Day 251
Swamptastic
We were up early. We had spotted a fellow cycle tourist the night before, so I wandered over to introduce myself and pester the poor man with endless questions. Scott is cycling to all the National Parks in the US to raise funds for them. He was sporting a natty hairstyle instead of his usual crew cut. No trim until he reaches his target. Check him out on Instagram at Parks.Pilgrimage. With great patience Scott shared his knowledge of the road. Then, Vaclav, a fellow camper kindly made me a coffee as we still haven’t sorted a replacement for our fuel bottle.
Back on Route 41 it was another hot day. Normally about 80° at this time of year it was nudging 90°. The heat was wearying. We were desperate for shade and a cool refreshing drink but we just had an endless straight road.
We stopped at the Oasis visitor centre, where there was a walkway overlooking the canal and boy was it packed with alligators. We had another treat in store, a walk on a raised platform to see some of the Big Cypress Forest close up. Named for the stunning trees that are able to stand and flourish in the water of the Everglades, their trunks spread wide as the disappear into the water, enabling them to withstand the elements. More birds, alligators and turtles live amongst them. This environment was nearly destroyed by mans’ drive for land and lack of comprehension of its delicate ecosystem. Fortunately measures have been put in place to preserve it, and today it certainly appears to be flourishing. Back on the trail the road went on and on.
We had a great chat with Helen and Ian, originally from the UK, again we were given lots of advice and we were able to chat about ourselves and our trip too!
Our campsite was in the Collier-Seminole State Park. We had a wander around the Park, failed to spot any of the manatee that swim in the river there, but we did enjoy exploring the only surviving Walking Land Dredger, so that’s how they built a road through an alligator infested swamp! The Park closes at 6.30 pm so it was a fantastic feeling to almost have the place to ourselves, well apart from our fellow campers. We were spread out though, so we thoroughly enjoyed cooking our tea on our campfire, whilst sat under the starry sky. Note to self, buy a fuel canister, as pretty certain we won’t be able to cook over fire all the way through the States!
