Coral Castle, I

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Andrea Llano, Tour Guide: Coral Castle is a very well-known monument in the world. There are some people that have no idea about it; I mean they live across the street, and they say, “What is that thing over there?”

This has been here almost 100 years in Homestead — this is very recent history, but since it’s so impressive, it’s very well known.

This is being put right next to other monuments in the world like Stonehenge or Machu Picchu that create that same kind of energy that is so difficult to explain how this guy could do this all by himself, at night working and building, with nobody knowing.

Everybody is trying to gossip and everybody is trying to spy on him — but nobody ever saw him erecting the box or bringing them or pouring them out of the ground.

So when people visited the castle, he always gave tours that was his way of living. when he gave tours people would say, “Oh my God. Last week when I came that moon wasn’t here. How did he bring it?”

And people would gossip around and they would admire him he was like a celebrity in his own time.

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An echo from some ancient Stone Age is the work of Ed Leedskalnin, a hundred and twenty (120) pound (55 kg) superman using but the most primitive of tools he handles huge 15-ton pieces of coral rock with the greatest of ease.

This is his life worth building a great Stone City that he hopes will stand for thousands of years.

He was an odd guy, but look at what he did. So everybody was intrigued and admiring him from the distance. He was very social in the tours, but otherwise he was a Hermit.

Penny Lester, Visitor at Coral Castle: “It’s just amazing at what somebody can do when they put their mind to it. It’s really amazing to come and see see this part of Florida, and the way the coral you know it all come out of the earth. And just as part of the Earth of what the Earth’s made of.

And a lot of people don’t they look at this and they they think that, “Oh, it’s just a rock.” but for me, it’s different because I like the Rocks, I like the mountains. Everywhere I go, I end up getting rocks.”

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Andrea Llano, Tour Guide: Edward Leedskalnin originally from Latvia right next to Russia, was born in 1887. He came to this country in 1912, the same year the Titanic went under, just a placement history.

He ended up working in the coal mines for about eight years — that’s an awful job; it deteriorated his health. He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis.

But the belief was that fresh air and sunshine would cure you . . . that’s why he ended up in Florida.

And he erected the castles. Actually he made two castles: this is the only one remaining because he brought all the pieces from the first castle to this one, so that alone is impressive.

Michael McKinley, Visitor to Coral Castle: “There’s stuff down here that nobody would ever have known of, or ever seen, or they don’t know how he did it. Not only that, it’s beautiful — he did it for his wife, for a woman he loved. It’s kind of sweet too.”

Andrea Llano, Tour Guide: Well, Edward in his tours tells us the story of this woman that he loved. Her name was Agnes Skuvst. She left him heartbroken.

So he came to this country. And years later, he got enough money to erect a first castle in her honor, to try to lure her here with the castle . . . but she never came.

And in her last letter, he tells the story in the tours, that she was engaged to someone else.

But behind that is the whole incredible and very impressive history of the castle.

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Questions

Coral Castle. Everyone knows about Coral Castle. Coral Castle is famous all over the world. True or false? Is it made of wood?

Giza Pyramids. Is Coral Castle very ancient? Was it constructed five thousand (5,000) years ago?

Pyramids of Mesoamerica. A workforce of 20,000 laborers constructed Coral Castle. Is this right or wrong?

Machu Picchu. Was Edward Leedskalnin 190 centimeters tall and weighed 100 kilograms? Was he very sociable and outgoing?

Stone Spheres of Costa Rica. Are visitors bored by Coral Castle? Do tourists find Coral Castle dull? Did Edward document and show people how created Coral Castle?

Stonehenge. Edward Leedskalnin is a Florida native. Edward was born and raised in Florida. Is this correct or incorrect? Did he study art at an art academy?

Moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Islands). Edward built Coral Castle as a theme park commercial enterprise (business). Do you agree?
 
 
 
Nasca Lines. I have visited or seen megaliths or mysterious monuments. Yes or no? Have your friends seen or visited any megalithic monuments?

Sacsayhuaman. How were the famous monuments of the world created? Why were they made? Who made them?

Puma Punku. What monuments would you like to visit?

Angkor Wat. What might happen in the future? Will people ever discover the secrets of monolith?

Tiwanaku. I wish there were more megalithic monuments. I wish people could create more monuments.