| The A-Z guide
to Hullabazoola A-G H-M N-T U-Z |
| Port
Merrywell And so at last you might say (if you are one of those strange people who read an A-Z alphabetically) we come to the real reason why you brought the guide book. Port Merrywell is quite possible the most incredible place on earth. The entire place is built into the side of the hill, with the rock that has been used to carve into the hill, being used to built the part of the house outside of the hill, the amount of stone used to build the outside is exactly that which was excavated from the inside of the house, making the thick walled houses two thirds outside the hill, with their gardens being on the roof of the house below. The houses are painted, and the gardens are planted, in some of the brightest colours imaginable (some would say garish but those some are directed to the nearest souvenir shop selling over-priced sun glasses.) What Port Merrywell is most renowned for is charm and by that I don't mean the town is quaint or rustic for the port is neither. It is full of a simply love of life, rich in laughter and bad singing and poor in money and debt. The "Merry well" itself has, unfortunately, long since dried up. The water source's hallucinogenic properties were renowned across the island, and as visitors arrived in droves and staked out a spot close to the well, the settlement was formed. Once word of the well reached the mainland, a couple of scientists were dispatched to investigate. Unfortunately they arrived thirsty and drank some of the water themselves. They were last seen running towards the dark forest together singing (and this is recorded in the islands history books) "ditty-deedee, ditty-dee, opy-lopylop" Running Berry The running berry is so-call because its diuretic properties. There is a running berry eating contest each summer which always deteriorates into a race, as the toilets are some distance from the eating area, and those caught using hedging and trees etc… are disqualified. Sealife Off the coast of Hullabazoola is a number of species endemic to the region. Perhaps the best know is the Songna, a large fish prized for its delicious flavour. Unfortunately the Songna is an extremely aggressive fish, which will even attack boats. Fishermen based off the mainland coast have brought large boats with even larger nets to try and catch them but the Songna's jaws are strong enough to bite through the nets. The locals catch by stealth in small boats. Tourist traps Unfortunately one of the few things most people know about Hullabazoola is about the archaic practice of Tourist trapping, but this has long been outlawed and the last person fined for this offence was Kiran Oldaggam over 30 years ago. |
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© 2006 K. Denham