CHILI PEPPER SHOP
One for cousin Allan, or anyone else into hot stuff (the food kind) – a shop full of every kind of chili sauce, paste, marinade from around the world - with 6 tasting stations so you can blow your head off in stages. This is the link to one of their webpages – but this blog bears no responsibility for any of the wording therein or other pages – those of a delicate sensibility should not read the list of sauce names!!! Smack My Ass and Call Me Sally- The Slap Heard Around the World Hot Sauce – is one of the more moderate ones!
TARPON FEEDING
These huge fish were just floating around waiting to be fed at one of the marinas – along with the pelicans that tried to get there first.
GLASS BOTTOM BOAT
A sign of the times – we used to scorn the lazy gits that went out on these to look at the reef instead of snorkelling or diving. But that was then and this is now. And the fish are only separated by a piece of glass.
I know, I know – you’re right - it’s not the same as Bermuda (1978-81) and Israeli (now Egyptian and ruined) Dahab (Niki) in 1977 – but it was still a good trip out to the reefs.
NO NAME PUB
Does what it says on the tin – the pub in No Name Key. Full of tourists, and with dollar notes all over the walls and ceilings – several pubs like it - buzzy, beery and making hay whilst the sun shines and the mossies and humidity are banished for the winter.WRECKS AND REAL TREASURE
The story of Mel Fisher and his 16 year search for 2 of the Spanish ships sunk in 1660’s carrying massive quantities of gold, silver, etc has been made into a film and has been reported in the press over the years. There is a fascinating museum in Key West exhibiting lots of the finds and showing how the wrecks have given up so many facts about the day to day lives of sailors, adventurers, missionaries, crew, slaves, merchants, soldiers and ordinary folk. A great visit.
The quote below is from the Mel Fisher website – more about the wrecks can be read here.
July 20, 1985 was "the day" at last when Mel Fisher, the world's greatest treasure hunter, found his dream of dreams, the priceless treasure cargo of the fabled lost Spanish galleon Atocha.
At 1:05 p.m. that amazing day, Mel Fisher learned from his son Kane that his greatest dream had been realized. The marine radio crackled to life in the Key West, Florida office of Mel Fisher at Treasure Salvors, Inc. "WZG9605. Unit 1, this is Unit 11." From aboard the vessel Dauntless of which he was captain, Kane told his beaming father: "Put away the charts. We've got the 'Mother Lode'!"
The dream that had consumed Mel Fisher for more than 16 years now came true before the eyes of the world. He had found the "rainbow's end" including stacks of silver bars, chests of silver coins, gold, jewels, and thousands of other unique artifacts from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Mel Fisher found what adventurous souls through centuries had only dreamed of finding!
Thousands of artifacts, silver coins, gold coins, many in near mint condition, period and earlier amazing Spanish objects and wares, exquisite jewelry set with precious stones, gold chains, disks, a variety of armaments and even seeds (which later sprouted!) were recovered. These and more discovered by Mel Fisher and his "Golden Crew" reflected the richest treasure find since the opening of King Tut's tomb in the 1930s. The lives of Mel and Dolores Fisher, their family and all their crew were lifted onto the world's stage as people who truly contributed to the priceless historical and cultural heritage of the world.
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