Too Dazed in Orlando
Too Dazed in Orlando
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Day 15 Wednesday April 25, 2001
Of course I stayed up late last night. I was shocked to see that it was past 3AM when I finally turned on. I was enjoying the music in the bar downstairs and had a few too many drinks. I didn't need to be up early for a get away so it didn't matter that I was up late.. The weather forecast warns of thunderstorms starting in early afternoon. I decided to skip my visit to EPCOT for today but the weather is due to clear to allow sightseeing on Thursday.
I had a late breakfast and spent a couple of hours by the pool reading. It was very nice but I was annoyed because rain didn't seem to be materializing. I went back to the room for a nap and the current weather indicated that the weather system was passing to the south of Orlando with the threat of serious thunderstorms due later in the afternoon. After my nap, I take the time to do some research on the route for Friday's ride to Miami. I think I've managed to select roads that will take me near the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.
Last night in the bar, I had been talking to two locals. Apparently alligators are a serious problem in Florida as urban expansion encroaches on the countryside. Alligators need water and they will use just about anything -- swimming pools are not exempt. Behind our hotel there is a little sand beach on a small lake. There are lakes like this all over Orlando. Given the size of the lake, the consensus of the locals is that there must be at least three to five alligators living in our little lake.
They regal me with tales of small dogs being snapped off their master leashes while Fifi is out for her evening walk. Yikes! Suddenly living with coyotes seems like a walk in the park.
Later that night the talk again turns to life in Southern California where the lights don't stay on. Then we talk about Florida and the conversation again turns to gators. Now there may be a conspiracy but the three men I'm talking to basically corroborate last night's stories. And they add a new twist: Gators like to come into houses and garages. Oh now that's a lovely thought. I think I'll pass. I've received an education here. I always thought that alligators were wild enough that they would prefer to avoid human contact.
The frequency of contact with alligators is made worse by the impact of Florida's three-year drought. Water levels in lakes and canals are very low. These animals that so need water are impacted as their habitat shrinks from human expansion and natural conditions.
There is bad news again on the television tonight. Highway A1 between Miami and Key West is closed. The drought has also made grass and forest fires a continuing problem for Florida. There are fires on both sides of this road and the smoke has made travel very dangerous. I briefly consider accepting that I can't get to Key West and further altering my plans. But on second thought I say "to hell with it, I'm going south and I'll deal with a delay when the state trooper extends his gloved hand in my face and commands me to stop." How forceful I can be in my mind.
Day 16: Thursday April 26, 2001
This morning, I decide I want breakfast away from the hotel. I would like to find something local or do some additional Waffle House research (more on that after gathering some more data). I locate a nearby Waffle House using yahoo.com. The driving instructions lead me into a very shady neighborhood. I see evidence of drug sales, but never find that Waffle House.
I manage to find downtown Orlando. There is an older part of downtown. A small block of buildings evokes the French Quarter in New Orleans with wrought iron balconies on their facades. This architectural style must have been widespread as Tallahassee actually had similar buildings in a small old town section near the state capitol buildings.
Still I can find no local diner. I end up on a major boulevard but it is of a recent vintage. The restaurants are all national chains of the lunch and dinner variety. The morning is fast evaporating so I finally settle on Denny's. It is appalling how poorly bad food can be served when the entire staff of a restaurant rallies around providing truly bad service. No refills on water or coffee. The eggs and hash browns are barely warm. The butter doesn't even melt on the toast. I would complain but I would have to find someone that might care. And so I add Denny's to My Don't List along with McDonalds. At least McDonald's can serve hot food of relatively high quality.
I spend the afternoon at EPCOT. EPCOT is one of several parks in the Disney empire near Orlando. The range of opportunities is staggering, you have EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Wild Animal Disney and MGM / Disney Studios. And I don't think that is a comprehensive list.
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Epcot Entry
Morrocco Pavilion |
At the EPCOT parking entrance, I am waved through saving the $7 parking fee. I was expecting them to not be ready for a motorcyclist but instead I get a freebie. As expected, the parking lots themselves are massive. In typical Disney fashion, incoming cars are directed by uniformed. As a result, only 1/3 of the massive lot is filled with cars. The rest is empty. These great flat paved expanses cause me to fantasize about stealing the orange cones and setting up a slalom course and having some fun on the pavement. I'm stopped by the parking attendant and directed to through the barriers and all the way up to the front of the lot right next to the gate. Score again! The admission fee of $50 plus staggers me. The ticket attendant conducts a sort of a mini-interview at the ticket booth. Where are you from? How long will you be in Orlando? Is there any chance of you visiting Disney again? Would you like a timeshare property? They want to sell you a discounted multi-day pass. It would be a good deal if you were visiting the other Disney parks. In fact, a theme park enthusiast that I talked to at my motel had suggested the same thing to me. I pass on the various offers in favor of a single-day single-park ticket. The ticket seller does not seem happy. I'm not going to give you a blow by blow. EPCOT is Disney, good and bad. The park is well laid out, beautifully maintained and designed to handle crowds in an efficient manner. The content of the exhibits is what bothers me. The first exhibit about the history of human communication credits the Arabs and Jews for providing western European with knowledge that might otherwise have been lost during the Dark Ages. That is certainly true but I didn't really expect to hear that here. I'm troubled by the simplistic nature of the message and the degree to which it is wrapped in AT&T sponsorship. I understand corporate sponsorship. I understand that this isn't PBS. But the sponsorship is instilled into the content. The second exhibit is devoted to application of invention to everyday life. I skip the Networked Home sponsored by IBM and move onto Home Theater sponsored by Lutron. I was frankly shocked at how close the content of the presentation approached a live action infomercial. The bulk of EPCOT is a series of national pavilions arranged around a lagoon. I walked around the lagoon visiting a number of the pavilions. Mexico was nice. Norway's pavilion held an interesting ride and presentation. If we are to take this presentation at face value, the Vikings were more like an early FedEx that experts in pillaging. A good 360 degree movie in the Canada building. I had a funnel cake at the USA Experience. France and the UK were kind of fun. It was a nice day and it was fun being out and watching the families having a day on the town. I make the effort to return to the hotel in time (I know, I'm so ashamed) to watch Survivor. I'm hooked, what can I say? I initially hated Colby, but now he might actually win. He was very human when his Mom popped out with the main course at this surprise dinner. Tomorrow I'm off to Miami - my birthplace. |
(c) 2001 Thomas N. Engler Revision Date: 04/26/2001 revised 9/19/01
