July 7, 2015
I enjoyed a short tour of the Everglades this morning. Catching an 8:30 ride, I was shuttled to Everglades Holiday Park for an hour long airboat ride.
I was surprised to find the water was very clear. Many floating aquatic plants lined the waterways in front of the tall Sawgrass that acts as a hedge in this huge water-filled maze.
Birds of the Everglades are numerous. We were able to see a few of them.
The unusual Cypress trees lined the canals. The strange roots that send up shoots along the trunks that appear to be air tubes for the underwater roots.
The Pond Apple was in fruit. It provides food for some of the swamp citizens. Actually, our airboat captain said this was not a swamp, though it looks like a swamp. It is really a slow moving river that flows with the rainfall at about 4 feet per day.
After an hour of cruising the Glades without seeing even one Gator, our"Guide" pointed out some more birds, like the kinds we've already seen, as we cruised back to the Airboat-lined dock. He parked his dirty boat and asked us to sit tight until he roped down the Stern and held out his tip jar.
Funneling us towards the Alligator viewing pits, where Gators in captivity can be viewed after not seeing them in the wild, we were treated to a show.The "Gator Boys' gator show was cheesy. These gators, if they were not drugged, were very tame. The tall dude with the Elvis sideburns and Dundee hat claimed to have a college degree in Environmental Science, yet put on this show for free.
Several others wandering around, apparently, also worked the gators. We had a 10 minute show and a 20 minute plea for donations, gratuities and tips. Tip boxes lined the walkways. The airboat driver had his hand out as we exited. Our bus driver had his hand out. Now, a half dozen gator boys.
It seems as if EVERYONE works for tips. Are there no real jobs in Florida?
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