We grab a rental car and Mike displays some entertaining driving techniques, such as going the wrong way against traffic and then suddenly jumping over the dividing median, right in front of a police car. After the obligatory period of getting lost, we make our way to the attraction of the far southwest -- the Delta Expo.

In 1953, a huge storm, the like of which has not been seen before or since in that area, hit this side of Holland. The dykes were in a neglected state and the landscape was made ripe for flooding by centuries of peat harvesting. So, when the dykes broke, the resulting flooding caused much damage and loss of life. After this great tragedy, the Dutch politicians reacted the way all politicians tend to act following a spectacular calamity, (the World Trade Center destruction sprang to my mind) they vowed that it should never happen again, no matter what the cost.

Thus springs the Delta Project! A gargantuan undertaking that took decades, cost billions and is the object of the Delta Expo's intense adulation. I came in expecting to increase my appreciation of a marvelous engineering success, but the more I learned about this project, the more I began to question if it was truly the best course of action. Wouldn't it have been better to spend the time and money (and much less of the latter than the Delta Project consumed!) on keeping up the maintanence on the dykes and reestablishing the natural peat barriers? I joke with Tony and Mike about my idea for a "Peat Project", but I do believe there are far better solutions to the flooding problem this area is prone to, especially since it seems that some of the most expensive parts of the Delta Project have rarely been put to use.

Despite what I think about the wisdom of undertaking the Delta Project, there's no question that this was a herculean engineering feat. Basically, they swept out a huge area offshore and laid out endless miles of synthetic flooring. They pounded it down with enormous rods and constructed a long series of emergency locks, left open during normal times, but ready to strategically close during a mammoth storm. They topped it all off by dumping tons of imported boulders around the locks.

Walking around the Delta Expo is like visiting the abode of a James Bond villian. Everything is 1960's modern and the displays have aged badly, giving them a kitchy appeal. The unbalanced stance provides amusement as well. Every imported boulder is effusively praised while major demonstrations against the environmental impact of some parts of the project, which were eventually abandonned, get only passing reference.

Walking around the Delta Expo, getting a view of the project while ignoring the newly added amusement park, is one of the best parts of the visit. We're so entranced by its grandeur that we overstay our visit and get locked inside the grounds! As we scale a fence and walk through a tunnel to get to our rental car, we joke that we will get there in time to see a giant claw dropping the car into the water, where another huge machine will pound it into the sea floor. A note will be left at our empty parking space thanking us for our contribution to the upkeep of the Delta Project.

We stop in the mysterious town of Middleburg, where all the hotel rooms are taken, yet there appears to be almost no one around. Eventually, we do find a place to stay, and a good place for dinner. Overall, the town is surprisingly interesting, particularly around the main square. Not sure where all those hidden tourists are lurking though. Perhaps they are somewhere deep inside the Delta Expo.