Do Not Disturb - Fort Lauderdale

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We made our way to Fort Lauderdale the day before our USA departure.

After we arrived at our hotel, we had time to saunter along the main street and take in the atmosphere before heading to the beach.

The beach was very crowded with families, couples, groups of young men playing ball sports, groups of young women watching the young men, joggers, and people walking their dogs.

We spotted lots of square roped-off areas in the sand and so we went to investigate the small signs attached. They turned out to be turtle nests which had been marked so they would not be disturbed. Coming from New Zealand with all our regulations and conservation efforts, it seemed strange to us that these people could be trusted to respect the turtles’ space.

Eileen decided to relax and enjoy some ‘people watching’ from the comfort of “The Big Kahuna”, an upstairs bar across the street and overlooking the beach. Meanwhile I negotiated the sunbathers, the ball players, the small children, and the turtle nests to make my way into the warm water for a swim. With my swim over and Eileen feeling VERY relaxed after a gin and tonic, we set off in search of dinner.

We drove past a shopping area on our way back to our hotel and so we decided this was as good a place as any to find somewhere to eat. As we walked across the car park Eileen spotted a nail salon and decided to treat herself with a manicure and pedicure – bad choice! As I was enjoying a couple of beers at the nearby “Portland Bar and Grill” and having a nice chat with the locals, Eileen was having her cuticles cut to the flesh on a couple of fingers and a toe. After she hobbled over to the bar sporting a sticky plaster, we enjoyed a tasty dinner before we retired for our final night in the ‘good ol’ US of A’.

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