Key Largo… small hell

25 October 2010

Florida is hot and humid and I am itching all over from mosquito
bites and fungus allergy and god knows what else.

I wish I was home ! (almost)

We are staying in a motel / resort on one side of the Gulf of
Mexico side of The Keys and about 300 meters across on the other side is the
boat yard where Calusa is.

The boatyard owner says we would have to pay US$ 42 extra a day to live aboard the
boat in his dusty polluted ( antifoul dust etc ) boatyard so we decided for
US$18 extra a day we would live across the road at the air conditioned motel.

This is a nice motel where we are staying. It has a peaceful
meandering garden going down to the beach. There are big shady trees with
hammocks and swinging chairs hanging from them here and there. There is a
shaded concreted base barbeque area, an outdoor spa, a jetty and lounging
chairs under palm leaf covered sun shelters.

Little squirrels live in the motel gardens too … I really like them and very
little geckos are scurrying everywhere. Try as I might they are too fast for me
to catch. It’s a pity we didn’t have more time to enjoy this garden but we are
paying $ 84 a day for the boatyard site now and we have to work hard and fast
on the boat to get free of the boat yard.

See how they store the small boats here. This is just a little
stack, I have seen really long high stacks and many with a galvanised steel
roof over. Are they doing this in NZ yet ?

30 October 2010

I am still itching all over and have been so for at least five
days now… allergic to mosquitos, no-see-ums (sandfly things so small you can,t see
them ) ,fungus ( the mould in the boat I had to kill and clean ) the cleaners,
the diesel, the antifoul paint, and the boatyard full of antifoul and
fibreglass sanding dust blowing about in the wind. Then when it rains much of
it washes down to the sea.

I feel so concerned for the four fulltime workers here.The mechanic is the only one who
is American and who should know better than to live and work in this boatyard
if he wants to see old age, but he is high on dope most of the time. The others
are immigrants, also living as well as working in the yard; no doubt illegally.