Day 5 - West Palm Beach

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cereal, hot tea, walking around in pajamas…this morning we are recuperating. Gabrielle, however, is the first one out, she wants to remove the bug debris from our car with a “magic formula”. However, half an hour later, she is using a spatula to scoop the masses of bug remains from the bumper, wind shield and air foil. Caroly gets some footage as Gabrielle courageously digs in, still in her pajamas. Now Diane is assisting in this ominous task!

For several hours we all sit together, exchanging stories and philosophies. This is recoup time…and time to gather new energy for the day ahead and our trip to Butterfly World.

We begin with a stop at the Eggstotic Café. Here Caroly finds excellent sketching as Mary, Gabrielle and Diane sip coffee, debate points of view, laugh and share. After our charming Cuban host excuses us from our table, we head on to Coconut Creek.

We arrive at Butterfly World. Here, the sprawling compound, housing flowers of every variety, land and air, envelops us. For several hours we carefully stalk every color and shape of nature’s air born masterpieces with our cameras. Some, particularly the Lorikeets, come to perch on Mary and Caroly’s adventure vests.

We boldly forge ahead into the insect pavilion where Caroly interviews the site naturalist extensively about the nature and origins of bedbugs. Soon, a crowd has accumulated around a display case that houses 20 or so related species, some the size of small mice, most quite poisonous, dissolving the flesh they sucked from their victims. This leads to a discussion about chiggers. In all, the Insect Pavilion houses an extensive array of shapes, sizes, colors, personalities of butterflies and insects one can only get to know over many visits. A seasoned visitor from New York informs us that Butterfly World contains the most extensive collection of living butterflies in the country, perhaps the world!

Some Macaw feathers.

We drive home, relax a bit, and then the 4 of us head out to meet up with Anne, Barbara and Meredith, all seasoned world travelers and adventurers. For the next couple of hours we share stories. Travel stories entertain and amaze us…there is not enough time to hear, and ask, and share but plenty of inspiration for us to want to do it again. Arrangements are made!


What an amazing Day! A stop at Dairy Queen puts the finishing touches on a memorable day.