Word: outback
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Some "swamp rats," of course, have been known to treat the Everglades like a trailer park. But most, like Hinsley and Kirk, say they just want to preserve Florida's version of outback cowboy life--and a rare piece of history. Since the pre-Columbian era, the stilt house has been as much a part of the Caribbean waterscape as the windmill in Holland. Venezuela got its name when conquistadors marveled at the Indians' stilt huts and dubbed it "Little Venice." The Spanish dotted the Florida coasts with stilt houses, often built from wrecked galleons...
...soon as you get out of the plane (which has to refuel), you are assailed by millions of flies. The fly biomass of central Australia must be 10 times the biomass of humans or kangaroos. You at once start doing the irritable wave of the hand known as the outback salute. The flies crawl into your nostrils, eyes and ears, and when you get back in the plane, they fly in clouds into the cabin, so that the pilot takes out a can of powerful insecticide--"Jeez, this is going to smell really putrid," he cheerfully announces--and sprays them...
Next up were the Outback Xs. These $250 skates weren't much of a fashion statement either, but we were fearless on them. Made with built-in shock absorbers and extra-large tires filled with air bubbles, they cruised over potholes, manholes, dips and bumps. But they felt stiff and clunky, especially going uphill. And although they were the right size, my feet ached no matter how much I fiddled with the buckles...
...decided that they felt a little "loosey-goosey" on the top of his foot. He also was worried that their flashy design would ruin his East Village hipster reputation. But my goose wasn't loose, and I like attention. More important, I was skating faster than ever. Sure, the Outback Xs were smoother on bumps, and the Natures handier for running errands, but for pure skating joy, the TR8s win my vote...
Feel like enjoying a primal afternoon with the "Kalahari Kingdom?" Spend a few hours at the Franklin Park Zoo. You can trek through the Bongo Congo, converse with a snow leopard or try out the zoo's new addition: Its Outback trail which hosts kangaroos, wallabies and emus. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd. 541-LION. Open daily...