Cruising The Seven Seas: Biking Around Key West

Biking Around Key West

31^st March 2012

Everyone was scheduled for lab maintenance and once again, Carolee and I were propping ourselves up against the printer, scrubbing it within an inch of its life. Csaba told me to come down for lab maintenance for training such as how to do copper test strips and column changing. Both had been tested recently so there was no need to do it again. Plus, I don’t think Diva had any idea about such trainings.

With lab maintenance complete, we had breakfast and gathered our stuff up. Getting off the ship was just what a few of us needed. Freedom for a couple of hours. Luckily enough, I had the entire day off and was planning on making the most out of it. At 12.15 we were in the fresh air and piling into a mini bus.

Not far from the port is a bike rental place called Pirate Rentals, where they have a choice of bikes, mopeds and battery powered buggies. The bike rental, including tax, was $11 each for the entire day. We even had a little basket at the front of the bike! We couldn’t stop laughing. The things we get up to – the things we pay money for!

Getting on the bikes, we got a real shock; there were no hand brakes. To use the brakes you had to pedal backwards. It was so odd and felt completely unnatural after spending years and years stopping a bike using the brakes on the handle bars.

Adjusting the seats and wobbling all over the place, Ani, Kate, Diva, Carolee and I headed off down the road. Kate and Ani were flying down the road while Carolee and Diva were getting to grips with the bike. Diva was shouting “guys! Slow down!” while peddling as fast as her little legs could.

Ani, Me, Carolee and Diva

Five minutes down the road, we stopped. Ani wanted to have a look at the Key West Lighthouse. It’s only a small museum which costs $10 to enter. No one wanted to pay $10, so we had our photo taken with the lighthouse in the background, before having a look in the souvenir shop. While paying for a few things, I asked how much it was for crewmembers to enter the Key West Lighthouse Museum. “Do you have ID on you all?” we nodded. “Why didn’t you say so? It’s free!” Result! Smiling and thanking the lady we all made our way into the Lighthouse Museum.

Key West Lighthouse

Here’s a little history lesson for you all from the Key West Lighthouse Museum leaflet we picked up:

“The Key West Lighthouse was built in 1847 to replace the original wooden tower on Whitehead Point destroyed the previous year by a hurricane. The present location, 14 feet above sea level, was chosen to protect the new tower from a similar fate, This tower was constructed of brick and was 66 feet high with a fixed white light. In 1894 twenty feet were added to bring it to its present height. The three red sector panels were the code signifying dangerous approaches to the harbour. The Lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coastguard in 1969. The tower was restored for $265,000 in 1989, reopening in February. Its 175-watt metal halide light which works on a photo-electric cell lights up as the daylight diminishes can be seen several miles out to sea.

The Light Keeper’s Quarters was built in 1887 and houses the museum’s collection of lighthouse artifacts and the martime history of the Keys. The word Key comes from the Spanish Cayo; the original name for Key West was Cayo Hueso, or Bone Islet. Visitors may climb the 88 steps to the balcony and a spectacular view of the island surrounding waters. There are ten addition steps to the actual light.”

Carolee, Kate, Me, Ani and Diva at Key West Lighthouse

Walking into a small room, was a light house lens. The lens took up all the space, it was massive! It was called the “First Order Lens” and installed into the lighthouse situated on Sombrero Key. The lens was manufactured in Paris costing a grand total of $20,000. It’s 12 feet high and 6 feet wide at the focal point. “In 1984 the U.S. Coastguard removed the lens from the automated lighthouse which is still an active guide for navigation.”

Looking up at the Lighthouse, we all decided to climb the 88 steps to the top. Every so often we stopped to have our photo taken. On one occasion someone called me and Kate to look down - probably the worst idea. We were nearly at the top of the column and looking down gave you a good idea as to how high we actually were. As soon as I looked down I got jelly knees and everything around me started slowly spinning.

Carolee

Making it up to the top was a relief. Even though there were bars up to stop anyone from falling over, I subconsciously stayed by the column’s walls. The view from the top of the light house really was spectacular. We could see the Disney Magic ship which looked like a model, toy boat. Key West resembled a small model town.

Now came the worse part, getting down. Kate realized I wasn’t doing too good and asked if I was scared of heights. Obviously, yes. Going up, isn’t too bad, as long as I don’t look down. Going down is the real problem. This obviously caused a few jokes and laughs - even I had to giggle. I must have looked a slight, gripping onto the stair rail and walking down the steps like a child!! My knees felt like they were going to buckle at any minute. Sitting on my bum and shuffling down the stairs was an option that came into my head but I couldn’t… that’d mean that I’ve turned into my Mom!!

Thanking the gift shop attendant, we hopped back on our bikes. The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory was only a short distance down the road. Ani nearly got mowed down by another cyclist, a loud mouthed American who’d obviously had one too many Burger King’s in her life time!

Me and Carolee, Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

Chaining the bikes up outside Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, we all took it in turns to have our photo taken at the Butterfly cut out boards. This brings a new meaning to Patricia’s “Mariposa” (butterfly) nickname!

Kate and Diva

Walking into the conservatory is like walking into a different world. It was hotter and stuffier than it was outside too! Everywhere you looked were different coloured butterflies. Small, large, single coloured, multi-coloured, two-toned. It was amazing! Within seconds we were all armed with our cameras and snapping away. Not only were there butterflies flitting around but brightly coloured birds too. One, my favourite, was roughly the same size as a gold finch was a lovely baby blue colour. Its wings were a darker, more royal blue with black tops at the end of the wing’s feathers. Even his beak was baby blue!

Slowly walking around we were constantly trying to capture shots of the colourful butterflies… and we got some cracking shots too! One of the workers pointed out a massive butterfly called an Atlas. It was huge! We’d bypassed it thinking it was a leaf. According to the worker, the Atlas butterfly only lives for 6 days. Another massive butterfly we saw was a butter yellow and green and again, it was camouflaged by the colourings of the tree leaves.

Atlas Butterfly

Opposite Side of the Atlas Butterfly

Ani was the only person who was lucky enough to have a butterfly land on her… and have someone nearby to take a photo. After bending down to take a photo of a butterfly, I stood up and felt something on my head. Someone next to me announced that I’d had one of the large, two-toned blue butterflies on my head. Damn! Where’s a camera when you need it?

Ani Found a Friend :-p

Cycling around the corner, Carolee and Diva wanted to see the Southernmost Point. It was only a quick stop before we were cycling back towards the port, searching for somewhere to have lunch. Pulling over at a little place, we slumped down, hot and sticky. Ordering food, it made a great change from the usual crap we are served in the Crew Mess. Proper food and boy, was it lovely! I could have eaten it again!!

Diva and Aniko had to go back to the ship for set up. Leaving us some money, they biked back to the bike rental shop. The rest of us waited for the bill. When the bill arrived we got the shock of our lives. We didn’t have huge meals, everyone had a slice of quiche or sandwiches, etc. We didn’t expect to get an $87 bill. On top of that, we didn’t expect to have 18% gratuity which took the bill sky high! Unhappily paying the bill, we left.

Back at the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, we stopped off at the Gift Shop to have a look around. We didn’t have a chance to do so beforehand. Obviously, I had to purchase a magnet, but I also found a cute pair of butterfly stud earrings. They’d be useful for work, especially if I have to take my hoop earrings out.

As we didn’t have a lot to do, we just started aimlessly biking around Key West. A guy, looking down from the balcony shouted something at Kate. Kate, taking her eyes off the road, started gawking at the guy. Carolee, cycling behind Kate shouted “Kate, keep your eyes on the road!” The guy on the balcony shouted something along the lines of “Why not? Who are you?” Carolee’s reply was bloody classic “No she can’t. I’m her MOTHER!!!!” All of us cracked up laughing while cycling down the road.

Dropping the bikes off at the rental store, we all got a lift back to the ship. Carolee and Kate had to rush off to work. Giving Ani a call, she’d just finished set up so we arranged to meet and go out for internet.

Off the ship again, we headed to Sippin’ a large café with fast internet. Sitting down with fruit smoothies we were as anti-social as could be, eyes stuck on the screen.

Back on ship after a few more hours off, I showered, changed and went downstairs to see the Dale K show (hypnotism show). Before going in, I saw Cinderella and Ani at Preludes. Waiting in line, I got my photo taken with Princess Cinderella with a bad cough!

Csaba spotted me in the queue. After getting my photo taken, Csaba asked me where my date to the show was, insisting I needed one. He certainly wasn’t getting an invitation! Asking me why I was getting my photo taken, I replied, “because I send them to my Mama, cheers her up a bit. It’s a nice thing to do”. Sarcastically he asked “Why? Does your Mom have depression?” “No, she has cancer, thank you very much”. Shrugging his shoulders, he commented “My mom died of cancer”, there was almost a hint of sarcasm in his voice. What a bastard!

Going down to LSP, Kate had fun taking my pictures, having a go with different poses etc. She even tried some 50’s style poses to match my Lily Allen style dress.

The show itself was absolutely fantastic, I haven’t laughed so much in a very long time. I wish the others weren’t working. Once it finished, I went back down to see Kate. Joining another queue, I went to have my photo taken with Alice (Alice in Wonderland) and the White Rabbit.

Finally, I popped back over to Aniko to have my photo taken with Princess Tiana before heading back to my cabin to chill out and relax. After such a busy, I was shattered but bloody hell, it was well worth it!