I catch the scent of ambergris
On the show, she visited Belize, which I was ashamed to admit, other than knowing it was in Central or South America, I had no idea where it was.
So I googled it and read the Wikipedia page. I know Wikipedia is supposed to be evil, since people who graduated from cheap colleges can write it and it allows the truth the opportunity to morph, but it usually satisfies my curiosity. And I'm not exactly preparing peer-reviewed papers here. Plus, anything I've ever cross-referenced with other sources has proved to be true, so I've never been lied to there, that I know of.
Anyway, so Samantha is in Belize and I'm on Wikipedia, which tells me that the largest of Belize's Islands is Ambergris Caye.
Ambergris Caye, pronounced "am-BER-gris", is located in the northeast of the country in the Caribbean Sea. The Caye (pronounced as "key", meaning an island, derived from the Spanish "cayo") is about 25 miles long from north to south, and about one mile wide. It was named after large lumps of ambergris which washed ashore there.
Ambergris as it turns out is some fascinating stuff. It's essentially sea and sun-cured sperm whale poop that is used as incense and as an additive in some expensive perfumes. It's worth around $10 an ounce. Really, read the Wikipedia page.
And I remembered that I had heard the word before, long ago in a Rush song from side two of Caress of Steel.
IV. Panacea
Words and music by Geddy Lee and Neil Peart
The whiteness of confusion
Is unfolding from my mind
I stare around in wonder
Have I left my life behind
I catch the scent of ambergris
And turn my head... surprised
My gaze is caught and held
And I am helpless, mesmerized
I had no idea when I was 14 what ambergris was or that it was music like this that ensured I didn't have a girlfriend.
So I'm siting here thinking this is a big, fascinating world with more to discover at every turn. A few years ago I felt as if I'd seen enough of the world outside the US and needed to see things here for a while. I've come around and now I'm ready to travel internationally again. Maybe Ambergris Caye is a good place to start.
I'm going to go renew my passport.
How the hell did I ever watch television without the Internet?
I have a travel book on Belize. Dad and I thought we might like to travel there after enjoying Costa Rica so much. I will send it along with your sandles, Grandma's painting etc. when I get home and find a big enough box or when our clock arrives UPS from your garage. Whichever comes first.
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I too tend to trust the Wiki for things, if only for a quick reference. I'm aware of its shortcomings though, in a way that I think many people aren't. Case in point:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08242008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/urban_myths_125773.htm
Belize has been on our short list of vacation spots for a while now. Although I think I saw that same Travel Channel show and was mightily disappointed in what I saw. If all it has to offer is the same cheesy beachfront experience you can get in Florida, then count me out. Then again, one can't quickly jaunt over to Myan ruins from Florida, so it can't be all that bad. Plus the snorkeling and reefs are supposed to be some of the best in the world.
Beware your new passport will likely come with an RF ID tag in it.
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What Samantha did there that really fascinated me was flat in a tube through an underground cavern with a miner's lamp on her head. Really cool, then she went snorkling on the second largest barrier reed in the world. Cool.
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From what I can tell, that's fairly typical stuff in Belize. Kind of like going to a luau in Hawai'i. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you. Just common. Although there's not much you can do in a twenty-two minute travel show other than the standard fair I imagine.
Doesn't she also start off the show in some tacky boardwalk with a bunch of white people in speedos?
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I started watching about 15 minutes into it, so I'm not sure.
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