Hanami 2012 and more

Yay!
So last week, college's 2nd semester started and this time I'm taking classes in modern history. I'm really happy. I'm learning stuff about the civil rights movement and about pirates and about Europe's international relations during the 19th century. Quite some interesting stuff. Actually, I was supposed to study this weekend (or rather not study, but carefully read some texts, because the one prof seems strict), but I just didn't do it. Instead, I was spending Saturday by doing nothing and today was Hanami.
I went there with Lau.chan and we tried to pull off Lolita for a whole day for the first time! I'm going to use pics from her blog, because I'm too lazy, to load them myself.^^""

It was Lau.chan first time to actually wear Sweet Lolita and she did a great job! She never wore the shoes before, a big headpiece and she's not a wig-person (unsolved mystery...)

I've completely dressed her up as my own little doll,^^"" but from now on, she can surely pull off Lolita herself.

Rrrrr, my petticoat was always showing, damn it! >_<
Some other Renai girl's were there, too.

Mina as maid

 

and Giny as the handicaped pokemon Teddiursa, which lost its moon...
Yumi was there too, she was being Misty from Pokemon, but we didn't take any pictures with her. >_<
At the end, I was just really tired and my feet are killing me!! But it was really fun and we were invited to a Lolita group (can you believe it, they invited us!), I've met an old friend from school (gotta write her an e-mail soon!) and people've been taking our picture all the time, so now there are quite some pictures of us circling around ... kinda weird ... but kinda awesome.

Key Largo and Everglades

On our way to the Everglades Nationalpark and Fort Myers we took a stop at Key Largo (largest of the keys), because the whole way north would have been too long.

I'm sure Key Largo is a lovely place with lots of great sights ... but we only had half a day left, we were going to leave the next day and our guide didn't say anything about good sights, except one, which was actually right next to our hotel! (Holiday Inn)

It's the boat African Queen from the movie Key Largo (1948) with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I guess it's not the very same boat, but a rebuilt, but no one cares. Actually the island had a different name first, but then Hollywood came, shot this great movie, which had worldwide success and the people thought: "Why don't we name our island like the movie, so many tourists will come?" AND BAM! Key Largo it was.
Great story, isn't it?

But other to that, we had nothing to do in Key Largo, so we spend rest of the day here:

Sadly, pools aren't big refreshment, because water temperature = outside temperature. It's like walking into a tube. But you can arrange better with the heat inside water.

The next day, we got up early to drive to Fort Myers and make a stop at Everglades to see some alligators.
My mum and I wanted to take a guided tour instead of just walking and because we're very convincing (and annoying) my dad finally agreed. Lucky him - the tour was for free and started just at our arrival, so we didn't even had to wait.
Sun was really cooking that day, there was no shade at all and we forgot suncream, so we kinda rushed it. But we did see alligators!
A lot.

Just to make sure. It's not the same one!
They also have lots of other animals like turtles and birds and frogs ... and mosquitos! Damn it, I hate them!!

But something I've learned! I've you're afraid of mosquito bites, just hang in the sun! Mosqitos dry out in the sun and that's why they only "live" in the shades.

We bought the anti mosquito spray 'Off', which must be the most deadly chemical cosh ... it really keeps them away.
German sprays DON'T HELP HERE!