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Published: February 27th 2011
Key West story 26 Feb.
(on a Greyhound going N from Miami – no wifi)
After my previous “what I hate about Miami” blog I was wondering what I was going to say about going to Key West (KW). I arrived in KW and fired up the wifi (as modern travellers do) to find an email from friend Andrew to the effect of “don’t bother – likely worst tourist disappointment of my life”. Well, there’s a challenge to be met – make it better (but not worse) than Andrew! So Andrew if you are reading this – shame! I do not know the full circumstances of his stay there so can only comment on my own obviously.
I almost did not go at all – it’s a 4 ¼ hr bus trip from Miami and I needed to be assured of somewhere to stay when I got there that wasn’t going to cost an arm and a leg as it would have to be 2 nights due to Greyhound schedule. An average night in KW “in the season” (now) is $200 min. it seems and also not a lot available. However the Seashell Motel with hostel beds seemed ard $50
KW house
wonder how many $$$?so that fit the budget anyway. But getting them to respond! I had to email them an online request form. This was after I tried ringing their 9am-9pm attended number and always going to voicebank. This was the day I went to the Everglades so could only really do it before/after I came back after 4 hrs away. They did ring my cell at 9.35pm one night but I just missed it – rang them straight back – to go to voicemail again – grrr! Then I finally got an email reply with a Word format doc to fill out and send back with credit card details (man, so old skoole!). Never got a requested confirm response to that so hopped on the bus and crossed fingers. The guys at the front desk of the hostel in Miami had said the same thing – they never answer the phone etc.
When I got there ard 3.30pm a rather pallid young guy was in the office – he seems to be up all hours and looks like a Dungeons and Dragons night time player too! But he was nice enough. The 10 bed dorm was not as bad as it
sounds – a passageway type bunk inside the door occupied by an old couple (like my age!) – then another room with 2 bunks – only one occupied by a young guy from Michigan. The other room, past the bathroom/toilet, was occupied by a guy in his 50’s called Thomas. He turned out to be a non-practising attorney (bit like me really) and was from a family in the “law business” – Dad was an attorney and all 5 sons also were. It seemed he was somewhat hiding out down there to get away from a messy will/estate situation. He had a couple of fans on in addition to the aircon and said he was also asthmatic. And on the basis of last night’s noisy performance also sleep apnea! I had directed two new backpackers in there last night – and suggested this morning they might want to move to my double bunk as it was really noisy with the snorts and racket coming from that room – bad enough in the one next door!
Anyway the Seashell is at the SE corner of town relative to the main tourist N-S drag of Duval St which is about a
Duval St tourist trash
cap: drink triple, see double, act single mile long and now mostly very full of T-shirt & souvenir shops, some galleries, some restaurants, some bars. It was a few years ago “on the safe side of seedy” accdg to the Rough Guide but is now just jammed at night with promenading tourists. I had a nice short espresso from a German lady who charged me a flat $2 – this inclusion of the sales tax was a blessed relief for a change as all this $4.99 + tax etc annoys me, partic. for small purchases. Decided to have the coffee early – those ‘after dinner’ coffees no longer agree with me, although the concept does (but not the sleep after). Wandered around checking out some restaurants and decided on Bagatelle – in an old stately 2 storey timber building. So, yes, what about the food? There seems to be a certain trend to Asian fusion food here (more like con-fusion if you ask me). The mussels sounded good – but cream and pepper sauce? Masked or what, or a broth? The nice waitress assured me it was one dish that people come back for so I took a chance. It was actually quite nice and tasty and
old Strand in KW
new Walgreens (pharmacy) the masking sauce was not too much at all. The ahi tuna sounds good – with soba noodles, yes – then peanut sauce?? What, Japan, meets Indonesia? The waitress said it tended to be a smear or accent on the plate but sounded a bit risky to me. Had some pan fried grouper instead which was good. Only had one glass of Californian chardonnay as decided the 2 glass thing (at $8-9 + tax) blows the bill up a bit, tempting as it was to try the Williamette reisling from Oregon. Being the Keys I of course had to try my first Key lime pie – only the Keys ones are supposedly the real one. This was an open flan type – the filling made from lime etc and condensed milk basically. Pretty good really for a first time – you will have to read later for the Rooftop Café extravaganza version!
The next day was my only full day in KW. Decided to rent a bike as the place is flat and easy to peddle around and it was quicker to get around. As I said the main drag of Duvall St is very long (1 mile) and
Tropic Cinema & friend
I did a double take on this across the street! South St where I am is - you guessed it - right at the bottom. I had decided that a swim in the ocean (did not manage one in Miami with the Bold and the Beautiful) was def. the go. Sea grass clags all the beaches it seems (front end loader clearing the nearest "beach" when I checked there first, its that bad! Anyway went to Higgs Beach further east where there is a pier of some 50m. and at the end 2 sets of steps into the sea. Mostly past the seagrass although there is still a bit in the water. And you can still stand on the sand. It was quite warm and very pleasant for 10 mins or so while the deckchairs were occupied with broilers. And did I tell you Key West is the most southernmost point in the USA (and only 90 miles from Cuba)?- When I was in Capetown in RSA a few years ago with a car went to the most southern point of Africa East of Cape, but was unable to swim as too rocky so this will make up for it.
Due to inability to really do laundry in a
"Shark" Bar?
this was the 'outside' wall of a bar hostel situation in Miami or KW and hang in the shower decided it would have to be the machines on site – a small cost impost of $1.50 for washing and $1 for dryer – so washed everything in sight so to speak so should have all fresh clothes (for now). Updated my blog while that was all doing and got out later. The back streets of KW are largely composed of rather nice 2 storey weatherboard houses with verandahs etc. They look nice at night especially as they tend to be open to the night breezes and it is a low crime neighbourhood. Thomas the snorer at the hostel told me that KW is Old Money, not showy – unlike the New Money glitz of Miami. Did not see any realtor windows to check out how Old the money for the houses is.
Thomas had recommended the Conch (pron. ‘conk’) Republic seafood restaurant but it was way too full and noisy when I went there. So it was to the Rooftop Cafe close to Mallory Square which is the N end of town and where people tend to go to view the most southerly (almost) sunset in the
Pepe's cafe
did look suitably the oldest USA. Lots of street performers there vying for your attention – a sword swallower, a Spiderman etc. I had to drop the bike back at 6.30pm and went to the hostel to use up some of that cheap rum from our “rum runner” plastic sacs for the cruise smuggle. Had a rum and coke or two to save alcohol cost later. So when I got to Rooftop I simply had a Cactus Jack cocktail – sort of a margarita with tequila and cactus juice. These are not short martini drinks but served in a largish glass and the margarita style I generally find rather attractive, even the salt rim on the glass, having tried them first in California last year. As they did not have conch fritters I settled for a conch chowder – which was very disappointing. I wondered whether a minestrone by mistake as it was reddish & had more veges in it and only 3 little chewy bits of conch, which I still do not know what it really tastes like. The waitress was very nice and friendly and said it was Manhattan style (tomato base?) – well, whatever. The main, very popular and recommended by her
on the basis of diner stats, was pan fried local snapper with a shrimp sauce and some nice garlicky mash – and an orchid flower which she assured me was edible so I ate a couple of petals. Then another go at Key Lime Pie – the menu said “as written about by Gourmet Traveller or whatever…” You can see why as it is a spectacular high rise wedge (sorry no pix!) as high as that Heaven and Hell cake in Dallas. The vast amount of which is the meringue foam topping with about half an inch of lime pie/crust under. I am not the biggest fan of meringue as it is often poorly done – baked crunchy on the outside and simply gooey rawish and nothing much ‘inside’. This was not baked but was like an egg white flummery – certainly did not taste simply like whipped egg whites either, yet was not overtly sweetened either. Somewhat of a mystery but superb – I can die Key Lime Pie happy now, having had the Ultimate I think.
On that note and with almost 1700 words I had better end this entry – hey I am on a Hound
a night showman cyclist
with a beatbox playing - fr. Rooftop Cafe to street below from Miami to Fort Myers FL typing this and you may be at work – read it later then!
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Huddo
non-member comment
Hemingway Home.
Hi Mike, Food a plenty, and Key Lime pie too! Cactus Jack cocktails one for the story as well. Loved the "shark Bar" pic, and Marilyn shot. Love Huddo and girls.