Welcome back to America! Key West, Florida, USA

Things are big in the USA. Entering the channel, we were so amazed how big the channel markers are and the satellite radar is. The anchorage in Key West is wider than anywhere in the Caribbean. All of these conveniences cost nothing to us. It didn’t even cost anything to clear the customs. (***Note this is not completely true as John had to buy a customs clearing number-$40, a documentation license-$20, and do an interview with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official for a ‘Local Boater Option’. The customs number and documentation have to be renewed every year, but the ‘Local Boater Option’ is good for the life of the passport.) Being a member of the ‘Local Boater Option’, just making a phone call to the CBP, we are cleared. I guess we paid a good portion of tax when we were a part of work forces.

Being a residence of Fort Lauderdale, I previously visited Key West often. There is something about Key West that I love since I first visited in 1988. Among all, I like some FM radio stations in Key West. Just tuning in the FM radio stations and listening to the Classic Rocks and Blues Music in the Cockpit, I felt I am a rich yachtie. The DJ on the radio station, says that it is ‘Hug Your Cat Day’ today, the May 3rd.

Next day, we went to a restaurant and we laughed for a long time for the serving amount of food, huge portions! Going to a restroom, realizing that I can throw the toilet paper in the toilet unlike most of places in the Caribbean (using trash bin), I said ‘Awesome’. Drying my hands under a super duper drier, I said ‘Wow’. The open door restaurant was so cool with full flowing A/C during middle of the day in hot tropical weather. This is insane though!

Unfortunately, we got a ticket from Key West Police because we didn’t carry any Life Jackets on our dinghy. We knew the law; however, we just didn’t think about it before we took the dinghy to shore. With a $73 ticket, we became unhappy. After spending almost two years abroad, we were not used to all the rules and regulations that the States have.

Welcome back to the land of everything, including lots of police and regulations, the land of freedom and also laws!