Alligators!

Yes, alligators. Watching us cycle along the 25 km cycle path through the northern part of the Everglades park in southern Florida. Menacingly. Knowingly. Patiently.

They littered the swamp. They lolled about in the grass along the cycle path. They even sunned themselves on the very pathway we were on (probably trying to warm up).

I've been told that alligators can move forward very quickly despite their size and apparent weight. But that they aren't very good at sideways. So the ones that lay parallel to the road, I marvelled over. Those whose tails met the path perpendicularly weren't overly worrisome – unless it was the one pictured above who didn't seem in too much of a hurry to get out of the way of us cyclists and who was perched just a little too close for comfort.

The ones facing the path, though, like this fat guy pictured here, staring at you. Eyes alert, bodies unnervingly still, teeth poking out everywhere. Ai, what an animal!

I learned from some of my new friends in Alabama, whom we met up with a few nights later along our drive westwards on the I-10, that alligators are simply not very adroit when it comes to quick sideways movements. This is why, apparently, if an alligator decides to chase you, you should run away in a zigzag. If you run zigzag, the alligator gets confused, can't change direction fast enough and will lose the chase; at worst he may run on forward but will carry on right past you if you are to either side of it, running in what can only be a ridiculous horizontal zigzag path in any opposite direction away from its nose. A handy tip.

Please do check out the album at the bottom of this post for more pictures of these amazing beasts (as well as for some evidence of the “cold” Miami from a couple of posts ago). And if you don't believe me when I write that the picture above captured the only time during this cycle among the 'gators in which I look somewhat alarmed, that indeed for the rest of the bike ride I was totally excited each and every time I glimpsed one of these exotic creatures just laying there watching us go about our business, ask Sabine: she was with me and she thought I was nuts for “ooing” and “aahing” and not “holy-shitting”.

This took place during our first day on the road when we left Miami. Always good to start out again with a bit of an adrenaline boost. We then took a couple of days to relax on the picturesque beaches of Sanibel Island, just outside Fort Myers, Fl. While it looks idyllic, it was still during that cold spell, and so our afternoon on the beach was spent facing the sun but wrapped up in jeans and sweaters. Still. Can't complain.

We ventured the long drive out of Florida through Tallahassee to Alabama where we met up with Nathan, the brother of a friend. He took us first out for a dinner of local oysters, and then to an authentic Alabama house party. We woke with slightly fuzzy heads the following morning but got out on our bikes as planned anyway, to check out some of the paths and scenery of Gulf Shores, Alabama, a community also touched by Katrina.

Travelling this part of the journey with Sabine was fun and entertaining, as expected. Fun, because she was great company in the Jamboree. Entertaining because of the things she'd say and ways she'd react to whatever we encountered. My favourite example from this trip was when we entered our Alabama campsite and upon reading the sign that read “Please do not feed or aggravate the alligators” Sabine exclaimed “I did NOT just read that! Jenny, I DID NOT JUST READ THAT!”. She was quite happy using the Jamboree's toilet that night rather than venturing out in the dark to the public washrooms. And upon leaving the next day, while I was a little disappointed not to have seen just one more alligator, she was quite visibly relieved.

PS: Here is a list of some of the guesses you readers made about what inspired the look on my face in the last post. I had a good laugh reading them, and hopefully you will too. Thanks to all who wrote! Keeps me happy knowing you're all out there with me. :)

What do you think might be causing this expression?
"A chimp is stealing your pants"
"You are warning the photographer that he is about to get mauled by a grizzly bear..."
"You forgot where you parked the van"
"You're going downhill and your brakes just broke and you swallowed a big bug"
"You caught a glimpse of yourself in your matching sunglasses and fleece!"
"You are in the wilderness and a woman appears through the bush wearing the EXACT same outfit you have on"
"You just biked 25kms in the wrong direction?"
"No bike seat?"
"You couldn't get an internet connection"
"A giant elephant on the road who looked remarkably like..."
"You are finally far away from a dirty ol' city like Amsterdam but have just stepped into a pile of dog poo, with your bare feet..."

Hah!

Miami-Alabama