No, this was not an event to raise awareness of the dangers of petting alligators in the wild. Although three deadly alligator attacks in one week in Florida are worth noting.
But it's definitely consistent with the gator theme. Saturday night, the third annual Gator Guayabera Guateque packed em in at Merrick Village. There must have been more than 1,000 people there. The planners had to turn away proud University of Florida alums who were eager to sport guayaberas and chant "two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar, all for the Gators, stand up and holler!"
The University president rumbled into the Merrick Village square on a motorcycle. A great Cuban band cranked out mambo and salsa. At one point, someone at the mike proclaimed "this crowd is too quiet. You obviously haven't had enough to drink." Typical crazy gator antics. As an alum, I can only say that I inhabited the swamp for 4 years and lived to tell the story. However, much of it is inappropriate for a blog linked to a family newspaper.
The event was planned by Ignacio Abella, and included high-profile businessmen, politicians and bloggers. Go Gators! 2006 National Basketball Champions.
Miami Cuban-American Daniel Garcia, 32, joined the Peace Corps after college and took a post in Nepal, as part of his Quest for Truth. "I never found it," he said. But he discovered that nightlife in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, was incredible. "It's a city where east meets west,'' Garcia said. "It's wild." Today, Garcia, who seems to have snapped out of the transcendental mood, is seeking an MBA in New York. I ran into him at the Gator alumni party in Merrick Village Saturday.
