After a month doing our own thing Robina and I met up in Miami - hot, steamy Miami where we spent a couple of days doing tours and found a restaurant with the most delicious key lime pie ever!
We traversed the Everglades in one of those flat boats with the big fans on the back, weaving through grassy, labyrinthine back-waters used by smugglers in the prohibition era, a heavy rain dappling the slow-moving water and taking the edge off the heat as we spotted alligators and vultures.
Back at the dock was an alligator wrestler who was getting shirty when the crowd wasn't clapping at shit tricks. He sat on the alligator, held it's nose up with his chin, spread his arms wide - one or two people gave a half-arsed clap and the guy told everyone they were the shittiest crowd ever because this was obviously an impressive trick and he could die at any moment. I dunno though, I think a broken arm and some stitches was the most excitement we could hope for - when it comes to pre-historic, semi-aquatic crocodilia I've definitely seen bigger.
Key West is a small island city, built for tourists but super cute with lots of old weatherboard buildings, souvenir shops and galleries. You get there via a bridge highway between the numerous islands dotting the Florida Keys, where there are long stretches of just bridge with no land and nothing but dazzling green water in all directions.
From Key West we did a snorkelling tour, before we set off the boat captain warned us all that the water was pretty choppy and those who didn't want to come didn't have to. So I, despite my known history of a sensitive tummy, of course jumped aboard without a second thought. Luckily it wasn't far out so we were in the water before the queasiness set in and on the way back it was open bar - five margaritas is an excellent cure for sea-sickness!
From Miami we flew to Cancun, Mexico where it was even hotter and more humid. After checking into our hostel Robina and I went for a bite to eat. We found a little shop selling tacos and quesadillas and being off the tourist strip no-one speaking english. I struggled through ordering with my spattering of spanish that I picked up on my south america trip back in 2011. We were standing under a tarp waiting for our food when suddenly I jumped startling the lady in the kitchen, the tarp was leaking and I had water all over my arse!
'Agua,' I said twinkling my fingers above my head in the international signal for rain then pointing at my wet bum.
The lady lost it, laughing and yelling to another lady in the kitchen and pointing at me and laughing more.
So I may not know what we're getting for lunch but I'm totally bilingual in the jokes department.
From Cancun we did a day trip to Chichen Itza which is an archaelogical site of temples and pyramids built by the Mayans. We had a tour guide tell us about Mayans and the ball game they used to play, bouncing the rubber ball through the stone hoops with their hips. Apparently the warriors used to play it instead of going to war - smart move, but the team captain of the losing side still had to take one for the team and was killed at the end.
On our way back from Chichen Itza we got to go swimming at our first cenote, which is a big open sinkhole and the bottom is filled with water. I was excited because I'd seen pictures and they looked really cool and it was great the water was cold and clear, quite refreshing especially as it was such a sticky day but wearing a life jacket just to go for a swim was crap.
The last stop on our Chichen Itza tour was stopping at a town square which was basically a little park but there were dancers in traditional costumes, and carts selling corn on the cob and spanish donuts. Yummo!
Next stop, heading further down the coast to Playa del Carmen.
We traversed the Everglades in one of those flat boats with the big fans on the back, weaving through grassy, labyrinthine back-waters used by smugglers in the prohibition era, a heavy rain dappling the slow-moving water and taking the edge off the heat as we spotted alligators and vultures.
Back at the dock was an alligator wrestler who was getting shirty when the crowd wasn't clapping at shit tricks. He sat on the alligator, held it's nose up with his chin, spread his arms wide - one or two people gave a half-arsed clap and the guy told everyone they were the shittiest crowd ever because this was obviously an impressive trick and he could die at any moment. I dunno though, I think a broken arm and some stitches was the most excitement we could hope for - when it comes to pre-historic, semi-aquatic crocodilia I've definitely seen bigger.
Key West is a small island city, built for tourists but super cute with lots of old weatherboard buildings, souvenir shops and galleries. You get there via a bridge highway between the numerous islands dotting the Florida Keys, where there are long stretches of just bridge with no land and nothing but dazzling green water in all directions.
From Key West we did a snorkelling tour, before we set off the boat captain warned us all that the water was pretty choppy and those who didn't want to come didn't have to. So I, despite my known history of a sensitive tummy, of course jumped aboard without a second thought. Luckily it wasn't far out so we were in the water before the queasiness set in and on the way back it was open bar - five margaritas is an excellent cure for sea-sickness!
From Miami we flew to Cancun, Mexico where it was even hotter and more humid. After checking into our hostel Robina and I went for a bite to eat. We found a little shop selling tacos and quesadillas and being off the tourist strip no-one speaking english. I struggled through ordering with my spattering of spanish that I picked up on my south america trip back in 2011. We were standing under a tarp waiting for our food when suddenly I jumped startling the lady in the kitchen, the tarp was leaking and I had water all over my arse!
'Agua,' I said twinkling my fingers above my head in the international signal for rain then pointing at my wet bum.
The lady lost it, laughing and yelling to another lady in the kitchen and pointing at me and laughing more.
So I may not know what we're getting for lunch but I'm totally bilingual in the jokes department.
From Cancun we did a day trip to Chichen Itza which is an archaelogical site of temples and pyramids built by the Mayans. We had a tour guide tell us about Mayans and the ball game they used to play, bouncing the rubber ball through the stone hoops with their hips. Apparently the warriors used to play it instead of going to war - smart move, but the team captain of the losing side still had to take one for the team and was killed at the end.
On our way back from Chichen Itza we got to go swimming at our first cenote, which is a big open sinkhole and the bottom is filled with water. I was excited because I'd seen pictures and they looked really cool and it was great the water was cold and clear, quite refreshing especially as it was such a sticky day but wearing a life jacket just to go for a swim was crap.
The last stop on our Chichen Itza tour was stopping at a town square which was basically a little park but there were dancers in traditional costumes, and carts selling corn on the cob and spanish donuts. Yummo!
Next stop, heading further down the coast to Playa del Carmen.
