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| TRAVELS WITH MY DINOSAUR 05 June - 05 August 2003 |
| Monday 16th June. My last few hours in the Bahamas were spent at the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo near Nassau - home of the locally famous marching flamingos. Quite why someone would want to train a troupe of flamingos to march on command remains a little unclear to me, even after the in depth presentation given to an assembled audience by one of the staff. I did learn some interesting facts though. It is carotene within a flamingo�s natural diet which produces the distinctive pink hue for which they are so well known. Without sufficient carotene, they would turn white. Strangely, I recalled a news article from several years back which reported on a youngster whose skin had adopted an orange tinge - thought to be the result of his excessive consumption of Sunny Delight, and wondered what would happen if he had kept a preference for blackcurrent rather than orange. The mind is a crazy thing� Having been lucky enough to observe most wild cats in their natural habitat of African savannah, I was reluctant to explore the cages which accommodate many of Ardsatra�s residents. Though I understand the principle and necessity of breeding in captivity, and the important work carried out by many zoos across the world, I detest the need to cage wild animals, and the spectacle they produce. My heart melted for one particular character, a lonesome caracal who paced incessantly back and forth as if possessed or drugged. Caracals are beautiful, sleek and graceful cats, but not in a cage. Behind bars they shrink into pathetic, vulnerable creatures, and I watched that cage for a long time, praying for the sustainable future of our international wildlife. My bags were already in the car when Natasha drove me back into town at 12.30pm. I pottered around Nassau for a time, mailing parcels and post cards, and enjoying a long, cool drink under the shade of the Memorial Garden. The week has spun its magic all too briefly. I�m spellbound by these islands, and I know I will return again. I boarded a small twin propeller commuter jet for the 1.5hr flight to Orlando, not well enough prepared for the vicious headache which tortured me from island paradise to theme park heaven. Modern Orlando began is present incarnation with a simple flight many years ago. From high above, Walt Disney set his heart on the acres of pine woods and citrus groves as the location for his Disney World dream. Mickey Mouse had just found a new home! I would not be setting foot into any of the theme parks during this visit, but at the Travelodge South - my one-night home, many families from North East England revelled in their long awaited holidays, their children bristling with excitement and expectation. My first motel experience is nothing to write home about really, other than the novelty of a swimming pool. CNN is reporting on a murder trial and the rape of a child - welcome to the real world. I�m tired and unreasonably gloomy. Maybe I'll feel better in the morning. |