Tales from the Keys (part 2)

For some reaons it is almost impossible to get American style pancakes in England. There is one place in London that makes a decidedly so-so stab at it but that is about it. So everytime I come to America I spend rather too much time eating pancakes while I can. There is one specially good place that makes them called the Midnight Diner, it used to be 24 hours a day so we would day-dream about grabbing a flight and being able to eat pancakes when ever you wanted but sadly that has stopped.

It still does amazing pancakes though, creamy and light and they just taste better when they are served in a retro 1950s diner with red leather seats and acres of chrome everywhere. After rubbing our belly's we delight we woddled to the giant mall to have a look around. I had a milkshake to complete the experience as we browsed the vast temple to consumerism. The milkshake was lovely - banana and mango so I drank it a bit fast and nearly blacked out from brain freeze. It wasn't just cold, it was so cold it made my nose tickle like the nerves were dying. Can you drink a milkshake fast enough to do any real damage to your head?

Anyway after I had recovered from my freeze-spaz attack I saw some of those cool Panama hats, a hat might be a wise investment in this harsh weather so I went in to have a look at them. There was a nice white one with a blank band that caught my eye so I had a look at the price. $200! No wonder the Cuban economy is in trouble if all the chaps have to spend $200 a year making sure they have decent headwear. After the hat shock I brought my first football shirt, it was one that said 'Peru' on it which I will wear to what I hope will be the delight of The Peruvian. I also got her a very swishy dress for Salsa dancing in, it is amazing looking but I am concerned about the size as the only advice I could give her is she is about 'this big'. Still if it doesn't fit it's a great excuse for a return trip.

We left the mall and went to the beach, I took a very satisfying swim in a lovely warm sea and went out really, really far. Like shark attack far, or at least it would have been if after about half an hour of swimming I still was in an area shallow enough for me to touch the bottom. Not even humming the theme from jaws could make a shark turn up so I swam back to land to ready myself for the night out. We went to Heimmarshee street which has a street full of bars. Each bar has a slightly different theme and feel so people sort of drift from bar to bar like shoals of fish looking out for someone to mate with.

I was amazed by how many people in America go out wearing jeans, it might be a Florida thing but the sea of denim was a little alarming. We drank more than our share of beers (not me I was driving) while enjoying the live bands and just people watching. American men have very dull haircuts, American women have either amazing haircuts, neutral haircuts or so awful that someone really should say something. Because we had parked a short way away from the street we walked back to the car. This was terrifying as you had to cross six lanes of traffic in one go. There was a crossing but the cars seemed to take the stop light as more as a rough guideline more than a rule. Luckly I didn't die and another exciting day ended.