Le vacanze degli alligatori: setembro 2008

One day, my employer decided to send me for a business trip to Florida, USA.
Our company is producing aerobatic aircraft and we wanted to participate Sun &Fun Airshow with one of our aircraft.
When they told me that I am a choosen one who will fly to the USA as a representative of our company I was very happy. It seemed that my dream will come true.

A couple weeks later I was on the plane flying to Miami, USA. It was so exciting and although I was happy I was also a little scared. I did know almost nothing about the life in the USA, my english was good but I was scared of dialect of people in the USA. I was still thinking what I am going to do if I need any help or advice. I felt very lonely and I notified that whole responsibility of the success of the trip is up to me. It was terrible but I was already sitting on the plane and I could not to do nothing.

When I arrived to Miami my business partners had been waiting for me at the airport. I was really surprised that athough it was February, it was really hot weather. I knew that in Florida is always a hot weather but it was not hot like it is in Europe during summer. I felt like I am in laundry. It was hot, sultriness and dampness. First night I slept in motel near the airport. It was average motel which you can find in the USA everywhere.

After my first and terrible night, when I could not sleep because of weather, I went to Punta Gorda. It is a little town approximately 100km from Miami on the North. As I mentioned before, I felt like I am in laundry and cold shower would be really appreciated. So I decided to stop for a while near one river, unfortunately I can not remember name of that river, to have a short break. I sit on the bank and I got a good idea - to go to swim.

My friend in Europe told me that Florida is known thanks to good weather and also thanks to crocodiles in the rivers. So I was a little scared but I could not see any of them. I wanted make sure that the river is safe for swimming so I asked one old fishermen who was fishing near to me if the river is safe. I asked him whether the crocodiles are in this river. He was smoking his cigar, sitting on the bang, looks very lazy and he said: " do not be worry dude, there are no crocodiles in this river. " So I change m y clothes and jumped in to cold water.

It was nice to be in the water, swimming, diving and I felt really fresh. After a couple minutes of swimming I went out of the water and when I was back on the bank I saw a group crocodiles swimming near by the other bank of the river. I was shocked, I could not even say anything or move. Ten minutes later, when I finally could move my legs I went to the fishermen and I started yelling to him that he told me in the river are no crocodiles !!!! The fisherman did not even move, he was still smoking his cigar and after a while he looked at me and very said very calmly : " that is right, in the river are no crocodiles, they are ALLIGATORS. "