MARCO... POLO? key largo?
Trip Start
Jan 15, 2009
1
14
37
Trip End
May 2009
Where I stayed
Marco/Yopi's BOAT!!!
Key Largo, Florida, United States
Saturday, February 7, 2009
After a fun-filled day of relaxing on the boat, some more mexican dominoes and boating quizzes, John left us high and dry on the dock.
We wimpered our way to our car and began a 2 hour long hunt for a farmers market and goodwill for aprons.
By the time we obviously failed this mission, we were LOWWWW on gas and needed something below $2 a gallon. I spotted it on the first drive through, the second, third and fourth, but failed to recognize the environment as one that we mayyy just be out of place in.
We pulled into a cracked-pavement parking lot, realized we couldn't just drive away and slowly peeled ourselves from the car (literally, it was about 90 degrees) and emerged into the glare of about 15 people leaning against buildings and laughing at me awkwardly trip over my flip-flops. We sprinted into the caged and bulletproofed chamber, gave the cashier $8 and got the hellll out of there before we got shot.
We apparently didn't listen to anyone who told us to take the turnpike instead of 1 all the way down, and found ourselves in crazy Miami traffic for about 2 hours, until we finally emerged on into swamp lands to begin the other trek alll the way down the keys.
Sue had mentioned to us that she had a friend in Key Largo named Marco that we could stay with instead of a straight shot to key west. We considered, but also were determined to make it to Key West. Sue called to inform us that Marco had steaks on the grill for us and told us to give him a call.
The conversation lasted about 5 minutes, involved a detailed discussion about how to find a crazy chinese market that sold octupus near a car dealership and various other details as to where Marco lived, etc.
At this point it was decided that we simply COULD not pass up the opportunity, and after some crazy car music, a u-turn and some mental prepping we found ourselves at Marco's.
There was some briefing before we departed the Seawitch with Sue and John. Nothing too specific but just a bit of advice including not to mention our stay or intent to stay at Sunsport (to send Marco the wrong message), to be open-minded and not offended by Marco, and to basically expect anything out of him.
We pulled up, got introduced to Skipper and shown our accomodations. Marco's roommate Yopi was away currently so he let us drop our bags in her room, (and offered to let us sleep there), gave us a tour of the house and most importantly, of our bed. On an unusual and unusable sailboat that Yopi (a European sail-seamstress) had jazzed us up. We set up the bags and after much debate, marinated the steaks, tried to figure out WHAT to do with the baby carrots and threw some potatoes in the oven.
Oh, and the boat launch. Marco was DEAD SET on launching his 1977 speed and I was appointed to help. With all of my vast boating knowledge acquired by 48 hours on Seawitch, I was more than prepared for the water, but not for the car ride to the launch.
When Marco's "mechanic" arrived, he was not a happy camper, while Marco started a collection between the three of us to pay the tow truck driver, he anxously sat in his truck revving his engine. When Marco went back to the truck with the $7 we scrounged, I figured we were in the clear.
"You, get over here. Hurry up. We don't have all day." I scrambled into the truck, unaware that I was partaking in this adventure, and immediately took note of the screwdriver that was replacing the key to the truck, the lurching of the engine and everything else you could possibly imagine would exist in a "mechanics" truck. As Marco questioned the man about the dogbowl on the floor, the man informed us that the dog was dead and as we pulled away, he looked in the rearview mirror and realized that the boat was not attached to the truck. As they bickered and yelled (through my ears because I was in the middle) I uncomfortably sat waited and giggled until we departed, boat in tow. The drive consisted of conversations ranging from me apparently being a yankee, to bbqing ribs, to how Marco should NOT leave the house with us and ended with the driver asking me to smell his fingers as I lunged out of the vehicle and into the boat.
We said our heartfelt goodbyes to the scariest truck driver of my life and Marco gave me lessons on driving the boat the whole was back. As I pulled the boat into the canal, Jen and Caitlin anxiously and fearfully awaited my return.
Dinner (after moreeee debate over the food) started and we all started to get to know each other. Marco explained how Yopi was his ex-girlfriend that worked illegally in the US and that Skipper was her bosses dog that he could NOT stand. He shushed us everytime a comcast commercial came on (he is a proud employee), and displayed his feelings about the mole he had removed on his back. He told me in detail that I reminded him of a dominatrix because I kept bossing him around gave us pointers on everything from Key Largo to Key West while I shoved as much steak and baked potato in my mouth as humanly possible to avoid further conversation. He capped off the night with a video of Fantasy Fest on Deval Street and a Springsteen live concert to which Caitlin and him sang along to for what seemed to be hours until our computers were all charged up for LOST, Jen fell asleep and yelled at us on occasion and we eventually swayed our way to sleep on Yopis boat.
The morning had a slow start, an attempt at updating our travel blog over a breakfast of scrambeled eggs, toast and chunks of tomato, followed by my usual 894357w4589 cups of coffee.
After almost sinking the zodiac when we tried to launch it, I looked up and almost screamed when I saw a GIGANTIC white manatee just inches away. I yelled to Caitlin and Jen and sat on the side of the boat trying to attract the manatee once again using a metal pole and lettuce for about 20 minutes before it returned.
Right as we were boarding the speedboat it came back for some excessive petting and we were off into the open shallow and warm canals of Key Largo. We saw about 10 more manatees and flew around going 60 while Caitlin laughed uncontrollably in the back and Marco refused to let me out of the boat to pee.
Soon we said our goodbyes, excessive thankyous, listened to Marcos advice on the drive and Deval street for 3 more hours and and began the long haul to Key West without stopping until we reached mile 11.
