Key West, Miami, Florida 24.07

Hommikul võtsin jälle ette umbes tunnise (või natuke pikema) geotuuri. 

Esimesena pidin pildistama kunagise maffia külalistemaja kollast ust😁 Ehk siis praegust Angelina külalistemaja, kus 1920ndatel toimetas brodell ja mängupõrgu, millel võis või võis mitte olla seotus maffiaga. Aga seda aaret tuleb külastada ainult päevavalguses. Ja Key Westis oli hommikul kell 6 pime. Ja sellega ma ei osanud arvestada. Minu mõte oli lihtsalt see, et saan päevavalguses rahvarohketes kohtades rahulikult tegutseda. Seega. Tegin selfie igaks juhuks ära ja suundusin edasi järgmise topsi juurde. 

Tops asub sõjaveteranide kogunemiskoha ja Ronald Tylor Woodle mälestusmägi juures liiklusmärgis. Päeval oleks seal põnev võimelda aga pimedas, inimtühjuses, polnud probleemi. Inimesi ei olnud aga kukk kanadega liikus tänaval ringi. 

Järgmise juurde liikudes märkasin, et päike hakkas endast märku andma. Ja nägin paari inimest liikumas. Tops avaldus kiiresti. 

Siis tuli välja, et järgmine jäi kaardi järgi päris lähedale, aga asus aiaga ääristatud pargis. Ugh. Seega edasi Mallory väljakule. 

Kuulsin puu otsast kaagutamist. Kana ju ei lenda keset linna puu otsa? Aga ei, kui puust mööda kõndisin tahtis üks mulle südarit tekitada kui kaagutades puu otsast alla potsatas. Enamuses puidust majad ja ilusalt hooldatud aiad. 

1823. aastal rajas kommodoor David Porter Mallory väljakul piraatlusvastase baasi ning pärast selle mahasurumist said piirkonnast laevavrakkidest pärit kaupade ladustamiseks ja oksjoniteks. 1961. aastal otsustas kohalik valitsus selle väljaku taastada. Päevaajal pidavat see Key Westi keskus olema, seega ülirahvastatud. Hommikul oli seal ainult politseiauto ja üks elunautleja. Proovisin võimalikult tähelepandamatult tegutseda, politsei vähemalt ei tulnud uurima, millega ma tegelen. Topsi tagasi panekul sain oodata, kui mingi inimgrupp mööda loivas.  

Siis on Key Westis, Mallory väljaku läheduses 1997. aastal avatud Key Westiga seotud oluliste isikute memoriaalkujude park. Kujud asuvad punastel tellistel, mida toetajad saavad 100 dollari eest soetada ning lasta oma nime sinna graveerida. Raha läheb Key Westi toetuseks. Pronksist kujude autoriks on James Mastin. Ja pargis järjekordne kukk oma karjaga. 

Jalutasin mööda Duval St tagasi majutuse poole. Leidsin veel ühe topsi ja enda nimelise tänava. 

Hommikusöök oli huvitav. Valikuid vähem kui mujal, vorste ei olnud. Mitte, et ma neid kuskil sõin aga ikkagi, neid ei olnud. Ega munaputru. Igale inimesele oli ette nähtud 1 saiake. 1 mitte rohkem. Saiad olid naisel kandikul, mis asus tagaruumis. Iga kord, kui keegi küsima tuli, tõi naine kandiku ja andis saiakese. No niisama saia ja jogurtit ja helbeid oli ka. 

Kas te teadsite, et Hemingway kirjutas oma kõige kuulsamad raamatud, näidendi ja lühijutud Key Westis? Ja ta armastas kasse. Kuuesõrmelisi kasse. Kokku elas kirjanik saarel kaheksa aastat, 1931-1939. Tänapäeval saab tema majamuuseumi külastada. Kuna oli mingi päev, siis saime pileti peal dollari allahindlust. 

Hemingway majamuuseumis elavad kassid. Umbes 60 kuuesõrmelist kassi. Hemingway sai oma esimese kassi, Lumivalgukese kingituseks ja edasine on ajalugu. Selgub, et kuusvarbalisus on tõust sõltumata. 

Selleks, et maffia maja pilt kindlasti arvesse läheks, käisime veel ühe ringi maja juurest läbi. Vanemad eriti vaimustuses ei olnud. 

Registreerisime välja, auto rooli ja viimaseks sõiduks Jeepiga valmis. Keydel märkasime mitmeid Sandaalitehaseid, mis osutusid suveniiripoodideks. Tagasiteel tegime ühes peatuse aga midagi huvitavat ei leidnud. Küll aga külastasime veel korra Rossi, kust ostsin seekord kõik asjad ära. 150 euro eest kolm kleiti, käekott, Guessi jalanõud ja boolero. Minu kohvris ruumi on. 

Tagasiteel tekkiski mõte, et Eestis oleks sellel teel tohutu mööda kimamine käinud, kui seal sõideti kannatlikult pikkades kolonnides. 

Siis olimegi juba Miamis ja teel lennujaama poole, kust järgmisel hommikul väljasõit. Kõigepealt viisin vanemad majutusse, lennujaama lähedal, pakkudes tasuta lennujaamatransporti, on Radisson Red Miami Airport hotell. Auto parklasse, vanemad kohale, sisseregistreerimine ja auto lennujaama, Avise tagastuspunkti. Kokku 3324km, ja üllatavalt ei ole see suurim kilometraaž, mida reisidel sõitnud oleme. 

Kuna Radisson asub lennujaama kõrval, vähemalt Avise kõrval, siis kõndisin selle maa tagasi. Seekord toa leidmisega probleemi ei olnud. 

Reisi viimase õhtusöögi sõime Don Camarón Mereanni grillis. Auto oli tagastatud, siis kasutasime jälle Uberit. Mulle mereanni paella, ema sõi mingit krevettidega kaetud kala ja isa liha. Klienditeenindajatest üks enam-vähem sai inglise keelest aru. Viimane poekülastus ja oligi aeg päev lõppenuks lugeda. 

In the morning, I set off on another hour-long (or a bit longer) geocaching tour. First up, I needed to take a photo of a yellow door that once belonged to a mafia guesthouse 😁 Nowadays, it’s known as Angelina Guesthouse, but back in the 1920s, it was a brothel and gambling den, that may or may not have been linked to the mafia. However, this cache should only be visited during daylight. And in Key West, it was pitch black at 6 am, which I hadn’t considered. My idea was simply to get the upper hand of the daylight to move easily in otherwise crowded places. So, I took a selfie just in case and moved on to the next cache. 

The cache is located within a traffic sign near a veterans' gathering spot and the Ronald Tylor Woodle memorial. During the day, it would be fun to scramble around there, but in the dark, deserted surroundings, it wasn't a problem. There were no people, but a rooster and some chickens wandering around the street.

As I moved toward the next one, I noticed the sun was starting to rise. I even spotted a couple of people moving about. It turned out that the next cache, according to the map, was fairly close by, but it was in a fenced-off park. Ugh. So, I headed to Mallory Square instead. I heard a clucking sound from a tree. Surely, chickens don’t fly up into trees? But no, as I walked past the tree, one startled me by clucking loudly and plopping down from the branches. 

Most of the houses are wooden and have beautifully kept gardens.

In 1823, Commodore David Porter established an anti-piracy base at Mallory Square, and after piracy was suppressed, the area became a storage and auction site for goods salvaged from shipwrecks. In 1961, the local government decided to restore the square. During the day, it’s supposed to be the heart of Key West, packed with people. In the morning, there was just a police car and one person enjoying life. I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible; at least the police didn’t come over to investigate what I was up to. When I was putting the cache back, I had to wait for a group of people to shuffle past. 

Nearby Mallory Square, there’s a bust park with statues dedicated to notable figures linked to Key West, which opened in 1997. The statues are placed on bricks that supporters can purchase for $100, with their names engraved on them. The funds go toward supporting Key West. The bronze statues were created by James Mastin. And in the park, there was yet another rooster with his flock. 

I strolled back towards Truman Hotel along Duval Street. I found another cache and an Ann Street. 

Breakfast was interesting. There were fewer choices than elsewhere. No sausages. Not that I’d eaten them anywhere else, but still, they weren’t available. Nor were there scrambled eggs. Each person was entitled to one pastry. Just one, no more. The pastries were on a tray in the back room, and every time someone asked, the lady would bring the tray and hand out a single pastry. There was also plain bread, yoghurt, and cereal. 

Did you know that Hemingway wrote his most famous novels, plays, and short stories in Key West? And he loved cats. Six-toed cats. The author lived on the island for eight years, from 1931 to 1939. Today, you can visit his house museum. Since there was some special day, we got a dollar off the ticket price. 

Around 60 six-toed cats live at the Hemingway House Museum. Hemingway received his first cat, Snow White, as a gift, and the rest is history. It turns out that having six toes isn’t breed-specific. 

To make sure that the photo of the mafia house counted, we did another loop past the building. My parents weren’t too thrilled about it. 

We checked out, got into the car, and prepared for our last drive in the Jeep. On the Keys, we noticed several Sandal Factories, which turned out to be souvenir shops. We made a stop at one on the way back, but there was nothing particularly interesting. However, we visited Ross once more, where I finally bought everything: three dresses, a handbag, Guess shoes, and a bolero for €150. There’s unlimited room in my suitcase.

On the way back, I couldn’t help but think that in Estonia, this road would have been a mad dash of overtaking cars, while here, everyone drove patiently in long columns. 

Then we were already in Miami, heading towards the airport, where we’d depart the next morning. First, I took my parents to our accommodation, the Radisson Red Miami Airport Hotel, which offers free airport transportation. I parked the car, dropped them off, checked them in, and then drove to the Avis return point at the airport. Altogether, we’d driven 3,324 km— surprisingly not even the longest distance we’ve covered on our trips!

Since the Radisson is next to the airport, at least next to Avis, I walked back. This time, I had no trouble finding the room. Finding a way out of the Avis building is another matter. 

For our last dinner of the trip, we ate at Don Camarón Seafood Grill. With the car returned, we used Uber again. I had the seafood paella, Mum had some fish covered in shrimp, and Dad had meat. One of the waiters almost understood English. A final visit to the shops, and then it was time to call it a day.

Key West, Florida 23.07

Key Largo, Montego, oh, baby why don't we go.. 

Pärast hommikusööki ja suplust soojas ookeanivees (aga mitte enam nii suurte lainetega) oli aeg Miamist edasi liikuda. Ees ootas reisi kaugeim punkt alguskohast, Key West. Mitte sihtkoht, kõik peatuskohad olid omaette põnevad. 

Tollivaba tee Miamist Key Westi kestab ca 4 tundi (või rohkem), kuigi vahemaa on ca 260 km (tollitee ca pool tundi vähem, olenevalt liikluse tihedusest). Sest kiiruspiirangud ja kaherealine tee. Tegelikult võib selle vahemaa vabalt terve päeva või paariga läbida, oleneb, kui palju peatuseid teha. Aga hoolimata sellest, et kiirus on aeglasem ja kiirtee puudub, kõik sõitsid kannatlikult üksteise järgi. Kui järgmisel päeval Miami poole tagasi sõitsime tekkis mitu korda mõte, et Eestis oleks selline mööda süstimine toimunud. Seal lihtsalt ei olnud. 

Meie alustasime tegelikult natuke enne Florida Keys saarestikku, mandril, Robert is Here puuviljapoest. Kui Robert oli 6-aastane, avas ta puuvilja putka, et aidata isal farmi toodangut müüa. Tähelepanu haaramiseks tegi tema isa sildi "Robert on siin". Sellel päeval müüs 6-aastane (mõnedel andmetel 7-aastane, kuigi enamik kohtades ikkagi 6) Robert kogu oma toodangu - sündis ettevõtja. Aasta oli siis 1959. 

2024 on Robert ikka siin. Pereettevõte on laienenud. Lisaks puuviljadele müüakse hoidiseid, seal on loomaaedik, söögiala, lastele mängimiskoht. Ja isegi aare on aia taga palmi sees olemas. Hinnad on ka muidugi reklaamile vastavad. Aga kui juba seal, võtsime kõik smuuti. Saad ise valida kolm koostisosa, kõik värsked ja valmistatakse kohe kohapeal. Soovitatakse key laimiga, mida me ka tegime. Lisaks juurde minul kaks hapumat valikut. Ema võttis üheks mamey, mille tõlget ma ei ole leidnud. 

Seejärel asusimegi Florida Keyside poole teele. Florida Keys on Key-nimelistest saartest koosnev saarestik, mis on ühendanud sildadega, algupäraselt raudteesillad, mida on 182 km kohta kokku 42. Suurimad linnad Key Largo, Marathon ja Key West. 

Sain alles vahetult enne reisi aru, et The Beach Boys'i "Kokomo" laulus mainitud Key Largo ongi see Key Largo ja jääb meie teele. Tean seda laulu juba ammmmu, aga enne ei osanud kuidagi kokku viia. 

Esimese peatuse tegime kohe pärast Key Largot asuvas Tavernieris, lindude varjupaigas. Kõik sai alguse matemaatika õpetaja Laura Quinnist, kes hoolitses haavatud metsikute lindude eest. 1988. aastast Florida Keys mitteametlik metsikute lindude rehabilitatsioonikeskus avas ametlikult uksed 1991. Mittetulundusühinguna töötav varjupaik päästab, rehabiliteerib ja vabastab linde. Raha tuleb suuresti annetustest ja vabatahtlikust piletitasust. 

Lindude varjupaigas tutvusin lähemalt juba eelmistel päevadel nähtud põneva bengali viigipuuga, mis tundub koosnevat lõpmatu arvust tüvedest. Linde oli loomulikult ka. Ja hoiatus krokodillide liikumisala kohta. Ei näinud ühtegi. 

Ja siis ikka edasi. Istanduse Key's (Plantation Key) asub värviküllane Vihmatünni (Rain Barrel) küla. 

See on üks lahedamaid kohti. Küla ei saa märkamata jääda, vähemalt sissepääs, tee ääres on suur homaar. Nagu tohutu, 9m kõrge ja 12 meetrit pikk, realistliku välimusega homaar. Selle taha jäävad mitmed poekesed, üks värvilisem kui teine. 

Rain Barrel küla sai alguse 1978. aastal, pakkudes kohalikele kunstnikele eneseväljenduse ja sissetuleku väljundit. Kunagi asusid seal küpressist tünnid, mis inspireeris käesolevat nime. 

Homaar Betsy tellis kohalik restorani omanik skulptorilt Richard Blazelt ning selle valmistamine algas 1980ndal Marathonis ja lõppes viis aastat hiljem, aga siis oli restoran uksed sulgenud. Kui sinna kool rajati, siis läks Betsy lattu hoiule ja 2009. aastal toimetati praegusesse asukohta. 

Aga küla on täis võrratuid suveniire ning käsitööd. 

Siis tahtsin ära näha Fredi-nimelise puu, kes kasvab 7-miilisel sillal, mis ühendab Rüütli (Knight's) Keyd Väikese Pardi (Little Duck) Key-ga. Sild oli ehitamise hetkel üks maailmas pikimaid, olles osa USA Route 1-st. Tänapäeval on asukohal 2 silda, milles üks on avatud liiklusele ja teine jalakäijatele (1909-1912, raudteesild). Kui raudteesild 1935.aasta maavärinas kahjustada sai, loodi alus teisele. Ülemere maantee valmis lõplikult 1982. 

Fred on siis Austraalia männipuu, mis asus kasvama mahajäetud raudteesillale umbes 30 aastat tagasi. See osa sillast on ligipääsetav ainult paadi või õhu kaudu. Minu puudulik eeltöö selgus kohapeal, ja Fredi lähemalt ei näinud, kui mööda sõites. 

Ja siis jõudsimegi reisi kaugeimasse punkti, Key Westi, mis on 6x2 km saar Florida väinas. Kaugus 260 km Miamist ja 153km Kuubast, elanikke 26 tuhat, rahvastiku tihedus 1823 (Eestis 30) ruutkilomeetril. Key West on Route 1 kõige lõunapoolsem tipp. Palju hooneid pärineb 19. sajandi lõpust, 20. sajandi algusest. 

Vanalinna piirkonnas on tõesti armsad, pastelsed hooned. Jälle tuttav piparkoogi ääristus kaunistab nii mõndagi katust. Key Westis on elanud nii Hemingway kui Harry S. Truman. Ning Key Westis on USA lõunapoosemat punkti tähistav poi, mille juurde jalutasime õhtul. 

Enne seda parkisin Truman hotelli parkmismajja. Tagurdasin ilusti oma suure Jeepi kitsaste postide vahele. Käisime sisse registreerimas ja selgus, et parkimiskohad on kindlaksmääratud ja pean hoopis kõrvalkohale liikuma. Pole probleemi, tagurdasin veel kitsamate postide vahele. 

Heh. Sisse registreerides saatsin vanemad nende kohvritega tuppa ja läksin ise autoga tegelema. Hotelli sisehoovi jõudes olin toanumbri ära unustanud. Käisin paari vale ukse taga koputamas. USAs helistamine on natuke kallis, seega pidin retseptsioonist uuesti toanumbrit küsima minema.

Truman hotell on mõnusalt väike ning asub Key Westi peatänava, Duval St, paralleeltänaval. Õhtusöögi saime kohe üle tee asuvast Duffy's Steak & Lobster Housest. Hiidkreveti pastale eelnes kalasupp. Yumm. Isegi liiga suur portsjon. Vanemad piirdusid mereanni salatiga. 

Pärast õhtusööki vahetasime majutuses riides ning võtsime suuna Key Westi randa. Lõunatipus on ookean tõesti nagu supp aga erinevalt Miamist oli põhi kaetud mitte kõige pehmemate vetikatega. Heh. Pärnu ranna tunne tekkis, kõnnid ja kõnnid ja vesi ulatub juba poole põlveni. Lained njetu. Aga võtsime soojast ookeaniveest viimast. 

Seejärel tagasi majutusse, nüüd juba teadaolevale parkimiskohale ja edasi mööda Duval tänavat ja sellega piirduvaid suveniiripoode Põhja-Ameerika lõunapoolseimat tippu tähistava poini, mis paikneb seal aastast enne minu sündi. 

Õhtut jäi lõpetama Truman hotelli mõnusa meeleoluvalgusega bassein. Ja kui veel Miamis läks pimedaks 9ks, siis siin saabus pimedus järsku ja veel varem. 

After breakfast and swimming in the warm ocean (with calmer waves than before), it was time to move on from Miami. Ahead lay the furthest point of the trip from the starting location, Key West. Not the final destination though, as each stop along the way was exciting in its own right. 

The toll-free drive from Miami to Key West takes about 4 hours (or more), despite the distance being around 260 km (the toll road is about half an hour shorter, depending on traffic). Speed limits and a two-lane road slow things down. In fact, you could easily take a whole day or two to cover the distance, depending on how many stops you make. But despite the slower speeds and lack of a highway, everyone patiently followed one another. On our way back to Miami the next day, I couldn’t help but think several times that such patient driving wouldn’t happen in Estonia. There, people would be overtaking at every opportunity. Here, it just didn’t happen.

We actually started our journey just before reaching the Florida Keys, still on the mainland, at the “Robert Is Here” fruit stand. When Robert was 6, he opened the stand to help his father sell farm produce. To attract attention, his father made a sign saying “Robert Is Here.” On that day, the 6-year-old (or 7, according to some sources) Robert sold all his goods—a young entrepreneur was born. The year was 1959. 

In 2024, Robert is still here. The family business has expanded. In addition to fruit, they now sell jams, and there’s an animal pen, an eating area, a children’s playground, and even a treasure hidden behind a fence in a palm tree. The prices match the hype, of course, but since we were there, we all had a smoothie. You can choose three ingredients yourself, all fresh and made on the spot. Key lime is highly recommended, which we opted for. I added two more tart ingredients. Mum chose mamey, which I couldn’t find a translation for. 

After that, we headed towards the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are an archipelago of islands named “Key,” connected by bridges—originally railway bridges. In total, there are 42 bridges along the 182 km route. The main cities are Key Largo, Marathon, and Key West. 

It was only just before the trip that I realised the “Key Largo” mentioned in The Beach Boys' song “Kokomo” is, in fact, the very same Key Largo we’d be passing through. I’ve known that song for ages, but I never made the connection. 

Our first stop was in Tavernier, just after Key Largo, at a Wild Bird Sanctuary. It all began with a maths teacher, Laura Quinn, who took care of injured wild birds. In 1988, the Florida Keys unofficial wild bird rehabilitation centre officially opened its doors in 1991. The sanctuary is a non-profit organisation that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases birds. Most of the funding comes from donations and voluntary ticket fees. 

At the bird sanctuary, I also got a closer look at the fascinating banyan tree, which I’d already spotted on previous days. It seems to consist of an endless number of trunks. Of course, there were birds as well, and a warning about crocodiles in the area. We didn’t see any.

Then we continued on. In Plantation Key is the colourful Rain Barrel Village. It’s one of the coolest places. The village is impossible to miss, at least the entrance, as there’s a huge lobster by the roadside. It’s enormous—9 metres tall and 12 metres long—and looks very realistic. Behind it are several small shops, each more colourful than the last. 

Rain Barrel Village began in 1978, offering local artists a space for creative expression and income. At one time, there were cypress barrels here, which inspired the name.

Betsy the Lobster was commissioned by a local restaurant owner from the sculptor Richard Blaze, and it began being built in Marathon in 1980. It took five years to complete, but by then the restaurant had closed. When a school was built in its place, Betsy was put into storage, but in 2009 she was relocated to her current spot. 

The village is full of delightful souvenirs and crafts.

Next, I wanted to see a tree named Fred, growing on the 7-Mile Bridge, which connects Knight’s Key with Little Duck Key. At the time of construction, it was one of the longest bridges in the world and forms part of the famous U.S. Route 1. Nowadays, there are two bridges—one for vehicles and the other for pedestrians (the old railway bridge, built between 1909 and 1912). When the railway bridge was damaged by an earthquake in 1935, it laid the foundation for the new one. The Overseas Highway was fully completed in 1982.

Fred is an Australian pine tree that began growing on the abandoned railway bridge about 30 years ago. That part of the bridge is only accessible by boat or air. Unfortunately, due to my lack of planning, I didn’t see Fred up close, just as we drove past. 

Then we reached the furthest point of our trip, Key West, a 6x2 km island in the Florida Straits. It’s 260 km from Miami and 153 km from Cuba, with a population of 26,000 and a density of 1,823 people per square kilometre (Estonia’s density is 30). Key West is the southernmost point of Route 1. Many buildings date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

The Old Town area is full of lovely pastel-coloured buildings. Once again, I noticed familiar gingerbread-style trim on several roofs. Both Hemingway and Harry S. Truman lived in Key West. The island also has a buoy marking the southernmost point of the USA, which we walked to in the evening.

Before that, I parked at the Truman Hotel car park. I carefully reversed my large Jeep between narrow posts. We checked in, only to find out the parking spots were assigned, and I had to move to the next space. No problem, I backed into an even narrower spot. 

Heh. After sending my parents to the room with their luggage, I went to sort out the car. Once inside the hotel courtyard, I realised I’d forgotten our room number. I knocked on a couple of the wrong doors. Since calling in the US is quite expensive, I had to go back to reception to ask for the room number again.

The Truman Hotel is nice and small, and it’s on a side street parallel to Duval St, Key West’s main street. We had dinner across the street at Duffy's Steak & Lobster House. The huge shrimp pasta was preceded by a fish soup. Yummy. The portion was almost too large. My parents stuck to a seafood salad. 

After dinner, we changed clothes back at the hotel and headed to Key West’s beach. At the southern tip, the ocean is truly like a warm bath, but unlike Miami, the seabed was covered in not-so-soft seaweed. Heh, it felt a bit like Pärnu Beach—you walk and walk, and the water only reaches your knees. There were no waves. But we made the most of the warm ocean. 

Then we headed back to the hotel, parked in our now familiar spot, and strolled along Duval Street, browsing the souvenir shops on our way to the marker for the southernmost point in mainland North America, which has been there since before I was born. 

The day ended with a relaxing swim in the Truman Hotel’s pool, lit by mood lighting. While in Miami, it was dark by 9 pm, here nightfall came suddenly and much earlier.