Who were committing acts of piracy?

"[M]en and women, slave and free, outlaw and lawman, took to the high seas in search of a new life..."


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Slavery and Piracy

Yes, those are shackles.


And more evidence that Columbus was not a man to celebrate:


"Vials" from a slave ship...not sure what purpose they served.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Jewelry, etc., at the Maritime Museum

I love it that Mel found so much emerald jewelry.





And one ornate spoon!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Gold booty

Loads of gold on display!





An ornate belt:





Cufflinks, etc.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fisher Maritime Museum

Although the salvage end of shipwreck is not my thing, I enjoyed the Fisher museum. That would be Mel Fisher, he of Atocha-locating and -salvaging fame.

I'll run a few posts on the sights to see there.






17th-century bottle stoppers--of interest, since glass is a common bottle stopper not long after.





A model of a ship going down...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Lunch on Sunday

We had a Cuban lunch at Pepito's on Sunday. The bread basket came with spicy red and green tomatillo sauces, mmm. I had 4 stuffed plantain ends: pulled pork, seafood stew, beef picadillo, and...something else. Vic had a pulled pork sandwich.















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Electric cars

They are in widespread use around here. We've seen a number of rental outlets. It's pretty cool!









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wildlife

Iguana and heron...
(He's in the middle, barely below the bush.)








This bird was attracted by someone firing up a grill, and--as you can see--he did not run off when approached.

Victor wants to see pelicans up close. He was saying for hours as we drove down, "There'd better be pelicans." Yesterday (Sunday), a flock of 4 skimmed the canal. I yelled for Victor, but by the time he exited the cottage, they'd rounded the end house and disappeared.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Past and present

This is an image from Sunday of the hotel where Victor and crew stayed for a national meeting in February 1998. Back then, it was $500 a night.


Right now, a boat could be in trouble...there, in the middle of the photo, isn't that vessel at an odd angle? The tide here is no more than 1'-2' in either direction, and its tilt is greater than such a small variable could cause. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Omigosh, I forgot!

We stopped for lunch on our way down to Cudjoe Key. I wanted something off the beaten path, so I used TripAdvisor to locate a popular local hangout, 3 turns off the main drag.



We dined in the tiki hut, as it was blistering outside.


The most delicious, coconut-crusted onion rings...so crispy, with a Thai chili sauce:


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Key Largo, FL

Sunday in Key West

Key West is, of course, bounded on all sides by water. I'm not sure which is ocean, which is Gulf of Mexico, or whether any might be the Caribbean.













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Key West, FL

Here we are!

Views of the outside of our compact, canal-side cottage:
(From across the canal)


(And street side)









From the inside:















It is essentially 3 rooms and a bathroom. Canal-side you find the kitchen-dining-living combo, and street-side you find the bedrooms.

It is comfortable, has plenty of ceiling fans, and offers sightings of various wildlife. We're quite pleased.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Cudjoe Key, FL

In transit

This is what showed up once we got to the Southern Keys: green, Caribbean-like water, on both sides of the road.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ft. Lauderdale, Saturday Morning

We awoke Saturday morning at the airport Quality Inn, a bit distressed that our luggage was not in Florida.

You can tell by the palm trees that you're not in Kansas any more.



I had pajamas, meds, and toiletries in my carry-on. But not a change of clothing. Of course, I already had a plan to get to Ross! See Victor's Facebook feed...

I got 2 blouses, a T-shirt, 2 dresses, a dress suit, a pair of shorts, a pair of capris pants, a bra, a shaping camisole, and a PJ set, 12 or 13 items. What would your cost be, for these items?









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Ft. Lauderdale, FL