Key West to Fort Lauderdale

Key West to Fort Lauderdale

Rising 45 minutes after what we thought was our checkout time, the day started with a mad rush to pack our bags and get the unmoveable log Preno moving. Even with Preno (Bat) doing his hair and showering, we still managed to leave the room in record time. From here we headed to the sourthernmost point of Key West and the US. We then visited a local beach for a much needed refreshing dip and caught a few rays which will be in short supply as we begin to move north.

Slightly refreshed we then made tracks for the Everglades. We made it to the Everglades National Park by late afternoon and after chatting to a park ranger were directed to two walks, the first of which was on boardwalks around a slough*. Being the dry season, there was an abundance of wildlife to be seen including birds, fish and turtles. Cleland was particularly interested in finding a swamp cougar, but there were none to be seen. The highlight though was seeing a number of ‘gators. Although tasteless, the boys could not resist the occasional Steve Irwin impression with plenty of Crikeys getting thrown around. The second walk was a quick one through a rain forest area which was on slightly higher ground. The light exercise, scenery and fresh air were much appreciated by all considering the excesses of the previous few days.

From here we drove north to Fort Lauderdale so we could drop Prentice at the airport at 4 the following morning. It was at this point that things took an unexpected turn. At around 10 o’clock Jez received a message that friends from New Orleans were now in Miami. With surprising exuberance he proposed a venture back to South Beach for one last night. This proposal was met with mixed reactions. While the two Nicks decided to sleep, Preno and myself thought it would be rude not to join him, especially given it was Preno’s last night.

What followed was free entry into a very loud nightclub, followed by some quiet beers at local bars. Arriving home at 3, Preno was taken straight to the airport having made the most of every minute of his time on the road while Jez and myself tried to get some precious sleep before our 6 o’clock start the following morning.

Cheers

Carl

*Real talk: a slough is formed by a depression in the land below the level of the swamp. Subsequently, in the dry season a large amount of water collects which draws an abundance of marine life.