Fast is Done, Fun has Begun

Broke the fast with carrot ginger soup and yogurt. Then a smoothie. Then (dinner) conch ceviche and freshly caught yellowtail snapper at Hurricane Hole.

Rode our bikes the five lovely miles downtown. I got the grey washed out of my roots, Ross ran errands, and we biked back to Hurricane Hole to dinner.

Notes on Key West:

• chickens (and roosters) are sacred creatures here and they run free through the streets. If you accidentally kill one there’s a $500 fine. If you kill one on purpose, it’ll cost you $5000.

• driving and cycling is a little like playing a video game. You need to have eyes going in every direction. There are bikes, pedestrians, roosters/chickens (don’t hit ‘em!), electric golf carts, scooters, tourist trolleys, three wheeled cars (driven by teenagers, mostly), the Conch Tour trains. A little mayhem, probably a little alcohol-fueled. But very, very chill.

• Pelicans galore, although we’ve heard their population decreased since the hurricane.

• the ready access to seafood is awesome.

• the vibe is New Orleans, but as one local told me, “New Orleans without the crime.”