31079 - These things

I have been looking forward to this trip for a while, kayaking the Everglades NP. Having been on the UNESCOs List of World Heritage in Danger from 1993 to 2007, it goes slowly but surely better with this subtropical wetland at the southern tip of Florida. But the growing city of Miami nearby might change this soon again. It almost feels like a now or never deal to me.

There are only these things in the Everglades that make me a little bit nervous. And with my friend bailing on me, its going to be me, me alone and that needs some courage building to face these things. And so I drive to Key West to win myself some time, to get this confidence. I ride around on my bike in the little way to touristy town, but my head is in the Everglades. I went from Dead Horse to Key West and if I can do that alone, I can do the Everglades too, I tell myself. And so I drive back and continue to the West side of the park and plan myself a nice 6 day trip out on the ocean and back through the inside marsh lands along the Wilderness Waterway. Lets face them.

The trip starts through the ten thousand island area and all the little islands exist out of mangrove forest. It looks all the same to me. The little brochure I read back at the Oto told me not to go on a long first trip in this area, while navigation through these islands might be very confusing. And indeed with a new map, a new paddle, a strong wind and a tide in my favour, I get lost real quick. This can't be true, I consider myself as a good map reader and have a compass on hand. But I have no clue already where I am at. It might be this little nervousness that rushes through my blood.

I take another look at the map and look for clues in the surrounding. Nothing. And then it gets to me. This map and the easy paddling have brought me way further then I expected and I am almost at the campsite already. The campsite is on this little island on the edge of the ocean and I set up camp on a little white sandy beach. They won't be here, right. I relax...

The next day I wake up with a fierce wind and waves crashing into my island. Luckily my routes goes in front of the wind and I head out with confidence. When I leave the shelter of some island, I see even bigger waves moving perpendicular to the street I want to cross. Quickly I paddle back into the lee. Wow, this is kind of intimidating to cross and with this danger looming beneath the water surface, I do not want to swim. One thing is clear I have to tack against the wind first, before steering in front of the wind to safety on the other side. This will even take longer, then straight across. I am not really sure what brings me to do it, but I go for it. The waves are crushing on me and the tip of my kayak drills itselves into every other wave. I make progress, but slow and feel far from in control. A little touristy boat comes full speed along. It keeps it throttle full open to beat the waves head on. When its wake hits me, its interference pattern with the wind waves forms a crazy knot and valley pattern. Its one thing to know whats going on, its a whole different thing to be in the mids of it. My kayak is surfing down a wave and I can barely steer it straight again for the next wave. Keep paddling, keep the speed up, don't get in the water is all I can think of. I make it save and sound to the other side and the rest of the day, I cruise in front of the wind between the mangrove islands. Also this time there is a little island waiting for me at the end of the day.

Tomorrow however I have to go out on the ocean the whole day, to get to my next destination. With this wind, there is no way I will make that, its just to dangerous. I look on the map for alternatives. Back to the Oto is the only solution I can come up with and then continue the next day in and out along the waterway. The whole night I sleep restless. I want to continue this trip...I looked so forward to it. Its only 1 more day and then I will head inlands. But be wise Iris, its plainly to dangerous and especially with these things around.

When I wake up the wind has died. The ocean lays calm in front of me. I spot all kind of birds, many dolphins are surrounding my kayak and pelicans are crashing from high above into the ocean for fish. A sea turtle swims within 1 meter from my kayak and fish are jumping out of the ocean all around me. I love it.

Then its finally time to head inwards. I ride the tide on a big river deeper into the Mangrove forests. Also here dolphins are playing around me, and I become a spontaneous birder. Spotting white ibis, huron, aninga, snow egret, pelicans and what more.

I setup camp at my own Chikee at my own lake. Its a beautiful silent evening. I make some coffee and sit down with my feet dangling of the plateau. Somehow it doesn't feel very relax and I pull my feet back in. Its probably not real, but somehow it makes me feel better. In the evening the noises take over the silence of the evening. The fish are still jumping around, birds crash in the water after the fish, mosquitoes are buzzing and I watch the stars from the save inside of the tent. Suddenly I hear a thing rustling through the mangroves behind me. It makes it way to the water edge and with a loud splash throws itself in the water. The thing plays or feeds or what ever it is doing for a long time just underneath my tent. What the heck is this things underneath me, is it on of them?

I still haven't seen any and its time to get more serious about it. I am scanning the surface, looking for the two eyes. I drift along a little creek also keeping an watchful eye out on the banks. Thats another place where they might be.

The little creek is about 10 meters wide and I keep to the middle. Where are they, I wanne see them, thats the whole point of this trip. The water, the banks, the water, the b.... HOLY SHIT! Is this what they are talking about, not the 2 meter long once, who you might loose a foot maybe a limp to. They are talking about this one, only a meter shorter then my kayak, some 4 meter long and which will swallow me in 1 heart beat. Well maybe a couple more beats, because my heart is pounding inside my chest at a crazy rate. I have seen them before, a couple days ago and have even been swimming in the same pond where they lived (well I was in the water for 10 seconds more afraid of the piranhas then the alligators) years ago. But this big, this close up, this being alone out here. Jesus, alligators are the scary shit.


The rest of the day I keep an eye out, but with a different intension now. I really don't wanne see any alligator anymore. Besides raccoons and some wild boars, I see big vultures, but no alligators. With the cold spell from a couple weeks ago, all the other alligators are more south or more inland. I don't see a single other one. From the car cruising through the park I have seen many, but here deep in the everglades they have disappeared. What hasn't disappeared are the dolphins. With water only 1.5 meter deep, I see one coming straight at me. Instead of taking action, I freeze like a rabbit caught in headlights. Please don't hit me I can only think. I do for sure know now, that I don't want to swim. A meter away from me, it comes up and we look each other in the eyes. Then with some vigorous tale wiggling it just avoids hitting my kayak. Thank you.

In the evening I have again my own Chikee, a platform in the middle of a lake. I enjoy the beautiful evening. The silence, the being alone. Life is so so good. When the mosquitoes are coming out, I am sitting in my tent for many more hours to watch the almost full moon lighting up the world around me. Again I am living the life the way it should be.

Dag,
   Iris (Everglades City, 31079 miles)

29953 - Retired in Florida

When you live in the Bay area, you almost forget that people get old. It seems that everybody is young, active, rich and nerdy. So where are all these old people, where do you go when you retire? Yes, you look for the sun, for cheaper rents, for milder activities, you move to Florida. And so the demography of both places look very different.

Here life is at a different pace. There is time for beach walks, for hours of talking to friends, for board games with neighbours, for taking care of your car (some are worth it though). And you even have time to look for a handicap parking spot, while all are always taken.

After a life of hard work in cold Massachusetts, moving to Florida is exactly what B and E did. They are sweetheart and enjoy life to the full extend. But there is one thing that can frustrate them though. Computers. Haven't we all been there. On one side or the other. "Dad, what do you see on your screen." "Mam, the button besides that, please click it". "Iris, I don't get it, seems that things don't work on this side." "Please, please, please, just listen to me, and do what I say." Yes, the frustration of the older generation who didn't grew up with computers, but take the brave step to learn it and the frustration of the younger generation who tries to help over the phone.

But this opportunity B and E don't let slip by. With a house inland, I can move into their beach condo, oh jeh my own beach condo. And I am treated to breakfast, coffee and fresh fish dinners every night, oh jeh.

And in return, I help them setup their new computers with Windows 7. I make desktop icons, setup the wireless printer, explain skype, all the stuff we young generation take for granted.

For a couple days I live the retired life. But with my lifestyle, a real retirement might be out of reach forever, I shouldn't get to comfy. I am still way to young for this anyway and thats mostly proven by the simple fact that I think the sign at the pool is just hilarious.

Dag,
   Iris (Jensen Beach, 29953 miles)

29777 - Whehwheh, nerd alert!

"We choose to go to the moon". With these words JF Kennedy started in 1962 the moon program of The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a reaction on the space race with Russia. And if you align the noses of all the smart engineers in this country into one direction, the impossible is possible.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." With these words Neil Armstrong ended the race in 1969, when he stepped on the moon. If Kennedy would have been able to see that...

I am not the nerdy space fan, but o-boy do I love this stuff.

And here at Cape Kennedy Space Center, Nasa got the task to make all this happening and I pay them a visit.

I learn about the Apollo project and its rocket boosters. Being a nerd I can see how 1 million 10 um mirrors can all flip at the same time, and I can see how 1 rocket is launched to the moon. But that fact that there are these people, strapping themselves on top of this immense reservoir of explosive and then light it up, is insane.

I stand in front of an original control center.

I look up to a moon lander.

I touch a stone from the moon.

The moon is past and will be future again with the Constellation project, when Nasa wants to use the moon as a stepping stone to explore space beyond. At the moment however the International Space Station (ISS) is assembled and this is how it works:

The 6 Space Shuttles (Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour) are the transport crafts to bring a module and a new crew to ISS.

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Shuttle is mounted to its rocket.

The combination is then transported along the crawlerway in a couple hrs to the launch complex.

Here the combination is mounted on its platform.

The Shuttle (in this case Endeavour) is shielded off and there it stands for another month.

One of the last days, the ISS module (in this case Node 3 from the European Space Agency), is placed inside the Shuttle.

And then on February 7, 2010 the Space shuttle Endeavour will bring Node 3 and the Cupola to the ISS. Oh so cooollll....

Dag,
   Iris (Cape Kennedy, 29777 miles)

29422 - The South

South Carolina, Georgia and North Florida, there is evidence from a warm climate all over. From the beauty of the vegetation which takes me by surprise to the mash wildlife around. I had not really an image of the south, but sub tropical forest was not what I had in mind. Palm trees, Spanish moss draping from oak trees, savanna and swamp. Its beautiful.

In Charleston, I am rescued from a party where the men are about 25 years older then the girls they bring in. When T and B tell me they are leaving, I beg them not to leave me behind and so they take me to a good party were I ring in the New Year with new friends.

And as always, the next day you do not much. We hang around with neighbours, eat and just relax.

I can couch surf at Ts house and spend a couple days in Charleston. T and B show me around town with its European style houses and vibrant rainbow row. Its cute and I like the town.

The South is also synonym of large cotton plantations, where slaves did the hard work.

Still downtown in Charleston, descends from these slaves make sweet grass baskets and sell them for extraordinary prices. According the New York Times also the first lady, Michelle Obama is a straight descend from a slave girl.

My knowledge about this part of history is mostly from the television series I watched with my mom and sister: "North and South". For six weeks we sat clustered around the television admiring Patrick Swayze and Kristie Alley. The Boone Hall plantation is where the series was filmed and thats the plantation I am visiting.

Here the separation between rich and poor is also a racial segregation. The house is big and expensive decorated, the still standing stone cabins from the skilled slaves are bare. Its very frustrating that the tour I take has a little: "We didn't really do anything wrong" feel to it. In my opinion, we did something very wrong. And thats "we" the world. Its sad though to learn about how far we have come, but even more how far we still have to go.

To blow my head clear of all these impressions, I take my kayak out in the Cohapee Sound, which are shielded of by some barrier islands. I see pelicans trying to take off and dolphins playing around me. Shouldn't it be warm then too.

And there it is skewed. Its all around, this sub tropical climate, but what fails are the temperatures. Iguanas are falling from the trees, turtles are rescued in the power plant, fish are dying and dead manatee are washing on shore. Its cold, very cold. Its even that cold, that apparently its the second-coldest reading since 1873. For me, I am freezing my ass off and wake up with the Oto covered in snow. This is Florida!!!

Dag,
   Iris (Hopkins Prairie, 29422 miles)

28531 - December update

View IrisOpReis in a larger map

Dag,
   Iris (Mnt Pleasant, 28531 miles)

28280 - Bushwhacking by kayak

Only 10 times a year and in total 2 weeks the Congaree river is high enough to overflow its floodplains making it only a 3.8% change to hit it at the right time.

Being from a river delta country, having lived below sea level a part of my life and having experienced the treat of flooding my whole childhood (each year the flooding of the river Rijn blocks roads and fills basements of my home town), overflown rivers are in my blood. And so I take my change on the 3.8% and otherwise there is always a creek to navigate through the park.

I walk in the visitors center and ask the friendly rancher for the possibilities to take my kayak out. The ranger pulls a map out and his hand waves over the whole paper: “We are flooded right now, the whole park is underwater, you can go where ever you want!” The ranger is clearly excited and confirms it with the words: “You are so lucky to be able to experience it flooded”. And so am I, very excited.

The flooding makes this park so unique. The floodwater deposits rich soil whose nutrients support the complex plant communities and the unusual giant trees the park is famous for. Depending on the time a region is flooded (due to elevation difference), the soil changes drastically and with it the forest above it. Yes, the flood plain is a forest and not the wide open grass fields I am used to.

My seakayak is clearly not the right length for randomly peddling through the forest and I stick to a hiking trail instead.

Its interesting navigating but it’s a wonderful place to be.

The whole forest is flooded and in places I measure 1.5 meter deep.

The water is flowing pretty steadily in the direction of the ocean and it is not always easy to keep the kayak on the trail.

With my compass I have to bushwhack away from the trail until I finally find the creek.

Which is easy to paddle and brings me right back to the Oto.

I am scratched by branches, my kayak took a good beating, but it was all well worth it.

Dag,
   Iris (Congaree NP, 28280 miles)

27934 - Fun and serious matters

Fun

To keep in style with christmas I visit the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta. Here in 1930 the Coca-Cola company invented the current Santa Claus image for their advertisements and it became the leading image from then on.

Having worked in a startup company in Silicon Valley it’s almost beyond believe to understand how much success this company has. Its the best know product in the world, making their marketing department probably the most efficient department in the world.

There is lots of talk about the famous (not patented) secret recipe and why all over the world Coca-Cola taste the same and why it is so popular. It all makes sense when you think about how this company is set up. The syrup is made in the USA and shipped to local licensed bottle factories. These factories dilute the syrup 6.5 times, fill the bottles and distribute it, making it available in every corner of the planet.

I always understood that the first recipe of Coca-Cola had cocaine as an ingredient and that’s why it became such a success. In a coca leave museum in Bolivia I also learned that up to today, the Coca-Cola company still imports about 100.000 kg of coca leaves (after the cocaine is extracted) each year, but nothing is mentioned about that in the whole museum. The real trues, why Coca-Cola is such a big success, its because we the people have incorporated it into our daily diet.

I didn’t know that and besides Inca cola (the only taste I like) I stay with my own caffeine fix, without the sugar: coffee.

Serious matters

Although the Civil War was won by the North and the slave was told to be free in 1863, segregation was still in full effect in 1955 when Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man. As leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association, minister Martin Luther King Jr, became the voice of her defend, the voice of the almost 1 year lasting bus boycott (plunging the bus company in financial ruins), and the voice in many parts of the USA and all around the world against segregation.

Influenced by the teaching of Gandhi during a trip to India, a non-violence approached for racial justice was taken. King moved back to his birthplace Atlanta to serve as co-pastor besides his father in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and to become the president of the civil right organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The years following were filled wit boycotts, speeches and advocating (and practicing) civil disobedience to “immoral laws”. Accumulating for the March on Washington, were 250.000 people gathered to hear Kings electrifying speech: “I have a dream”.

In 1965 on what was later called; “Bloody Sunday” blacks and sympathized whites, leaded by King were marching 2 by 2 to the state capitol in Montgomery to demonstrate for black voting rights. The peaceful march was beaten down on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and broadcasted all over the world, finally convincing President Johnson to sign the Voting Right Act.

It put King even more in the spot lights but in 1968 his fight came to a sudden stop, assassinated in Memphis while he was fighting for better living conditions for the black.

Today there is a black president in the USA, but if the entire struggle is over. I doubt it and I will keep my eyes and ears open here down in the South to see how far the world still has to come.

Dag,
   Iris (Atlanta, 27934 miles)