Travel Tips, Advice, and Photos.

Belize Culture: Land of the Mayan Indians

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:28:00 GMT

Belize: Land of the Mayan Indians

It doesn't take long to discover that Belize is a land of contrasts. From the poverty and disarray of the cities to the quiet countryside, many differences are soon found.
With poverty and crime running rampant in cities such as Belize City and Belmopan, the traveler has to be constantly aware of his surroundings and protect whatever is being carried. Remember ,that camera hanging around your neck is worth more than the average Belizian earns in a year. All that aside, the Mayan people are wonderfully warm people many of whom go out of their way to please visitors.
Traveling into the country side one discovers thatch roof homes with no doors or windows.With the warm climate , they can live comfortably all year with a gently breeze flowing through the open windows and doors. I was struck with the concept that although no utility lines were visible, a lot of homes had a satellite dish in the front yard. Asking my guide about this he stated that the TV's and VCR's were powered by a car battery. No wonder the video stores were the largest stores in town.
He stated that when the battery ran down , it would be taken into town and recharged at the local gas station. Jokingly , I asked why he just didn't switch batteries with the tour van we were traveling in to re-charge it? His reply, "I couldn't do that, it would be stealing from my employer."
Too bad more people don't have that attitude!

There are many things to see while visiting this tiny Central American country, including Mayan temples, many exotic animals and birds, including Jaguars, and a variety of snakes and parakeets.
The Cays, located just a short distance off shore are beautiful with white sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters. Some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving can be found along this, the second longest barrier reef in the world.
The food was surprisingly good,the first evening,dining in a bread and breakfast frequented by Earnest Hemingway I enjoyed a Red Snapper wrapped in a banana leaf , whilst sipping on a quart sized $5 margarita. Although the sandwiches we consumed for lunch were not very appetizing. I finally settled for my old favorite , a peanut butter, mayonnaise, lettuce and cheese sandwich. As a child , it took me years to perfect this masterpiece. Not sure why, but the waitress turned green when I ordered it. And she was an African American, never saw that before!
Fillet Mignon was to be enjoyed several nights, and to celebrate the complete of our expedition, the grand finale! Sweet and sour lobster kabobs were enjoyed while over looking the Caribbean Ocean from the top floor of a waterfront hotel.

With the Belize annual rainfall ranging from 80 inches to 180 inches a year, it was rather difficult to imagine a day without rainfall,due to the large amount of rainfall most of the roads are nearly impassable even in good weather. Be sure to take along a chain, after getting stuck five times, the closest thing to a chain we saw was a Texan cowboy driving a Ford Bronco 2 equipped with a winch on the front. The normal procedure is to wait along side the road until enough people come along to push the vehicle out of the ditch,with the ditches being quite deep, some times this can take a while.
Looking at a Belize map it can be realized how small the country really is, only approximately 180 miles from the southern end to the northern border with Mexico, it is hard to imagine the rainfall could vary that much in such a short distance.
If planning a Belize vacation, be sure to bring along a rain parka and boots. And a chain.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

The Cocoa Tree

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:41:00 GMT

The Cocoa Tree

The cultivation and use of cocoa was began early in Meso-America.Studies suggest the tree was domesticated and originated in Amazonia.

Cacao or Kakaw, according to Maya belief was discovered by the gods in a mountain that also held other delectable foods that were used by the native Mayas. Mayan mythology states that after humans were created from maize the Plumed Serpent gave cacao to the Mayas. Cocoa was regularly given as a sacrifice to the many Mayan Gods , often times priests would lance their ears and cover the cacoa with their blood as a sacrifice. This ritual was only performed by the men, as cacoa was thought to be toxic to women and children.

Soon the Maya learned to flavor the cocoa by mixing it with maize,chili, vanilla, peanut butter and honey. (Cookies and Cream came later.) It is believed the Aztecs learned to grind it and mix with tobacco .

Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter cocoa after capturing a canoe at Guanaja and finding a large quantity of odd looking almonds. From this encounter cocoa naturally spread throughout Europe and became a popular drink the world over.

Cocoa trees produce the cocoa bean that is responsible for making chocolate. The trees are known to grow naturally within 15 degrees of the equator all around the world.Growing the cocoa plant is very difficult because they are so picky about the care that they need and will not survive in all conditions,but a healthy cocoa tree growing 20 or more feet tall can produce fruit for 75 to 100 years. The cocoa tree needs a well-draining and slightly acidic soil, at least 80 inches of rainfall or water a year and it needs extremely controlled sunlight, preferably covered shade from taller trees and vegetation.

Chocolate contains many chemicals, among them are , caffeine,serotonin , theobromine,and phenylethyamin are anti-depressant and anti-stress agents.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.

Nutritional and weight loss products

Belize, The Panti Mayan Medicine Trail

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:46:00 GMT

Belize, The Panti Mayan Medicine Trail

Ix Chel was founded in 1983, the first major step was to clear away the high bush in the area. It was founded with the desire to be of service to those interested in learning of the useful plants in Belize and their role in healing and tradition. The whole farm is a nature study center that is self sufficient in food, medicine, and the conversion of solar energy.

The Maya Indians were very knowledgeable in the healing capabilities of plants and herbs. One off the last remaining medicine men , or H'men was Don Eligio Panti of San Antonio , Cayo District.
H'man is an ancient Mayan term used to designate one who is both a doctor and priest. The medicine men were very influential in the lives of the Mayan Indians.

The Mayan herbalist is adept at combining medicine and religion according to ancient healing traditions.The procedures all contained nine different medicine leaves. Nine being a most vital number in the Mayan civilization, as there are nine Mayan Spirits who watch over all the Mayan empire, there are nine Lords of the underworld, nine levels of the underworld, and most ancient Mayan Temples had nine tiers of nine steps each, also the rituals are repeated nine times.

The Ix Chel Medicine Farm was founded mainly by Dr. Rosita Arvigo, after being an apprentice of Don Eligo Panti for several years. She wanted to learn of his knowledge, to preserve the tradition of ancient remedies and the Mayan medicinal system of intermingling the physical and supernatural worlds to create what is called a medico-religious system, before it was lost to the world.
Twenty-five percent of the world's commercial medicines come from plant based chemicals found only in tropical regions. In the future the research could reveal cures for cancer, high blood pressure and many other diseases.

Dr. Rosita says, "They are participating inn the National Cancer Institute's program to scour the tropical world in search of medicinal plants to be tested against one hundred types of cancer cells and three AIDS viruses.Through wholelistic medicine stressing manipulation , herbal remedies, diet therapy, and Back Flower remedies , Dr. Rosita Arvigo and her staff hope to continue their work and find cures for many diseases affecting modern man."

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve Belize

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:08:00 GMT

Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve Belize

The worlds first sanctuary created specifically for the elusive jaguar

The Cockscomb Basin, is ringed on three sides by high ridges and mountains , being a protected rain forest it's name comes from the cockscomb profile of the nearby Maya Mountains. Home to the elusive Jaguar and other rare species such as the red eye tree frog, this Reserve can only be reached by a very rough six mile mud road.

It is best to visit during the "dry season" which runs from February - May. During the wet season June-January most of the annual 180 inches of rain occurs thus roads can be impasable.

Inside the Preserve well-maintained trails have been cut to give visitors a taste of the area's bio-diversity, offering impressive views and an ideal environment for plant spotting, serious birding or seeking out wildlife, jungle flora and fauna in a wilderness state.There are numerous hiking trails for exploring the area,including a 3 day hike to Victoria Peak, the second highest mountain peak in Belize. Inner tubes can be rented to float down the Stann Creek River. Although Jaguars inhabit the area, it is unlikely you will see one as they are nocturnal.

This was to be our home for one night, which would give us the opportunity to learn more of the Mayan culture.After which we would continue on to the Mayan Temple deep in the jungle. It was an interesting visit , as many items were in the tiny museum located inside. One of the items was a skull from the Fer-De-Lance ,a large snake that can grow up to eighteen feet in length. Looking at the skull, I first thought it to be a horse head,guess I don't want to meet up with one of these in some dark corner of the jungle.

Beings our expedition to the "Secret Temple" had been canceled due to storms and raging rivers, we were obliged to stay 2 nights . The little cabin we were staying in had no facilities or electricity. For entertainment our little group decided to play shadow puppets by the light given off by our kerosene lantern. What a thrill, sitting in the middle of a jungle playing shadow puppets.! It turned out to be a real hoot!

The second night Ernesto, the manager of the Jaguar Reserve offered to guide us on a night time expedition into the bush to see if a jaguar could be spotted. He explained that if we did see a jaguar, we should aim our light at him, as it would drive him off, he then explained that if a Fer-De-Lance was spotted it would be best to turn our flash lights off, as the light would attract the snake to us. I'm sitting here thinking, "What if we see one of each." He further stated that a quick get-a-way might be in order in case the snake decided to follow us. The ground was extremely slippery and several of the tribe had already fallen, so the enthusiasm quickly faded.

Some how playing shadow puppets seemed like a good alternative.

Ernrsto stayed with us this evening and thus we learned a lot more of the Belizian way of life and the Mayan culture.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos

Free B&B Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com

Lubantuum, Home of the Crystal Skull (Lubantuun)

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:48:00 GMT

Lubantuum, Home of the Crystal Skull

My original purpose for going to Belize was to visit Lubantuum, the pyramid where Helen Mitchell-Hedges allegedly found a crystal skull in 1924 when she was 16 years old.
Her father was exploring British Honduras (now Belize) looking for evidence of the legendary Atlantis. Her account of the discovery states that she was the only one small enough to climb into the small entrance of the pyramid where the skull was found.
Thirteen of the crystal skulls have been found in parts of Central America, Mexico, and South America in or near ancient Mayan and Aztec ruins. There is much evidence linking them to the ancient natives of Peru.The skulls are believed to be between 5,000 and 36,000 years old and many people claim they hold healing and magical properties,however no one really knows where they came from or how they were made.
The Mitchell-Hedges skull is the most famous as it resembles a human skull and remarkably, has a removable jaw bone.
It is flawless in it’s design, being made of highly polished crystal, it is so perfect that the most advanced sculptures and engineers of the day have no idea how it could have been made without it either shattering or falling apart during construction.

I had viewed the Crystal Skull several months earlier while it was on display in Indianapolis, it is a fascinating piece of art work, being the same size as a human skull, it is carved out of pure crystal and is flawless with no signs of any carving or chiseling whatsoever.

The Lubantuum pyramid lies in ruin, midway between Dangriga and Punta Gorda in southern Belize,it is reachable only by negotiating a quarter mile cow path that leads up from a dirt road,
As our van approached the site, the only marking from the road was a small sign, stopping the van we began the ascent to Lubantuun , gently finding our way between the cow patties and mud puddles we arrived at the site.
The pyramid is being slowly restored, but much work still needs to be done. While construction is going on continuously, a guide is always on site to give an interesting and informative talk of the site, showing the cavity where the crystal skull was supposedly found.

The view from the top was fantastic,standing on the top of the pyramid and above the tree line , looking eastward,several miles away the Gulf of Mexico could be seen . All in all it was an interesting experience, it is interesting to note that at one time there was a thriving civilization here amidst the jungle, or was it a jungle then?

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

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Belize City

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:51:00 GMT

Belize City

Not being extremely fond of jungles and with visions of Voodoo dancing in my mind, my apprehension had been at a rather high level as I prepared to visit Belize. As the plane approached the airport in Belize City , the fact that a rather large cow was standing near the runway did nothing to dispel my fears. Luckily for us and the cow, she was more interested in eating the grass growing alongside the runway than becoming roadkill for a MD-80.
The plane came to an uneventful stop near the terminal and we immediately began leaving the plane and enter the airport. Not what I had expected!
A jet way was totally out of the question, it was down the steps and across the tarmac, just like in the old days!
The airport, being a small cement block building, had none of the creature comforts that are associated with airports in the United States. The only creatures were several cats that had made their temporary homes in the airport.
Customs and immigration consisted of two plywood tables on saw horses,thus we opened our luggage and displayed our underwear to the world.
Smiling, well armed, friendly guards were manning both positions,and we were checked through with great efficiency.
Leaving the airport by way of the back door,a 15 year old taxi, a Ford Crown Victoria whisked us away as our great adventure in the jungles of Central America began!
A native Belizian, almost 7 foot tall, greeted us as we pulled up in front of our humble abode, a two story house with a picket fence in front. Immediately he asked where we were from, after I had responded I was from Indiana I wasn't surprised when he asked me if I knew Bobby Knight. I had seen a flurry of basketball goals on the way from the airport, it seems as if the modern day Mayas are still obsessed with basketball, as their ancestors practiced a rudimentary form of the sport centuries ago.
His second question set us back a little, "Do you want to buy any drugs?" He asked. Not being one that engages in that sort of activity,"No thanks." was the reply. One can only imagine the quality of the jails in this tiny country.
We were warned that the same people who would sell drugs, would also turn the buyer into the local authorities, thus earning a reward, getting the drugs back and re-selling them to the next victim.
The accommodations at our hotel were adequate, complete with a community bathroom. One soon learned to knock and holler before entering.
Settling in for the evening , dinner was the first thing on the agenda, Red Snapper wrapped in a banana leaf and a quart sized Margarita seemed to be a decent way to start our little adventure. Might as well enjoy the evening, tomorrow we venture out into the hinterland, hard to envision what adventure might await us in the land of the Maya.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Xunantunich, Cayo District Belize

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:28:00 GMT

Xunantunich, Cayo District Belize

Towering 130 above the landscape this ancient temple dominates the area. However the trip to this temple can be quite eventful. Our day started as we five adventurers from the U.S. with our Maya driver and guide boarded our Ford van for the trip to Xunantunich, one of the most famous temples in Belize. As we passed through the little town of San Ignacio we came to the river crossing. Needless to say it wasn't what I had expected.
The only way to cross the river was on a small, one vehicle ferry. As we entered the ferry I noticed that it wasn't tied securely to the bank and it floated away from the bank as we drove on to it. It was then that I noticed it was powered by a hand crank being operated by the ferry boat captain.

The river crossing was exciting but uneventful, having crossed to the other side we proceeded up the river bank and drove to the top of the hill and the temple. It was quite impressive sitting on the top of a mountain, the view from the top was rather spectacular, being high above the jungle we could see for miles. The site was cleared with a small picnic shelter nearby. It being nearly 1 PM, and not having had lunch we boarded the van for the trip back into town to find the closest restaurant.
As we approached the river we noticed that there might be a problem as traffic was backed up on both sides of the river. A pick-up truck had tried to board the ferry, but when they drove onto the boat, the ferry started to moved,which spooked them. The driver did exactly the wrong thing as he applied the brakes , that action caused the ferry to move from the bank which resulted in the truck dropping off the edge of the ferry , sinking window deep into the water.
The locals had tied a chain to a truck parked on the road above the pick-up, but were having little success getting the pick-up out of the river.

As this was all happening,suddenly there came the sound of two cars racing down the street towards the Saturday afternoon crowd that had gathered to watch. As they came racing towards the 100 or so people, some of them began to scatter, however one of the cars plowed into the crowd with bodies flying everywhere. It actually hit the chain that was attached to the pick-up truck,and flipped over on top of a child. After the car had rolled over the child ,he got up and ran off without a scratch. A couple other boys weren't so lucky as they lay silent on the road. Our tour guide stripped down to her underwear and dove into the water to help. The next thing we knew she was helping put one of the boys onto a piece of metal roofing that was being used a a stretcher and off they went to a hospital in Guatemala. No clothes and no passport.

It all turned out well as they boys survived and no one was killed. Our tour guide made it back safely wrapped in a bed sheet. Half starved, we finally had dinner at the hotel that evening.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.

Underground Railroad Napoleon Indiana

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:02:00 GMT

Underground Railroad

Napoleon Indiana

The Underground Railroad had many routes consisting of secret routes and safe houses whereby slaves used to escape to not only the northern states, but Canada, Mexico, and the rest of the world as well. It has been estimated that at it's height between 1810 and 1850 as many as 100,000 people escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad figures prominently in African -American history and has captured the imagination as a symbol of freedom.

Having no real organization or central authority , it existed openly in the north and just beneath the surface in the south. By it slaves were mainly transported under cover of darkness from one location to another while hiding in safe houses during daylight hours. Thus the African-Americans would proceed north until freedom was reached.

There is much uncertainly as to where the term "underground railroad" originated,however both those who aided the slaves and those outraged by the loss of slave property , began referring to the term " underground railroad" by 1840.

One of many such stations located in southern Indiana , this property served as a stop over for many freed slaves heading north. Located in Napoleon Indiana, just 35 miles north of the the Ohio River, it became one of the first destinations after leaving the south. At that time this quaint little town was located at the cross roads of two major roads of the area and was an important cog in the wheels of commerce in the early 1800's. Although most continued north , from this point they could proceed in any direction they chose, thus giving them the opportunity to elude slave hunters or anyone else who might want to cause them harm.

Underground Railroad Station Napoleon Indiana

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Discount Printer Ink

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:36:00 GMT

Discount Printer Ink

Tired of the makers of ink jet printers practically giving you a printer and then ripping you off for the ink?

Sarasota Florida

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:53:00 GMT

Sarasota Florida

Sarasota Florida, located on the west coast of Florida about an hours drive south of Tampa is one of the premier garden spots in the world. It has been called the "biggest" little city in the country. With all the amenities of a large city, it still offers small town friendliness and hospitality. Everything from theater to professional sports is offered as well as a wide variety of civic and fraternal organizations.Enjoying sunshine over 300 days a year and a frost maybe once every five years the climate is ideal.

The John Ringling Bridge built in 2003 is a modern passage to St.Armand's Circle and Longboat Key. Actually the 3rd bridge to traverse Sarasota Bay, the first bridge was built by John Ringling in the early1900's utilizing elephant power to move the heavy timbers involved in it's construction. The second bridge was a draw bridge which was removed when the present day bridge was built.

On Dec. 23,1885 a group of Scottish families arrived in Sarasota to settle on land they had purchased for their new homes. Meeting with hardships instead of an established town they had been promised, many returned to Scotland. The ones that remained along with the American colonists who welcomed them plotted the town on July 27th, 1886.

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station depot was built in 1925. This mission style white stucco building with a red tile roof anchored the east end of Main Street. The station had separate rooms for white and colored patrons as was common in the day. The first train arrived in May of 1924. The station served the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus when it arrived in 1927.

The island has various names during the 1800's and early 1900's. Known as Little Sarasota Key and Sarasota Key before 1907. The name Siesta Keybegan in 1907 and became official in 1952.

Early access was by boat, the beach became popular after the first bridge was built in 1917. For the first time cars could access the island and thus many homes, cottages and even a casino was constructed on the island.In recent years Siesta Key has been given the distinction of being named the best beach in Florida and one of the top ten beaches in the United States.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Country Road, Indiana

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:21:00 GMT

Country Road

A Country Road in rural Indiana

The state of Indiana, located in the mid western part of the United States is largely rural in nature. As such there are many scenes such as the one pictured. This particular photograph was taken in south eastern Indiana in Ohio County.

Photo Clock

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

The Origin of the Christmas Tree

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:29:00 GMT

The Origin of the Christmas Tree

Many people believe the origin of the Christmas Tree originated in Europe perhaps in the 15th or 16th century. However there is much evidence that points to the fact the tree originally had pagan roots,(no pun intended) and actually originated much earlier than that.

In the 16th century the Catholic Church finally allowed the previous pagan symbol to be included into the birth of Jesus Christ. The tradition of a "Yule Tree" or "Solstice Tree" long pre-dated the time of Jesus and the Catholic Church.

It's origin lies in a pagan remembrance of a time when there was a Cosmic Tree, a home of the "Gods", the tree of Life, source of good and evil.

One symbol of sacred knowledge in antiquity was a Tree, ever guarded by a serpent, the serpent or dragon of wisdom.

Early legends state the existence of a land to the north of Europe called Hyperborea,a land free of ice and snow.The land was perfect with the sun shining 24 hours a day, neither disease , famine or old age was present, far from labor and battle they lived. It was in this land the ancients believed the "Tree of Life" existed, the star at the top came to represent Polaris, the North Star, around which the ancients believed all the universe revolved.

Ironically Santa Claus lives at the North Pole and thus Santa is woven into this legend.

Our ancient ancestors found it extremely difficult to deal with the harshness of winter and would long for a mild season. Thus they would often try to appease the forces of nature with various religious activities. Dressing up as Old Man Winter, the Pagan Vikings would then try to make him as welcome as possible. After appearing to have some success, the British adopted the custom and called him Old Father Christmas. He was welcomed into each house and given food and drink in hopes of putting him in a good mood, thus creating a mild winter and early spring.

This pagan figure thus became confused with Santa Claus, originally a Christian Monk who died in 345 CE and gained sainthood.

Becoming more popular than Christ, the French clergy burned him in effigy in the middle of the 19th century.

Today's Santa is actually an invention of Coca Cola, who in 1931 hired an artist to redesign Santa Claus for their winter advertising campaign. Red and white, the colors of Coca Cola became the color of the Old Man's uniform.

In earlier times, Old Man Winter, or Father Christmas would appear in green,purple, blue or even brown,(wonder if that is where UPS got the idea?) and sometimes even trimmed in furs. But no more, modern America has transformed him into a fat jolly man in a red suit with lots of goodies for everyone. Hence the jolly old man who brings goodies to everyone actually had his humble beginnings in pagan times and not Christianity as one would think.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Clewiston, Florida

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:40:00 GMT

Clewiston , Florida

Clewiston, known as America's " sweetest" town is located adjacent to Lake Okeechobee. The first settlers of the area were native Americans as the area was once used as a fishing village by the Seminole Indians.

Centrally located , Clewiston is located mid state 60 miles east of Ft. Myers on the Gulf coast and 60 west of Palm Beach on the Atlantic Coast. Reaching Clewiston is easy, just take US 27, it being found on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake in the United States.

The cross-state Okeechobee Waterway offers direct access from either coast for boats up to 120 feet. After arriving in Clewiston, the motels,marinas, and condominiums all have dock space.

Located at the gateway to Lake Okeechobee, and despite a half century of growth, Clewiston has maintained it's small town charm and beauty. The first permanent settlement began in 1920 when John O'Brien and Alonzo Lewis of Tampa purchased a large tract of land to establish a town. Soon thereafter they built the Moore Haven and Clewiston Railroad to connect the community to the Atlantic Coast Line at Moore Haven.

Incorporated as a city in 1925, Clewiston would become noted for its sport fishing, particularly large mouth bass.

Soon thereafter sugar plantations were established and by the 1950s the cultivation of vegetables, citrus, and cattle were important to the local economy.

Because of the fact U.S, Sugar established it's headquarters in the small hamlet, it gained the nickname,"sweetest town in America".

With the small town atmosphere, many health and recreational facilities, small business opportunities, and a temperate climate all make Clewiston an ideal place to retire or raise a family.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Oasis of the Seas

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:20:00 GMT

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Oasis of the Sea

Returning to Port Everglades at 2 AM, from a 5 day Caribbean cruise to Jamaica and Grand Cayman, it was a pleasant surprise to see the newest and largest cruise ship ever built docked near us.
Weighing in at over 225,000 tons, the Oasis of the Sea is an architectural marvel at sea. Built for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, It features 2700 staterooms and can accommodate over 5400 passengers.

Rising16 decks above the water, it is the first cruise ship to feature seven themed areas, Central Park, Boardwalk,The Royal Promenade,the pool and sports zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, and the Entertainment and Youth Zone.

Having just returned from one of my favorite cruises, and seeing the Oasis of the Sea in port, I could only imagine what ship our next cruise would be on

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of productsfeaturing many of his photos.

Explorer: Hernando de Soto

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:35:00 GMT

Hernando de Soto

Born in 1496, just four short years after Christopher Columbus's historic journey to America, Hernando De Soto soon followed in his footsteps.

In May 1539 de Soto one of the early Spanish explorers landed nine ships with 620 men, and 220 surviving horses at Shaw's Point near present day Bradenton, Florida,which he named Espiritu Santo after the Holy Spirit. The ships carried priests, farmers, craftsmen,engineers and merchants. Although a few came from Cuba, most were from Europe and Africa,and many brought their families .Very few of them had ever traveled outside of Spain and many had never left their tiny home villages.

Hernando de Soto National Monument Near Bradenton Florida.

For the next three years, De Soto lead many expeditions into what is now the southeastern United States. In the search for gold and a passage to China, de Soto traveled extensively through what is now the Carolina's, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. There is now much evidence that de Soto and his men traveled through Kentucky,entered Indiana near present day Evansville and ventured as far north as Chicago, turning back south through Illinois and Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
Many battles with the American Indian tribes were fought, often times causalities among the native Indians would be in the thousands. Many times de Soto and his men lost supplies, horses, and equipment .Starvation, disease, and hostile natives were thought to be just minor inconveniences, as the promises of riches was greatly exaggerated. DeSoto was expected to colonize the area for Spain within four years and as a result his family would acquire great wealth from the mother country.
The wealth was never realized, however, because of his vast explorations, de Soto was the first documented European to reach the Mississippi River.

De Soto died of a fever on May 21, 1542 in the Indian village of Guachoya on the banks of the Mississippi River. Although many of the natives doubted this, de Soto had convinced the Indians he was an immortal sun God ( as a ploy to gain their submission without conflict).

To ensure their safety after his death, his men concealed his corpse by hiding it in a blanket, weighted it with sand and then sank it in the middle of the Mississippi River in the dark of night.
Even though De Soto failed to find the riches or a passage to China,his impact was greatly felt in America. They brought horses and pigs to the new world, the pigs being the ancestors of the now famous razorback hogs of the southeast. Where would Arkansas be without their Razorbacks?

As with many of the earlier explorers, some of the negative influences were the swapping of disease, the Europeans brought with them small pox, and received in return syphilis and tobacco.

His explorations as well as those that followed opened the western hemisphere to others and eventually paved the way for the formation of a new country where freedom and prosperity would be available to every one who would desire it.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and marketsa line of products featuring many of his photos.

Weather:The Blizzard of 1978

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:36:00 GMT

The Blizzard

Living in Southeastern Indiana,most our winters were relatively mild. A normal winter would consist of maybe two feet of snow spread over the entire season and a couple of weeks of zero weather. The rest of the winter would be cloudy and dreary , with highs just above freezing.

Starting in 1976, we experienced three increasingly several winters,with the grand daddy of them all in 1978. The winter started out innocently enough with a fairly mild pre-Christmas period. I remember thinking that this winter would probably see little or no snow, since the previous two had been so severe. Boy was I in for a rude awakening!

Everything went well until the third week in January, which is notorious for blizzards and bad weather. The week-end saw blizzard warnings being posted on TV and radio,however as is often the case nothing develops and not much attention is given to them. Things changed on Sunday as the first wave of snow descended upon us. Over two feet fell in a short period of time and coupled with high winds, our world was paralyzed.

I had been working for UPS for 9 years and this was the first day that nothing moved. Most of the roads had been cleared so things were better Tuesday, life was kind of back to normal.

Then the warnings kept coming, a major blizzard was on it's way . The weather service was predicting several feet of snow . Most thought we couldn't have two blizzards in a week, however as the sun sat on Wednesday it became apparent that something major was in the making.

The wind had turned to the northwest and the temperature dropped. Soon the snow was falling faster the stock market in '29. Looking out my front window and seeing nothing but snow, it was evident we were in for the "big" one.

UPS and it's drivers had the attitude that we could handle anything and weather couldn't stop us. We had never had a day before this week where deliveries couldn't be made. As a result, they were sending "feeders "to Indianapolis from Cincinnati, after the freeway had been closed .About 200 units became stranded in the snow, with some isolated for up to 2 months. Needless to say that policy was soon changed, after that,when a severe blizzard was forecast, everyone was pulled off the roads at sundown.

Nothing moved until the following Monday, needless to say the highway department didn't have the equipment to handle all the snow. Many areas were isolated, in some locations snow was piled up as high as 20 feet .The roads would be opened and no sooner than the snow plows went through, the wind would blow them shut again. Soon every farmer with a tractor and construction worker that owned a bulldozer had been hired by the state to help clean the roads.

The local Dairy Queen housed about 200 stranded truckers and motorists. After they ran out of food, more food was air lifted in by helicopter. Most were stranded for over a week , that's a long time to eat brazers and hot fudge sundaes.

All in all , over 60 inches of snow fell that winter.

It didn't let up or thaw out until the last week in March, making it over two months that many people were isolated, many without heat or electricity.

My grandpa had always talked about how bad the winter of '06 had been.I noticed he had quit talking about '06, so I asked him why.
He just responded, " '78 was worse."

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota, Florida. He maintains a website featuring some of his travel photos and markets a line of products featuring many of his photos.

Australia: Aborigines and drugs

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:44:00 GMT

Aborigines and Drugs

One of the sadder aspects of the native aborigine's life is the introduction of drugs and alcohol into their lives. I took this photo while a bunch of children were playing soccer near the Laura River. The river was covered with syringes, there were more drugs in this water bed than in your local Walgreens.
The Aborigines have lost their culture and their way,after living in the outback for thousands of years of living in the Australian outback they have a hard time adapting to modern culture. The Australian government have tried, there are all sorts of programs to help them. However, the government will give them housing and they will sleep outside behind the buildings, because that is what they have done for 40,000 years.
As a result of loosing their purpose and focus, many have turned to drugs and alcohol. The native Australians have many things they could teach us, hopefully their culture won't disappear before modern man learns these valuable lessons.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.

Australia:Outback Pub

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:42:00 GMT

Australian Outback; Every Thing revolves around the Pub

As one gallivants around various parts of the Australian outback,it doesn't take long to realize that life in these tiny hamlets revolve around the pub. Every town has one, most outback villages are really small with a total population of 25 or less. So every evening the population of the town and the surrounding bush congregate at the pub for a longie and a game of pool.
Things can get a little rowdy in these parts, the men are men, and so are the women. You probably have noticed objects hanging from the ceiling. Those items are women's under wear, women love to play pool,however if they loose a game, they are required to hang their underwear from the ceiling. I never had the opportunity to observe this ,however I understand at lot of them don't bother to go in the other room to remove them.

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.

Australia: Out Back Cooking, Chicken on the Barbie

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:41:00 GMT

Grilling on the Barbie, Australia outback style

What a way to end the day, after riding up and down dust infested Australian outback roads all day, it was always a delight to settle in at a campground and enjoy a cold "tinnie" and whatever the main course for the evening was. Chicken,steak, burgers or shrimp normally highlighted the cuisine, sometimes, if we were lucky, all four items would be available. The driver , pictured here, would be the chief cook and bottle washer, our main job was to supervise and make sure the beer didn't run out.
After dining under the Southern Cross and enjoying a superb dinner with all the fixin's, the only thing left to do was to enjoy an after dinner drink, watch our camp fire die down and settle in for a warm winter's nap in our comfortable(not) swags,only to awaken to a new day and new adventures.

Outback Adventure

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.

Austalia:Aborigine Boy in Ceremonial Attire

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:39:00 GMT

Aboriginal Boy in Ceremonial Attire

Photograph of a young aboriginal boy dressed to perform an ancient aboriginal ceremonial dance. The photo was taken during the bi-annual laura River songfest normally held in June. Laura is located at the base of the York Peninsula in Queensland.

Modern Day Walkabout

Gary is a travel writer and photographer living in Sarasota,Florida. He has a website featuring more photos and articles and also markets products featuring some of his travel photos.