| We climbed up the bank and were greeted by several acres of undeveloped land, secluded from the road and with no trespassing signs. Perfect! Ever since I was a toddler, I have been afraid of the dark. My mother would have to stay with me in bed until I fell sleep. If I woke up in the middle of the night and found I was alone, I would scream until my mother would come back. As I look back, I am sure my father must not have been too thrilled. On the other hand, he was partially to blame: he loved to tell us ghost stories before we went to sleep. He would always tell us how every night, at midnight, the skeletons came out of their graves - their bones rattling as they flew into the sky. |
| After saying goodbye, my dogs and I proceeded up river. By the bridge, we found a park. I pulled over to the ramp and walked to the bait store. The attendant told me that the marina was on the other side of the bridge and explained how to get there, since it was not visible from the river. As instructed, I made a left at a small channel that led into a hidden cove. I paddled a little ways until the marina came into view. I saw a man and a woman on one of the boats that were docked. I approached them and asked if camping on the grounds was allowed. They showed me an empty spot where I could possibly dock my canoe and said that if I spoke to the owner he would most likely allow me to set up a tent. Regarding my dogs, they warned me that there were a couple of alligators living there. I went looking for the owner but he wasn't in. On my way there, I had noticed an empty lot on the riverbank. The bank was about 15 ft. high and had a path through which my dogs and I could climb. When boats approach a bridge, they are required to slow down; the canoe would be fairly safe from boat wakes. I left the marina and went to check it out. |
| That night, I was awakened by Alice's barking. She had broken through the screen while chasing an animal that could have been anything: armadillo, rat, snake, raccoon or god-knows-what. My concern was that she would run into an alligator. I could not see her in the pitch darkness and yelled until she returned. Once I had her safely inside, I took out needles and thread and patched up the screen as best I could, in a groggy state of mind |
| In the morning, we walked to town and bought fresh fruits and vegetables for me and beef for the girls. It was a treat! We had been subsisting on canned foods, pasta, rice and cereal. Traveling with an overloaded canoe with a draft of only 5 inches above water level and having been nearly flooded by boat wakes, forced me to sort through the gear and sacrifice comfort for safety. Anything that was not absolutely necessary had to be left behind. This included the pillow and the two flotation mats that we had been using to sleep on. From that day on, we would sleep with only a wool blanket between the ground and us. The mildew was a constant battle. Rather than letting them get ruined, I took out everything that was leather and still in good condition: a jacket, 2 pairs of hiking boots, 2 pairs of shoes, and four belts. I gave them to the Mexican lady who tended the vegetable stand. By the time I finished cleaning house, we had only gained an inch in draft. |
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| Photo: South Florida Water Management District |
| As a general rule, Latin Americans believe in spirits. I grew up listening to a lot of true ghost stories. Even as a teenager, I'd wake up scared and crawl into my sister's bed. Unlike me, she was never afraid and she hated it when I'd sneak into her bed because I would toss and turn - waking her up throughout the night. Even as an adult, I always had a light on at night. But all that had to change when I started this trip: I was in total darkness as soon as the sun went down and the fire died out. It became mandatory to NEVER think about spooks. |
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| Beatriz Socorro |