41st - 42nd day 23.03. - 24.03.2022

The day starts promisingly with one last look from my balcony in Myrtle Beach. I take two more pictures there with reasonably good weather - they will be the last two for today.

After about 100 km of driving, it starts raining lightly, then heavily, and it doesn't stop. I have been really lucky with the weather so far, but today it seems to have completely abandoned me. And as is usual on such days, nothing else goes smoothly. The wildlife park at my destination is closed, the motel is clean but plain, and the ice machine doesn't dispense any ice.

So I make the best of this somewhat lost day and instead of packing tomorrow, I pack my big suitcase today. When you've just thrown everything in for six weeks, reorganizing takes some time. And because it's humid despite the rain, I start sweating.

Hardeeville, the town where my motel is located, is just as plain as the accommodation. Today is just not my day. Luckily, this morning I got some food from Walmart in anticipation and don't have to go out anymore. I wouldn't have felt like it anyway. So it's a TV evening with Caesar salad and Mac & Cheese. And hoping for a better day tomorrow.

The rain didn't stop at all overnight. It's still pouring even at seven in the morning. I can forget about the alligator tour I booked for this afternoon. At least there's a hot breakfast here. And not the worst one either.

I set off in light rain and lo and behold, it clears up. Lucky me. It takes 45 minutes to get to Hilton Head and when I arrive there, it has completely stopped raining. I'm really looking forward to it, and as I turn into the meeting point, I receive an email. The tour has been canceled. Because of the weather. Hello? It's not even raining anymore. Well, I'm a little annoyed but can't change it. And then the day takes off.

While I'm still pondering why they canceled the tour now, I drive past a lake and am stared at by an alligator. It calmly swims just a few meters away from the shore. I get out and make sure I can quickly retreat to the car. A short video and a few pictures later, I'm back in safety. It's a strange feeling to see these historic animals in their natural habitat. Somehow you get the impression that the brother or sister is going to appear behind you and they've conspired. Just to end the food chain and all.

I park the car and take a little walk through this beautiful park. It's wet everywhere but it's still not raining. During my little walk, I spot four more alligators floating in the water. They move their tail fins slowly and leisurely, and give the impression that they are completely bored. A few ducks are swimming on a lake. I wonder if they know what's underneath them?

Despite the cancellation, it was a real event. I didn't think you could spot these animals without a tour. An angler, whom I ask if he's not afraid of being attacked by a reptile, says, "if you don't mess with them they don't mess with you." Well, that's a clear statement. Who wants to have a problem with an alligator?

After 2 hours, I've seen enough and leave this beautiful spot long before the end of the tour. The advantage is that I won't arrive at my next hotel too late after a 3-hour drive. And right on time as I start driving, the rain starts again. Maybe the cancellation was the right decision after all.

On the way to my accommodation, I drive partly through the countryside and enjoy the landscape around me for the last time, knowing that I'm not heading to the airport. It makes me feel nostalgic to think that everything will be over tomorrow. Yesterday, I had a brief moment during the rain when I was almost glad. That's completely gone today. Despite six weeks of stay and the realization of the audacity to want more, I feel sorry for myself.

To cheer myself up, I stop by a BBQ place with drive-thru. They turned the situation into an advantage here. Since the place had only a small dining area and had to be closed due to COVID, they converted the window into a drive-thru, Nancy tells me when I place my order. The customers have accepted it very well and they have kept it this way now. I order a short rib sandwich and a Brunswick stew, a pork stew.

With both dishes, I can see why having a seating area is not so important to the customers. Why can't we have something like this in Germany? Or have I not discovered it yet? But I don't know of any BBQ place near me.

The motel is also much friendlier than the last one, with parking right in front of the door, which is incredibly convenient and practical on the last evening. Thanks to packing my suitcase yesterday, I can now enjoy my last evening without stress. But I still don't want to go home.