The speedy scenes of the movies and TV shows were far from our minds as the quiet beauty of the sawgrass prairie brought calmness and wiped the busy beat of the city life away.
So Raphael, Simone, Lukas and I decided to exercise instead and see the amazing natural resort by bike. The 24 kilometer long tram road we cycled is in Shark Valley, but it covers only a fraction of the whole area.
A lady, who was also biking the track in Shark Valley encouraged us to count the alligators we see on the way. As she lives in Coconut Grove in Miami, she goes there frequently. She told us that last time she had counted over 120 alligators!
Everglades National Park in South Florida is the largest subtropical wilderness area in the United States, and has been named a Unesco's World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance. In addition to alligators one could spot different kinds of birds and turtles, among others.
As you rent the bikes, they make you sign a form where you basically acknowledge the danger you're putting yourself into and release the rental office of responsibility... The rules say never approach alligators! In other words, don't get closer than 3 to 5 meters to the wildlife. They are, of course, naturally wild.
The alligators are smaller than crocodiles, and they live in freshwater environment. Alligators exist only in the U.S. and China in their natural habitat.
Although alligators seem harmless due to their heavy body and slow metabolism, they are capable of getting up quickly and running short bursts of speed, especially in lunges. So when one of the alligators we approached started blowing air and breathing heavily, we got onto our bikes quickly! According to Wikipedia, alligators, unlike the large crocodiles, do not immediately regard a human upon encounter as prey, but may still attack in self-defense if provoked. This one was smirking at us from the bushes.
In retrospect, one thing concerns me still. According to the online encyclopedias the difference between the calmer alligator and the wilder crocodile is that alligator's teeth are not visible when its mouth is closed. Hmm...
However, the peace, quiet and solitude of the Everglades left a permanent mark on me. It is a recreational paradise where you can also learn about nature and wildlife, and realise, how small a person actually in this universe is.
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