2009-08-19: Swampland was what I wanted to see more of, and the South had plenty of it. I was bound for Charleston, as I had heard it was a very pleasant city. But on the way, I wanted to stop at Congaree National Park. As I got near the park, there was the unusual sight of many businesses advertising bail loans, plentiful enough for me to take notice, and the number of buildings bearing window bars steadily increased. But once I left the main highway, I was returning to a primitive, simplistic, and wild land, and I was glad for it.
As before, greenery was everywhere and everything. A new sight was the small lizards scurrying about or sunning themselves in the places where sunlight made down to the soil. Hundreds of kinds of insects crawled and flitted about as they pleased, and the mosquito nuisance was subdued. This swamp looked like its water levels varied considerably, and at the time it was drying up. Since this was an old growth forest, it was quite shady, which was welcome on such a hot and humid day.
Most of the trail was along a low wooden boardwalk, occasionally elevated above the low places. Most of the time it allowed the hiker to closely examine the many plants, animals, soils, and waters present. I made certain to move at a leisurely pace, just like everything else that lived here.
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