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American Spirit II - Day 474; Darlene and I Walk Around Key West, We Watch the 'Bed Race, and Joel Continues To Do Pictures; Saturday, April 25, 2015



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Now that the World ARC has finished, the rally reporting and mapping has also finished. Yourself, family and friends can follow the progress of American Spirit on your YB private page http://my.yb.tl/americanspirit



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One year ago today:



"Day 112; Laundry (Again), an All Day Bus Tour of Tahiti, the Electrical 'Bus,' Dinner with Nexus and Getting Ready for Company; Friday, April 25, 2014. During the tour we learn the following: that there are 300,000 people living in French Polynesia; that 175,000 of them live in Tahiti; that they drive 35,000 cars; that France gives $1.1 Billion in aid to French Polynesia every year; that in the last 44 years there have been only 6 or 7 murders; that the biggest 'crime' in the country is alcohol abuse; that the country sending the most tourists to French Polynesia is the United States, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Japan and then Europe; that French Polynesian's are Christian and very religious; that the number one business is tourism, followed by black pearl farming and selling; that the number one sport is rowing; that the number two sport is surfing; that unemployment is 18%; that the average income is $400 - $600 per month; that you are 'rich' if you make $2,500 per month; that the really nice houses sell for $250,000; that 20% of the population are Chinese; that 70% of the restaurants are owned by Chinese; and that there are 52 varieties of bread fruit; and that a bread fruit 'recipe' kept the bread fruit eatable for 7 years. Who knew!"



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Up at 8:15 AM; Joel and Darlene are up between 8:45 AM and 9:00 AM.



We head to Two Friends Bar for breakfast around 10:00 AM.



After breakfast Joel heads back to the boat to continuing sorting pictures of our trip on his computer, while Darlene and I go for a walk around Key West. We have two primary objectives: to go to the post office and the Hemingway House. Along the way we walk down a street closed to traffic and set up with outdoor booths where locals are selling their wares, such as pictures, paintings, clothing, jewelry, etc. We also end up visiting a number of shops. At one shop a chair is for sale and its hanging on some rope from the ceiling. On the seat of the chair is a very colorful painted rooster with the caption "Please don't sit on my Cock!" Only in Key West. From 2:20 PM to 4:00 PM watching the 32nd Annual Bed Race down Key West's busiest street, Duval Street. The Bed Race is composed of teams of 5, with 4 'runners' and 1 rider; and with some unique outfits: the Adams Family; Wonder Women (where one of the crew is a man); Disco Fever; etc. There are 9 beds in the race. One of the beds has a rider who is female and 90 years old. Its typical Key West. We also visit the Green Parrot Bar where where we have a non-alcoholic drink and water. The Green Parrot Bar prides itself on being open since 1890; and bills itself as 'The first and last bar on US 1.' A sign on the front of the building next to the door to enter says 'Sorry We're Open.'



One place we walk by has a sign outside of a house that says: 'Birthplace of Pan American World Airways. This building was its first office on October 28, 1927 Pan American Flight No. 1 taxied down a runway in Key West bound for Havana. This was the first United States international air service in scheduled operation.' Who knew?!



Another house we walked by had a sign over the front door that reads: 'King of the Wreckers. Bradish W. Johnson, whose outstanding success earned him the nickname of Hog Johnson. He built this house with lumber he salvaged from wrecks on the reef.' Unsaid but understood in Key West is that there was a group of people called 'wreckers,' who set false lights and therefore made ships wreck. They then salvaged their cargoes for profit. Key West, at one time, was the largest city, population wise, in Florida.



After the Bed Race Darlene and I go to an open air bar called Mangoes, and wait for Joel to join us. He does, and then we walk back to the boat, stopping at some very, very nice, and expensive, art galleries; and an ice cream shop where the girl behind the counter is from the Ukraine. There are a lot of Russians in Key West.



Back at the boat by 5:30 PM PM, we head to the pool and hot whirl pool. It starts with a 'j' but I can't spell check it. After that we watch the sun set; another red orb sunset.



We head back to the boat around 7:30 PM, have a coffee and then off to dinner at TGI Friday's for dinner. After that we head to Publix for a final provisioning, arriving there at 10:40 PM. Our final stop for the night is a gas station to fill up the rental car tank.



We're back at the marina at 11:20 PM. Joel is the first to go to bed at 11:55 PM. Darlene is next and I'm last, going to bed around 2:30 AM after typing and sending out 2 logs and some emails.



Brian Fox


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