Parrots and Small Animals Sanctuary (5)

Sandra:     I’m glad we got these flyers; now I      
            understand the history a little better.
Donita:     It does make the history much clearer.   
            Here come Pieter and Mari.
Sandra:     Hello! Where did you two go onshore?

Mari:       We went to Fort Amsterdam. It was        
            thought-provoking to see something that was     
            built in 1635 to protect the town. The old      
            raparts now house the government offices. 
Pieter:     Tell them about the cannonball. (They sit 
            down at the table.)
Mari:       Can you believe it? There’s an old       
            cannonball embedded in the chapel wall that was 
            never removed.
Pieter:     Supposedly it has purposely left there as 
            a reminder of Captain Bligh’s 26-day siege. The 
            story is that he was aiming for the buildings on 
            the far right, but missed!
Donita:     What an embarrassment that must have     
            been!
Mari:       I’m sure it was; maybe he needed glasses.
Pieter:     After that, we walked below the          
            Governor’s Palace, and saw the Fort Church      
            Museum It had a small display of religious      
            artifacts.
Sandra:     Did you go anywhere else?
Pieter:     Yes, we saw the Synagogue Mikve Israil   
            Emanuel. Can you believe it was Built in 1734?  
            It is an elegant building and very well cared   
            for... The Mahogany just shines from being      
            polished all these years. And there are four    
            huge candelabras!
Mari:       Nest to it is the Rabbi’s House which has 
            been turned into a museum. It was lovely. I was 
            curious about the sand on the floor, so had to  
            ask a guide. 
Donita:     How strange!
Mari:       That’s what I thought. The guide         
            explained the traditional sand floor was to     
            maintain an air of humility. He also said the   
            300 year old Mikvah was a bath used for         
            ceremonial cleansing.  
Sandra:     We took a ride through the old Jewish    
            quarter. The houses were very impressive.
Pieter:     Did you see the one that looks like a    
            wedding cake? It’s the most photographed house  
            in the world.
Donita:     Wow! I thought maybe the White House was 
            the most photographed.
Pieter:     The next time we come, I would like to go 
            to the Underwater Park and the Seaquarium Beach.
Mari:       (Laughing.) The next time? So you are    
            already planning the next trip?
Pieter:     Absolutely! We just can’t see everything 
            in one day.
Mari:       I’m so glad to hear that; I didn’t even  
            have time for shopping, so the next time... I   
            want to go to a jewelry store.
Pieter:     (As first dinner bell sounds.) Saved by  
            the bell! It’s time to get changed dinner.  
Sandra:     Yes, we have the second seating also.    
            We’ll see you later. Goodbye.