Key West and Marathon Again
20 March 2013 | 24 34.184N
We left on Friday to go to Key West. At first we anchored at marker 31==however the hold was not good. Our Rocna could not dig down in the plain coral bottom. So we took a mooring ball at Garrison Bight. On Saturday, 16 March, we went into town. Everyone was celebrating already. We had lunch at the Thai Restaurant near the marina. (Great Food). We walked to a kitchen store for the ladies and West Marine for the men. We went to many different establishments - mainly to people watch. We saw one woman who had melons for breast==and she only had a small triangle patch of fabric to cover them. YUCK!! Not a pretty site.
By the time my friend from K-12 school came from Big Pine--other people we were buddy boating with wanted to go back to the boat. We met Mary, Ron and their friend Rusty at a place called Rick's. We were upstairs--people watching. What a HOOT!!!! Mary asked if we wanted to do a bike tour on Monday--we said yes. They had a party at Big Pine on the 17th.
Our buddy boat, Shirley and Eddie, and Tom and I went to into the city to see the crazies. Actually it was calmer on the 17th as most people partied on Saturday the 16th. We had lunch at Finnegan's Wake. Then walked to several places we all wanted to see. About 2:30--my knees and back was giving me problems. Mary had told us of a place where we could sit and overlook Mallory Square. It was a great place to rest. Then we went to the Cuban Restaurant near Mallory Square, Tom asked a Cuban family (mother, daughter and granddaughter) what was good. They suggested the sampler platter and a Mojito and Cuban Rum and Coke. We ordered it. Both the Mojito and Rum and Coke would knock you on your fanny if you didn't watch out. Everything was great!! After dinner we went to Mallory Square to watch the street performers. It was great as usual!! We went back to the boat and crashed!!
The next day Mary and friend Rusty came with bicycles they rounded up from their neighbors. It was lunchtime--Mary wanted to know if we wanted a sit down lunch or go to a café in a Laundromat. We all choose Sandy's Café--which is located in a Laundromat. Tom and I had a Cuban sandwich and plantains. Great food. Then off we went all around the city on bikes. Mary was concerned that our buddy boat friends would be bored as they have lived in the Key West area for 3 or 4 years. But Shirley and Eddie both said they learned about things they did not know about. We went to beaches, up scaled hotels, flower gardens in the ruined fort, and even cemeteries. It was a long afternoon for me. When we came around the last corner--it was all I could do to make it. We said our good byes to Mary and her friend Rusty--then we went back to the boat. We had appetizers for dinner.
The next morning was Tuesday; we were heading back to Marathon. It was overcast all day. We arrived about 3:30 pm. We called some other friends, Carol and Doug and arranged to meet at Hurricanes for the taco specials. It was a good time.
The next day was preparing for our journey north to Lake Worth. We will meet up with Jon and Marcia on Non-Linear and then we plan to go to the Abacos. But before the day ended--Doug and Carol, Shirley and Eddie came to our boat for Key Lime Pie and to finish telling Doug and Carol about the West Coast. It was fun!