The Glades and Some Gators

During our Florida beach vacation, we decided we needed a beach break, and booked short afternoon tour to the Everglades to do some gator spotting.  We booked our tour through the hotel and it just happened to be with the Everglades Holiday Park, which is the Gator Rescue owned by the Gator Boys from the TV show of the same name.  

It was so hot, but I just can't bring self to complain about that!  We got a chance to check out the gift shop, and then hopped on the airboat, with captain Dylan.  We were pretty impressed with how fast those things actually go, and how fun it was!  

We spotted our first gator just a few minutes in, which I was actually a little surprised about.  For some reason I was kind of expecting that we wouldn't see anything.  He stayed a pretty decent distance from us and was gone in just a few seconds.  This was my first "in the wild" gator so I was pretty pumped!

This dragonfly took a liking to me and did not want to get off my foot.  

The captain pulled up to an  area with a bunch of weeds and trees and introduced us to these beautiful birds called Purple Gallinule.  The were sort of his pets, and they had just had some babies.  He pulled out a bag of white cheddar SmartPop and the birds went crazy.  Apparently this is their favorite snack.  They would take it right out of his hand and seemed to love the attention from everyone on the boat.  

Our second gator sighting came a few minutes later and I'm pretty sure this one wanted to eat us.  He kept following us and I swear he was eyeing me up.  He almost came right up to the boat so we got some great pictures.

After about an hour out on the water, we headed back to shore, and into the actual rescue.  None of the guys from the show were there, but our female gator wrestler Caroline did an amazing job.  We were told that the gator that she was wrestling was actually not very cooperative that day, and her anxiety was not part of the show!

We had a fantastic afternoon, and it was good to know that we were helping out a good cause as well.  If you are ever in the area be sure to check it out!

Museo Larco en Lima

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to do a blog on my favorite museum in Lima, but late is better than never right?  I actually went to this museum four times over the year I was in the city and enjoyed it more and more every time.   Museo Rafael Larco Herrera is the most well laid out and has by far the most artifacts of any museum that I visited in Peru.  The first time that I went was with Josh on a Mirabus tour when we first got to Lima and I was hooked.  

Museo Larco, in the Pueblo Libre district of Lima is in a gorgeous 1800's mansion and is actual built atop a pre-Columbian temple from the 7th century.  Inside are thousands and thousands of artifacts dating back up to 3000 years.  Founded in 1926 by Rafael Larco Herrera it contains ceramics, precious metal, and textile artifacts as well as a mummy.  There are several different galleries, so enjoy the photos and be sure to make this a stop if you are in Lima, even just overnight on your way to Cusco.

 In the ceramics gallery, there are pieces from the North Coast, Central, South and Highlands areas of Peru.  They at back to 7000BC and showcase any different styles and rituals that were performed over the centuries made from different types of mud and clay.

Gloria, enjoying some of the pieces in the museum.  

Stone and bone tools, scrapers and knives.

 The textile gallery contains resins such as nets, ropes, bags used in the pre-ceramic area (8000-2000BC) are with vegetable fibers.  Later they used wool and cotton and discovered dyes as well as inventing the loom.

 The mummy of a boy wrapped in the fetal position inside his sarcophagus.

The Gold and Silver gallery contains ceremonial pieces , jewelry, and decorative pieces used during battle.  These pieces also depicted stature in the community.  

The two pictures below are pieces used for blood letting and human sacrifice.  The blood was offered to the gods.  

The Erotic Gallery was essentially like the Kama Sutra in pottery form.  The one below is of a person with syphillis.  

The museum also has a gorgeous garden and restaurant.  The restaurant has some amazing food and a great pisco sour if you are hungry after your tour.  Below is Josh and I and Gloria.