I made this list and emailed it to a friend. Now I am going to post it here for all eternity. lol
1. Hiked 8 miles into the Fakahatchee Swamp with Bert following a narrow strip of dry land with swamp on both sides. Spent the night in jungle hammocks, thankfully protected from the billions of hungry mosquitoes we could hear swarming from out of the bushes and trees and surrounding us throughout the night. Had near bear encounter on the way out. 300# black bear ran and hid while we examined his fresh armadillo kill and his huge claw marks on the ground. We did not see any other people until we were nearly out. We met two biologists who were coming in and they told us the size of the bear. A biologist interviewed for the Smithsonian magazine said the swamp is home to 22 species of snakes, many alligators, panthers, and black bears. He said he would never go into the swamp after dark or alone during the day.
2. Camped in and explored the Amazon jungle as Bert and I traveled from Manaus, Brazil to ..... for 3 weeks, sleeping beside rivers in jungle hammocks. Endured relentless rain and biting insects of all kinds. Neither of us spoke Portuguese but we had visitors to our camp daily who spoke no English. We spent hours around a campfire conversing somehow and understanding each other, mostly. Brought home a 7 foot snake that Bert caught on the road. Customs did not want to look into the bag so no problem bringing it in. We named him Sete, Portuguese for seven. He joined our 10 ft reticulated python, Monty and our sweet California mountain kingsnake, Coco, both of which Bert had caught in Miami.
3. Spent one month exploring Peru with Bert. Visited Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu. Had to be driven 30 miles to the airport the night we left for US in an old wreck of a car with a stranger driving. The hotel staff was suddenly very afraid we would be kidnapped by the Shining Path Rebels if we took a taxi. I did not trust the man driving so had some long knitting needles aimed at the back of his seat ready to punch through his body in case he drove past the airport.
4. Rode a mule into the Grand Canyon down the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point. One day, 10 hours, no overnight. The crowd waiting for a show when we dismounted our mules after return to the visitor center had a roaring good laugh when I attempted to walk away from mine. Ouchie.
5. Slept nightly for 2 weeks in the Yukon in secluded parks in an open backed jeep beside signs that said: WARNING- Dangerous bear in area. Explored the off-roads of the Yukon.
6. Rafted white water in North Carolina Mountains. Bert and I alone in a rubber raft. We had lied about having experience. Son and girlfriend in another raft, also having lied, turned over and son nearly died. He was injured and rescued but couldn't wait to go back to do it again.
7. Went sailing with inexperienced drunken sailor (Bert) in his homemade sailboat with a cabin on Biscayne Bay. Spent one night with boat lying sideways on a reef in a storm. Had to be towed back to the dock by Coast Guard the next day. They set us loose about 100 feet from the dock. Rudder was broken so Bert had to swim to the dock with a rope between his teeth that was tied to the boat.
8. Got rid of everything we owned and lived and traveled in a motorhome for nearly 10 years. Visited every state in the Union except Rhode Island. Somehow missed that one. Did not drive the motorhome to Hawaii. Decided to fly instead. lol
9. Swam with large alligators in the Everglades during a very hot day hike.
10. Rappelled down a 50' cliff with a large overhang. The overhang was the tricky part. Stepping off the cliff was the hard part. Connecting with the cliff under the overhang was the best part. Walking down the cliff was the fun part. Looking down at mid-point was the dumb part. Not panicking/fainting/peeing my pants was the brave part. Bert down below holding the other end of the rope was the comfort part. Standing on solid ground again...priceless. This was not with a group. Just Bert and I in the middle of nowhere.
11. Explored slippery ice caves in Colorado. Spelunked as long as 8 hours at a time in wild muddy caves in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Alabama. Mostly crawling.
12. Slept in a pup tent in a pasture with Brahman bulls. Accidentally. Yelled at a calf trying to get in during the night. I thought it was a dog. A huge angry Brahman bull stomped and snorted just outside the tent flap, badly wanting to take us out. He wanted to see the whites of our eyes first. We did not make a peep nor take a peek.
13. Slept in a pup tent on top of a fire ant nest in another pasture. Accidentally. Did not know it until we pulled up the tent liner the next morning. There on the ground was a 4 x 6 foot rectangle of angry red ants. There was no earth to be seen in the undulating mass. If they had found the opening, I would not be here today.
14. Slept in a pup tent in a large alligator's nest beside a river one night. We had canoed for 12 hours through a swamp during high water season looking for dry land. Mistakenly borrowed the alligator's nest during the dark of night. When we woke up at daybreak, the 12 foot alligator was staring at us from the middle of the river and he appeared to be pretty upset.
15. Rode bicycles along the Shark Valley Loop Road in the Everglades when it was mostly covered in a half foot of water at night when the park was closed. Just Bert and I sharing the watery trail with alligators, water moccasins. pigmy rattlesnakes, bright eyes shining from the darkness, and everything else that slithered by during the 4 hour-15 mile ride/walk.
