What) How is it possible for a short, 100 pound, sickly man, working alone and using only simple tools to have quarried, cut, trimmed and assembled over 3 million pounds (1000 tons) of dense coral blocks to build a castle? And, to have interlocked the stones with exacting precision, some weighing up to 30 tons, without the use of mortar? Called Coral Castle, and sometimes called The Eighth Wonder of the World, this castle was originally located in Florida City in the 1920's. In the mid 1930's it was moved single-handedly to its present location on a ten acre tract near Homestead, Florida.

    The builder's name was Edward Leedskalnin, a kind and gentle immigrant from Latvia who only had a fourth grade education. Yet, he was brilliant. Edward Leedskalnin was a skilled electrical engineer who had done extensive experimentation with electromagnetism. He generated his own electricity and was happy to demonstrate his equipment to his neighbors.  Whenever Leedskalnin was asked, "How did you build the Castle?" he replied, "It’s not difficult really. The secret is in knowing how." Leedskalnin would go so far as stating that he could see beads of light on objects that he said were the physical presence of nature's magnetism. Ed's brochures about his Castle proudly stated, "I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons!"

    Leedskalnin was a very private person who was very secretive about his method of operation. He worked only at night. He could sense when people would sneak around at night trying to catch him at work. At such times he would stop his work and would continue only after they left. Nevertheless, some people have reported that they did glimpse him at work. One person claims to have seen the rocks move by themselves. Ed's neighbour stated he saw Edward singing to the stones with his hands placed on their surface. A group of young witnesses claimed to see coral blocks floating through the air "like hydrogen balloons."

    Whatever the case, From 1923 to 1951, Leedskalnin single-handedly carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock with his unknown process and has created one of the world's most mysterious accomplishments. (1)

    Where) 28655 South Dixie Highway     Open Sun-Thur from 8 - 6  and Fri-Sat from 8 - 8     Adults: $9.75    1-305-248-6345

    Why) I was really looking forward to this Buckys but it turned out to be another place with a description that is more interesting than the actual thing.  Strangely, this also turned out to be a Buckys that gave Pam an unpleasant “Mystery Spot” sensation.