I LEFT OUT THE GUMBO LIMBO TREE

Here's the tree with the great name.

EVERGLADES TO MIAMI BEACH

We decided since we had some extra time today before we checked into the hotel in Miami Beach that we'd check out the southern part of the Everglades.  We went into the Coe National Park Entrance, and first went to Royal Palm.  It had two nature walks.  One was more animals, the other was supposed to be a walk through a tunnel through mangroves.  It had been somewhat destroyed in hurricane Andrew and was very buggy.  We did find out what a Gumbo Limbo tree looked like - red and peeling.  We then drove to Flamingo - the southern most point in the park.  It was very quiet - no one around.  We did catch a great Osprey having dinner.  We stopped at several places along the path back to the park entrance.  Then we drove to Miami Beach.   After we found the hotel, Charlie was enthusiastic about having a dip in the Atlantic.  I couldn't believe how warm the water was.  Like a hot tub!  We showered and had a Cuban dinner.  Nice day.  Here's our photos.

Last post tomorrow before we go home.

DAY IN THE EVERGLADES

We began with a mangrove boat ride.  Although we really didn't see a lot of new things, we got a lot closer to the mangroves, and the ride was fun.  We then drove to the northern Everglades Park entrance called Shark Valley.  From there we took a tram ride though the Everglade grasses.  Saw loads of birds, and had a chance to feel the periphyton stuff that's the bottom of the food chain.  Not at all slimy - kind of spongy feeling.  Saw an alligator nest and a hiding alligator, but hard to take photos of.  Then went to a road that all the locals recommended for alligator sightings - H.P. Williams.  Right they all were!  We saw alligators at every stop.  In one spot, I noticed an alligator swimming in the water.  It saw me, turned toward me, but eventually stopped just short of the water's edge.  OK, I'm not brave - but I did get one terrific picture.   Stopped for photos by the US's smallest post office.  Then back for a shower.  Here's today's photos:

Til the next WIFI......

KEY WEST TO EVERGLADES CITY

We got up early, had breakfast by the pool - lovely -visited by the Westwinds pussycat - and began our drive back north through the keys.  We stopped at a bird sanctuary.  They rescue injured birds and have several different types of local birds recuperating. They also had a nice walk along the water - both brackish and salty - quite interesting.  We then drove to the Florida Turnpike to Highway 41.  It cuts to the west through Miccosukee Indian Reservation (northern end of the Everglades).  We ended up in Everglade City at the Ivey House.  It's a very unlikely spot to find such a great Bed and Breakfast.  A tiny town near 10,000 Islands (the Gulf of Mexico section of the Everglades), Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Everglades national park itself. Once we checked in we drove to the nearest Ranger Station and managed to get a boat ride out toward the 10,000 Islands - mangrove trees made islands off shore with loads of birds.  Our best sighting was an Osprey - two actually - one was carrying a fish.  The second best were bottle nosed dophins - they look bluish here - tannins from the water apparently.  Here's today's photos - WIFI is SO nice!!

DAY IN KEY WEST, FLORIDA

Today was our touring day of Key West.  We bought tickets to ride the Old Town Trolley.  There were 12 stops that highlighted the main historic places around town.  Lots of silly banter, but also, lots of good details.  We got off the trolley at stop 12 and walked back to Hemingway's home on Key West.  He was married 4 times.  Wife 1 - they lived in Paris.  Wife 2 - lived in Key West.  Wife 3 - lived in Cuba.  Wife 4- lived on the road - killing things in Africa and the like.  He kept 6 toed cats, supposedly for luck.  The place has the descendants of those cats all over the place.  Lots of good Hemingway trivia.  We then toured the local light house.  After that we wandered to the butterfly conservatory - really was nifty.  After lunch and a rest, we went to the Key West Aquarium - there was a huge downpour while we were there, but for a little aquarium, it's quite good. 

There are chickens running all over town.  When we went to the square to watch sunset last night the roosters were crowing away.  Today the trolley man explained that the first roosters were brought over for cock fighting from Cuba and the Dominican Republic.  It was then made illegal, the birds were considered endangered, so they are running around everywhere here.

After dinner we went to La concha (pronounced La Conka around here) to watch the sunset from the roof.  Really lovely place to sit.  Tomorrow morning we hit the road north to the Everglades.... til our next wifi...

Here's the photos:

MIAMI TO KEY WEST

First of all, Happy Birthday Kayley!   It's your big ONE.

We left the hotel this morning in Miami and went back to the airport to pick up a car.  Apparently summer in Florida is the time all the folks from South America come to warm up from their winter.  So the rental car places were almost out of cars.  We drove south and got on Route 1 which goes from Florida City eventually to Key West.  We passed Key Largo, Duck Key, and a zillion other keys.  In the beginning the roadway looked like any other beachy road-way - kind of ugly Pismo Beach.  After a while it got more rural and we could get a gander at the fact that the place we were driving was less than a mile wide.  We discovered that our car doors couldn't lock.  We were supposed to use a fob on the key - it didn't do anything.  We COULD lock the doors from the inside, but the key we had wouldn't unlock the door from the outside.  What a weird deal.  There was a Hertz Rental car place at Key West, so we traded our unlocking car for one that would lock.  It's a better car in the end - more pep.  We spent tonight wandering around Key West.  It's a fun city.  People gather on Mallory Square to watch the sunset over the furthest southern point in the US.  Here's some photos.

MIAMI

The trip here was amazingly easy.  Our biggest ordeal was we volunteered to give up our seats on the first leg ( LA to Houston) so that a couple could get out of the exit row.  The lady of the couple had broken her thumb on a boat in Maui.  While going into a bathroom the boat tipped and her hand was on the hinge side of the door.  YIKES.  The problem was.....the airline had assigned two couples to sit in the same seats.  Eventually it was sorted out - we ended up in the exit row.  Amazingly uncomfortable.  We should have stuck to our original seats.  Rest of journey very (nicely) uneventful.  Now at the Crowne Plaza near the Miami air port.  Tomorrow the journey will begin - but wi fi tonight!

LAST FULL DAY IN EGYPT

We got up this morning and had our tour of Alexandria.  Few fun factoids.  The coast is called the Corniche Coast.  The city was rebuilt three times due to massive earthquakes that destroyed it in 1100, 1400, and the last time in 1992.  A lot of what used to be here either sunk (Cleopatra had her palace on an island that's now 7 meters under the water) or was reused in new construction.  The Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the 7 wonders of the world fell in an earthquake and was reconstructed into a medieval fort - which fell down and was reconstructed to look like the old fort.)  Only a small number of things remain - mostly found by accident.

We drove back to Cairo.  Our worst problem was the traffic once we got back into the city.  A three hour drive took 5 hours.  But we're back in the comfortable hotel.  We'll leave for the airport tomorrow, then a BMI flight back to London.   The next day we get up at dawn and take our United flight back to LA. 

Here's some photos from today.

By the way, Google Egypt sand storm July 15.  There are some aerial photos from NASA that are impressive.  Also:  here's a link to the Alexandria library - they are trying to digitize everything
www.bibalex.org   they also have a lot of old pictures and maps.