey and I’m rather enjoying it actually.’

‘Then we really will have stories to tell. Stories of great worth and importance,’ said Aesop.

‘Yes, and the story must go on. So could I ask you two to help me again?’

‘Of course George, what is it? We are already prepared to go get the boat and get you down river again.’

‘Well, yes, I need to continue my journey but I would like to investigate something first.’

‘Investigate? Whatever could you be talking about?’ asked Homer.

‘Did you see the part in the river just down from where I landed with the boat? There was a cleared area, that seemed unnatural, and I heard a very loud, terrifying noise coming from inside the forest there. It makes the top of my shell quiver but I have to see what it is.’

‘Okay, then we shall go. I think we remember the place but we didn’t hear any noise from the jungle but whatever it is we will help you, George. Won’t we Aesop?’

‘But of course!’

‘So I suggest we rest here, feed up while we can, sleep well and then tackle the day ahead with all our strength,’ said George.

‘Agreed’

So the animals rested. George grazed on the vegetation along the side of the river, eating until he did not want to eat any more. It felt good to be full, and to relax for a while. The Ariranha played and fished, chewing on fish they caught, floating on their backs in the great river. They were completely at home in the water. George had time to contemplate what had happened before. The man in the red clothes felt like a warning. And he wondered if he would see the Pichiciego again or if it was just a dream. Many wondrous and magical things were happening to George and he thought of his lonely island all the way back over the mountains and sea and how things went on there so peacefully compared to the rest of the world. George felt like he was part of a struggle here, a struggle for life, where he had originally known such an easy life. He felt like there was danger, risk, intrigue and excitement here in the jungle and he felt younger than he had done in a very long time. He was quite the adventurous tortoise now.

After the animals had fed, and relaxed in the sun, they came together and the Ariranha decided to tell another story before they slept. The stars and moonlight faintly lit the area around the river where the animals were at repose and all three of them felt very well tonight.

‘Tonight I will tell you of how the Amazon river came to be. It is a strange story but I think you will find it enlightening,’ Aesop began. ‘If you remember our story at our gathering up river, the world, as we know it, was created through competition between Terra and Ocean. At the height of their rivalry, Terra and Ocean were creating all kinds of animals, trying to out-do each other creating all kinds of bizarre creatures. Some giant lizards with enormous heads and teeth that could tear through the toughest flesh; great armoured land animals with weapons like spikes or club-like tails as well as animals that could live in both Terra and Ocean: the amphibians. Now, it was a kind of competition between them, and the diversity they created is where we all come from. However, the competition grew fierce, until the two gods decided to do battle. The two gods looked at all their animals: the big, the small, the fierce, the clever, the aggressive and the best survivors, and they thought long and hard on what would be the most superior animal to win any battle. They were both trying to predict what the other god might create and so they were trying to think of the best possible animal for any possible combination of amphibian, reptile, bird etc. and finally they both found their animals.

‘Terra created a gigantic lizard-like animal with no arms that could burrow underground like a fish in water, was incredibly agile so it could avoid any large animal’s blows, long and muscular so that it could move fast over land or water, and with a large mouth with sharp teeth so that it would be able to catch and kill anything Ocean could throw at it. He called it Minhocão.

‘Ocean had come to very similar conclusions. He wanted something fast, muscular and strong, much like a snake, which could swim in the water quickly and dextrously. He made it from pure muscle so that if it could catch its opponent then it would not let go until it had squeezed the life out of it by wrapping around it and constricting it. He called it Yacumama.

‘So, the two opponents had been created and when they were presented to each other they almost burst into laughter at how similar the two creatures were. However, the anger they bore each other only led to accusations of copying or spying on their plans and made the bout even more heated. It was not long before the two giant snake-like monsters were battling it out on land and sea. The two creatures were evenly matched and when one finally manoeuvred into position to get a hold of the other, it would slip through its teeth. Thusly, the battle went on for years and years. Both animals were incredible athletes and had stamina to keep fighting without each but it was not the creatures (designed especially for this one battle) who tired of the fighting first. As Terra and Ocean watched, they discussed the various merits of their creations; Terra saying that Minhocão had stronger armour while Ocean thought Yacumama had muscles more powerful than Minhocão. However, this conversation quickly got boring and the two gods got tired of the fighting. They decided that the fighting between them must end at some point and that this battle showed them that neither would ever really win. The two gods made peace, and decided not to compete any more but to try to keep things in balance as much as possible, and not make things any worse than they had already done.

The two creatures, Yacumama and Minhocão raged on and battled for years, scarring the earth and bursting holes in the sea floor which we still see today as rivers and volcanoes. However, the battle had to end. So, both gods decided to dispose of their own creations. Terra grabbed ahold of Minhocão and buried it deep in the earth never to come up to the air again. Ocean swung Yacumama around and around and threw it into the great continent we live in. Yacumama’s head hit the earth and split the continent nearly to the other side and Yacumama was lodged in the earth where the Amazon is at its deepest now. This created the Amazon river and it is said that Yacumama still lives below the river stuck deep in the earth where it cannot escape. ‘

George was sleeping when Aesop finished his story. He had not noticed his eyes droop towards the end of the story because the light was growing dim now, and somehow George’s head had stayed up to give the impression that he was awake. Only now, when Homer had finished, did George’s head slowly lower to the ground and rest.

‘Well, I think he heard most of it,’ Homer said.

‘Good. Let us also get some sleep. I can only assume that tomorrow will also be a big day.’

The animals slept soundly on the river bank not far from the water. The sound of the water, the nocturnal animals at work and the stars above made for a serene picture of tranquillity.

#fiction story extract novel tortoise otters amazon mythology writing

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mirandacarewjones · 7 years

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No.415

My hubby was totally transfixed ‘people watching’ two English couples when we touched down at Heathrow. The men wore the prerequisite dusty pink chinos, crumpled linen jackets, and the rest of the uniform which hadn't deviated one iota since their first term at public school. The ‘gallant’ males sprinted from the plane, leaving their exhausted females to bring up the rear and the Duty Free. Of course, when reaching passport control, the men had to wait for the Sherpas to catch up with the all-important Passports and Documents’ folder. Nobody looked very happy about this error, least of all the men, who had secured top place in two of the ‘UK/EU Only’ lanes and were now having to watch others take their hard won spot, time and again. These chaps were going rather pink in the face, which complemented their fetching ‘rhubarb-fool’ trousers. Now there was the beastly dilemma of which queue do you join, having given away one's hard earned place? Surely not that hideously long ‘crocodile’ for the passport scanning machine? We witnessed their blind panic being in the ‘Wrong Lane’, with their heads jerking erratically (similar to a turkey) to see how other travellers were progressing. This was followed swiftly by their barely hidden fury that one's beastly womenfolk were entirely responsible for this debacle. My hubby was gazing with absolute fascination whilst handing me back his passport. “Do you see those men over there? They are really upset not to be in the quickest lane.” Rather surprisingly we seemed to be in the fast lane! ....... How did that happen? Once through the passport control, we saw those men ‘take to the gallops’ for luggage reclaim. As predicted, they aimed straight for the trolleys, signalling rugby commands to cover either side of the gaping hole spitting out bags on the conveyor belt. With more hand signals, the wives were positioned mid-point from the access to the exit beside the conveyor belt. They were told to ‘Stay’ with the universal Open Palm hand signal that all good dog trainers use. They looked thoroughly disinterested in being directed to ‘Stay’ preferring to ‘Wander about’ and ‘Chat’ which wasn't in the handbook at all. Both hubbies noted this insubordination, but rightly deduced that ‘dog training’ should be shelved at this late stage of the journey. More important things like ‘who acquires the first full trolley?’ was next on the agenda. We received our bags extraordinarily quickly, unusually so in fact. They had sailed past my husband before he realised they had even presented themselves at the mouth of the cave. We were safely on our way home, when my husband chirruped up, “Wasn't that funny seeing those ridiculous people getting into such a fuss about everything?” I looked up at him in stunned disbelief and amazement. “Darling ...... it was like looking into a mirror. It was pure déjà vu. Don't you see that? It's you and me ..... without the ‘Boden catalogue’ obviously! Why do you think our entire family choose to travel separately from you?”

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topfygad · 4 years

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Street excursion by way of the Florida Keys

Overseas Freeway

The Overseas Freeway is only one of America’s best feats of engineering and is sort of actually the picture that you just think about of when any person mentions this island chain.

Our eco boat journey within the Florida Keys

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The Florida Keys: On a regular basis residing simply after the hurricane

The Essential Largo Bay Marriott Seaside Resort

The place by are the Florida Keys and the way had been being the Florida Keys shaped? A bit of little bit of historical past

Easy methods to get to the Florida Keys

Driving in Florida

What are the varied places of the Florida Keys like?

The Increased Keys

The Heart Keys

The rather more you examine, the extra you’ll come throughout quite a lot of the laid-back Keys life fashion commencing to trickle in.

The Decrease Keys

The southernmost island of Important West

Are there seashores within the Florida Keys?

Are the Florida Keys actually value visiting?

Proceed to maintain your eyes peeled for lots extra posts developing on elements to do in The Florida Keys although you’re there.

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topfygad · 4 years

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Street excursion by way of the Florida Keys

Overseas Freeway

The Overseas Freeway is only one of America’s best feats of engineering and is sort of actually the picture that you just think about of when any person mentions this island chain.

Our eco boat journey within the Florida Keys

Taking a road journey via the Florida Keys: A mini-manual