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An engine problem destroyed by sailing holiday. What shall I do?
Nobody likes to run into problems whilst on holiday, but the very nature of a yacht charter holiday does demand that you have to cope with the sea - which is always unpredictable (hence "sea" being of the feminine gender) - and a vessel, which...
Beach Life, Paros Style
Beach Life, Paros Style Paralia, Greek for “beach” is one of the reasons people come to stay in the village of Aliki. Aliki has a total of three beaches, but the one that is the most used is found in the centre of the village in a small bay with a...
Challenge Yourself: Travel Alone
Now let's be honest, this isn't going to be easy.
I find traveling alone to more of a mental workout than
anything. When you travel with a few friends or a significant
other, you have several other people encouraging the hard
decisions to be...
Cruise The Nile of Cleopatra
For centuries, the Nile River has been at the center of life in Egypt. The ancient Egyptian civilization relied on the flooding of the Nile to create fertile land for farming in an otherwise desert landscape. Excavations along the Nile have...
Kauai - One of Hawaii 's Best Kept Vacations Secrets
Kauai is indeed an island that can take your breath away even at a glance. The everyday hustles and bustles of life can drain every ounce of energy that we have. There are various concerns that desperately calls for our attention and time which...
New York - Discover the Outer Boroughs
Everyone is aware of a city called New York, everyone has seen the 'Big Apple' at least as it appears on photographs, but not everyone has yet taken some time to explore some areas of NYC that in fact host the majority of the population of the...
River Cruises Can be Such a Rich Experience
River Cruises Can be Such a Rich Experience River Cruises- Discovering Europe, Russia, China, America by Colin Hartness - http://www.whatcruises.com Exploring Europe can be such a unique experience with a River Cruise. You just unpack once on this...
Taking a City Break - the relaxing way
Long weekend city breaks have rapidly become one of the most popular short holiday choices for the British public. Cities such as Amsterdam, Prague and Barcelona are filled throughout the year by tourists looking for a weekend escape. However,...
Three Towns of Mijas
Mijas is more like three towns than one: Mijas Pueblo has the character of one of the Andalucian Pueblos Blancos, high in the mountains and whitewashed. Las Lagunas is the modern and commercial section of the town. And Mijas Costa is really a...
Visit Santa Barbara California
Ninty some miles north west of Los Angeles lies the lovely beach city of Santa Barbara, California where you will find some of the cleanest and best tended beaches on the west coast. The city of Santa Barbara which includes Hope Ranch and...
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Florida Alligator Stalking Vacations
Alligators were the furthest thing from our minds as my wife Ana and I traveled along the coast of northern Florida. We had paid $23 to camp in our conversion van at a beautiful state park on the beach the night before. In the morning we saw a dolphin swimming near shore.
Then we heard we could camp for free at the isolated campgrounds which dotted the Apalachicola National Forest. Our frugality sent us into alligator country.
We spent two nights in the dark woods next to the dark waters of a slow river. Our only company was an old guy who seemed to be living there, and a nice couple with their two-year-old daughter. Lester was from England, Kari from Texas, and Indya was born in Guatamala. They met in India, of course.
Our little group circled the fire at night, trading stories, and occasionally sneaking down to the water with flashlights to look for the eyes of alligators. We heard splashes in the night, but saw nothing.
Lake Talquin
When the old guy told us camping was free at Wiliams Landing, on Lake Talquin, we all moved up there for a week. The hot showers convinced us. We continued trading stories around the fire each night, but now we saw all kinds of wildlife. Armadillos walked through camp, giant grey herons fished just offshore from the van, and there were racoons, owls,
squirrels, ducks, and turtles. Then was also the "monster."
March is a great time to get out in the woods in Florida, so I was poking around near a corner of the lake, when I heard the splash. There were no fish that big, I knew, and we had already seen two small alligators sunning themselves the day before. This one had to be a giant. Ana and I returned the next morning, and again heard the splash. It was under the water before we could see it.
In the coming days, we visited the monster each morning once the sun was high enough for him to come out and soak up the heat. We caught enough glimpses to know he was at least ten feet long. Kari and Lester made a "Crocodile Hunter" movie of us stalking it.
In time, it no longer panicked, but just slowly lowered itself into the water, as if getting ready to hunt us properly. We stopped trying to get so close to it. Our gang went to view alligators safely after that, from the tour boat at Wakulla Springs.
About the Author
Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the United States and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. Read more stories, tips and travel information at: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com
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