Christmas in Florida Part 2

A photo of the fish fry we had the first night that I forgot to throw in.
The second day the boys left dark and early for a full day on the water. I vaguely remember Charly saying goodbye as I rolled over to his side of the bed. He had clearly scoped out which pillow was better and left me with the lumpy one all night. When I finally rolled out of bed, well after the sun rose, I took my kindle down to the beach and re-picked up "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene. After an hour my mom came down to say that she checked us out and they said we had to leave the premises. After driving around for a bit we ultimately decided to go to what was voted the nation's best beach in the early nineties for an hour and then go on a biplane ride. You guys, this beach was five feet wide and covered with seaweed. You couldn't walk down it without walking in the water to get around people who were laying out. It was easily the worst beach I have ever see with my own eyes, but I situated my bright yellow towel in the only sandy spot left and continued to read my book while my mother snorkeled.

Then we made our way back across seven mile bridge and stopped to eat at a hole in the wall cuban restaurant, something I had never had before. As we sat down my mother began to speak Spanish to the other customers who were locals and made their way in life through the fishing trade while some music played in the background. For a second, in the humid heat and laughter amongst strangers, I think I experienced what a glorified version of Cuba is like. Just a taste.

The Biplane ride was both hilarious and gorgeous. When I wasn't looking at the backs of manatees in the water and little houses on stilts from above, I was slowly sticking my head and arm out the open pit in the 200 mile per hour winds and watching my skin flubber and flabber. Just like the cartoons when the characters are falling. We finished the day off with Pina Coladas that were topped with real whip cream, strolling the dock and waiting for the men to arrive from their day on the open seas. When they did, their faces grinned easily and stories of how they staved off sea sickness and their catches moved from their lips. Nothing that I can write can correctly portray the mood I'm thinking of. It's one where everyone is at ease, laughter is flowing from person to person as we watch the Captain prepare each fish, and each of our individual cares is set aside to actually just enjoy where we are.