February 11

   I drove to the Everglades from Miami in our quest to find the elusive snanligators. We stopped at Coopertown - they have been running Airboat tours for over fifty years. We boarded the boat [you pay when you get back as they don't charge if an alligator has you for dinner.] There are 2 main rules, don't rock the boat in case it capsizes, and the seat in the air belongs only to the man who drives the boat !!!! 

   We set off on an hours cruise around the Everglades, the man was very informative and had a very dry sense of humour, he told us all about all the plants, birds and animals around the swamps, we saw egrets, herons and numerous other birds, turtles and at last the 'gators !!! [See pix below. This really is a magnificent place, like no where else we've ever seen, not to be missed if you are in the vicinity. One snarligator ["Ghost"] got up so close to Andrew that I was quite frightened.

   When we got back we had a look around the place, we met a 12 foot long albino burmese boa constrictor, more 'gators and turtles and were allowed to hold a 5 month old snarligator!! We could have eaten alligator tails for lunch but declined to do so, but we both agree that it has been our most memorable trip so far this holiday.

   Time then for the drive back to Orlando, stopped for a pizza slice for lunch, then booked into a motel for the last time as we move into the Condo in the morning. Tried to contact Jenn's mother, but answer phone only so will see Sherry some other time.

   We found a really nice Chinese for dinner, shrimps, scallops and sizzling steak, then off to the motel to type up diary. It's been another really good day today, but I must admit that we are looking forward to settling for 2 weeks in the one house. Looking for somewhere to sleep almost every night is becoming a pain. Goodnight from the intrepid explorers.