As a follow on to that last comment, the slugs really appreciated all that care, the little (sorry fat) varmints! However, I have had my revenge and won't go into any details here... suffice to say they did not like the sensation.
America was truly another world, I didn't expect it to be rather like the layout of towns in Oman, but it was. They also have the same attitude to their districts which seems quite strange to me. But the swamps were something else. The sound of the insects, birds and 'gators, the heat, the smell, it was wonderful. I could do a lot of walking in those areas - always providing the bears and 'gators keep off the duckboards of course, I would not like to have an argument with either of them. The flowers were lovely and quite indiscriminate about where they grew - a stinky part of the swamp, ok lets grow here.... the sight of two huge 'gators wallowing in the swamp, with a clump of lilies in front of them and a lovely bird nesting above them was quite humorous! I suppose it is the equivalent to our own decorating urges?