| It was a beautiful evening for a stroll
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| | that the harbours on the US side of Lake
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| tonight, so I went down to one of my
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| | Ontario are not as clean and unfortunately
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| favourite places: Toronto's waterfront.
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| | since 911, the American Coastguard has
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| Listening to the melee of languages,
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| | become overly protective, he said even
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| observing the broad mixture of people, I
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| | paranoid, and the minute they see him,
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| was thinking about upcoming travel plans,
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| | they figure he must be a drug smuggler and
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| business issues, articles to write for the
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| | they put him through the third degree. So
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| website, and many other things. I liken
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| | he prefers to cruise the Canadian side of
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| this feeling to a hamster on a wheel who's
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| | the lake.Many of Ron's friends actually
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| constantly spinning and moving. My brain
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| | live on a houseboat full-time. They sail
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| was working overtime, which happens a lot
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| | northern waters in the summer and then
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| when I think about the website and all the
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| | connect through the Ohio River -
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| ideas and topics I'd like to write
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| | Mississippi waterway system down into Gulf
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| about.So I am strolling by the sailboat
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| | of Mexico from where they sail down to
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| harbour at Ashbridges Bay, a particularly
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| | southern Florida. On the way back in the
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| serene place with a quiet little inlet
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| | spring they take the Intracoastal Waterway
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| surrounded by willow trees on the east
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| | (the "Ditch") to come back up north for
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| side, on the north side there is a private
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| | the summer.Ron also has a lot of friends
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| marina where hundreds of sailboats are
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| | who have ocean-going sailboats who spend
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| docked, on the south side there is a
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| | much of their time in the Caribbean. As a
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| little peninsula with just a few places
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| | matter of fact, one of his friends has a
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| where a variety of boats can anchor at the
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| | unique type of sailboat that was recently
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| municipal docks.So I am walking, enjoying
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| | commandeered by the producers of the
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| the reflections of the evening sunshine
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| | sequel for "Pirates of the
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| playing on the water, listening to the
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| | Caribbean".Naturally I asked Ron about the
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| joyful songs of the birds, observing
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| | cost of houseboating. Apart from the
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| bikers, walkers, rollerbladers, watching
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| | purchase costs, which he estimated at
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| the boats......... and then I had an idea
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| | $150,000 to $200,000 for a new boat, there
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| - I might as well interview on of these
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| | are dockage costs, fuel, insurance,
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| boaters and find out a bit more about
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| | repairs. He said he spends about $1000 on
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| their lifestyle and travel adventures.I
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| | fuel, and about $5,000 a year for dockage
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| approached a houseboat and I saw that the
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| | and other operating costs. According to
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| captain was sitting on the bridge. I
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| | Ron, the people that do the Canada-Florida
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| knocked on the glass door and asked if I
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| | run usually spend anywhere from about
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| could do an interview with him. The man, a
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| | $10,000 to $30,000 for the round-trip
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| white-haired bearded man in his 60s, was
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| | which could take a whole year. The cost at
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| very welcoming and invited me in. He
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| | the lower end means that you are using the
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| actually asked me to sit in the captain's
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| | on-board kitchen (or rather, galley)
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| chair and I shyly accepted.He introduced
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| | facilities, you are staying at town docks
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| himself as Ron, "Captain Ron", a name by
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| | rather than private marinas, using the
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| which he is well known in the Lake Ontario
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| | boat's shower, rather than the marina's
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| boating community. Ron is a former
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| | expensive facilities. Since Ron is a good
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| corporate sales manager, now comfortably
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| | cook, he practically always uses his
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| retired, with an active lifestyle. Ron
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| | boat's kitchen to make his meals, a huge
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| still has a house in Whitby, just outside
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| | savings.Captain Ron has really figured out
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| of Toronto, but he spends a lot of his
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| | a perfect retirement lifestyle for
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| time on the houseboat, and many of his
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| | himself. He houseboats in the summer, goes
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| friends live full-time on a houseboat.His
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| | deer hunting in the fall, heads out of
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| particular boat is an Intracoastal
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| | Ontario to Florida or British Columbia in
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| houseboat, meaning it has a hull and is
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| | the winter, where he either stays with
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| more seaworthy than pontoon houseboats. It
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| | friends and family, or rents a reasonably
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| was made in 1970, and cost $17,000 when it
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| | priced apartment inland from the coast.
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| was new. Ron has had it for 18 years and
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| | Or, if he sees a good offer in the
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| he regularly gets offers from people who
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| | newspaper, he might just hop on a plane to
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| want to buy it. Recently someone offered
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| | Mexico for a quick getaway. And he loves
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| him $50,000 in cash for the houseboat. But
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| | to spend the summers in Ontario, where he
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| since Ron loves the lifestyle, and a new
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| | cruises Lake Ontario and spends some time
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| boat would probably cost $150,000 to
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| | on beautiful Georgian Bay where his
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| $200,000, it makes no sense for him to
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| | brothers live.According to Ron, the key
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| sell his beloved house on the water. He
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| | thing in retirement is health, and he
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| politely declined the offer.The boat has
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| | works hard to stay healthy. He plays
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| an elevated bridge which not only houses
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| | tennis, rides his bike, he loves to swim
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| the "steering wheel" (is that proper
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| | and he works out. He said, particularly if
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| marine terminology?), but also
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| | you want to travel to the US as a retiree,
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| accommodates a fold-out double bed. A few
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| | being healthy is critical. His brother had
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| steps down is the galley on the left, and
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| | a heart attack in Florida, and his health
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| a bathroom with a combined toilet, sink
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| | insurance wouldn't cover his treatment
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| and shower on the right. Beside the
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| | costs, and he ended up a with a $150,000
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| bathroom is a small door leading down to
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| | bill at the end. No wonder Captain Ron
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| the cabin that has 4 bunk beds. Behind the
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| | considers good health a key factor for
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| kitchen is the living room area with an
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| | travelling....Captain Ron gave me a
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| eating nook and another double fold out
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| | glimpse into his unique lifestyle, and I
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| bed.In theory the houseboat can sleep 8
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| | couldn't help but envy him a little. He
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| people, but Ron said that you would not
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| | seemed so peaceful, so relaxed, enjoying
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| want to cram that many people on board
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| | the evening sun looking out over the
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| with just one small bathroom. Makes a lot
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| | water. I realized that he's figured it all
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| of sense... Ron seems to be travelling
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| | out, and he's created his perfect little
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| mostly by himself, judging by the lone
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| | niche for himself...Susanne Pacher is the
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| deck chair that was located on the boat's
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| | publisher of a website called Travel and
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| top deck from where I had a perfect view
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| | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals
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| of the serene harbour setting. Ron says
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| | with unconventional travel and is chock
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| Ashbridges Bay is one of his favourite
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| | full of advice, tips, real life travel
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| spots and he was sitting there quietly,
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| | experiences, interviews with travellers
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| enjoying the evening, when I approached
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| | and travel experts, insights and
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| him for the interview.Ron uses the boat
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| | reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| about 6 months of the year, he puts it in
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| | contests and many other features. You will
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| the water in mid April and takes it out in
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| | also find stories about life and the
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| mid October and he mostly cruises Lake
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| Ontario with it. From the 1000 Islands in
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| | our own personal life-long journeys.Submit
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| the east near Kingston, a city that he
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| | your own travel stories in our first
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| loves (me too...), to Toronto with its
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| | travel story contest( and have a chance to
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| islands, and St. Catharines with its Port
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| | win an amazing adventure cruise on the
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| Dalhousie harbour, he actively cruises the
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| | Amazon River.
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| north shore of Lake Ontario.He commented
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|
