Day 1 – 10/6
Day started off early at 3:30 AM so we could make it to the airport for our 6 AM flight. Which would have not been so bad but we did not go to sleep until 11:30 PM. We were all pumped up about the trip itself so none of us really slept that good anyhow. Tried to cat nap on the plane in between reading my book but as always, sleep on a plane is near impossible for me.
Once we landed in Fort Lauderdale, we waited on B. to show up then jumped in the rental car and drove to Key Largo. I have heard about “The Keys” but never really appreciated exactly what they are. For those who don’t know, it is a series of tiny islands off the tip of Florida all connected by a highway over a long bridge. Key Largo is one of the first islands and Key West is the most western island, at the end of the chain. According to the road signs, it was over 100 miles to drive from the beginning of the keys to Key West. One of the bridges actually spans 18 miles across the “sounds” (bodies of water).
After we arrived, and checked in the hotel, we went to the local dive shop and I bought a new mask and snorkel. We have the option to rent all the gear we need for the dives but I wanted my own mask to make sure it fit correctly. I asked the lady for a mask that fits someone with a “big head and a big nose”. She didn’t hesitate and said, “This mask here has a generous nose pocket”. How diplomatic she was :) And to her credit, she was spot on and it fit just great.
That evening, we went to the “Encore” seafood restaurant. I couldn’t decide between shrimp cocktail and Filet Mignon so I just got both :-D Expensive, yes. Worth it? Totally. After we paid good money for the meal, we went to the grocery store and bought cheaper meal options to offset the cost of eating for the next couple of days.
For those keeping track, here is where the hotel is located: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=19&t=h&q=25.09650,-80.43650
Tomorrow is the big day where we recertify and go on our first open water dives. I’ve no idea where and what we will be doing exactly but I’m here along for the ride. Hotel has WIFI so tune in tomorrow night for the next update.
