Yesterday we drove down the Florida Keys from Miami to Key West. The impressions on the over four-hour drive were very mixed. On the one hand, the landscape on the way was an absolute dream. I have rarely seen such beautiful turquoise blue water.
Scenic drive along the KeysTurquoise blue seaHarbor street of the Keys (almost everyone here has a boat)Old railroad bridge (especially admired by Martin)
But alongside the beauty of the Keys, I also felt a melancholy. Especially as we drove along Key Largo, where I was supposed to do my internship in dolphin therapy. It often hurts to see what you are missing out on...
But even more touching for me was to see why my internship cannot take place: The remains of Irma were unmistakable on the drive...especially the further south we drove along the Keys, the greater the extent of the destruction that we could perceive. There was debris everywhere along the roadside, trees were snapped, and some people were even living in shelters. It is terrible to imagine what the people who have lost everything due to the storm must be going through. Once again, I realize how grateful we must be to be spared from tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. Nevertheless, the people on the Keys did not seem discouraged. One could still feel a joy for life and a concentrated effort to eliminate Irma's havoc.
Debris on the roadsideCapsized shipDestroyed area of the Keys Although Key West is the southernmost Key and we thought that even this part of the Keys had been destroyed by Irma, it actually looked the best here. There were hardly any noticeable consequences of a storm here. Rather, all people here exude craziness and joy for life. Key West is the stronghold of homosexuals and hippies. We are currently here during the 'Fantasy Festival'. Maybe you can compare it a little bit to carnival. Only that the costumes here are much more revealing than they would ever be in our carnival. People here actually walk naked on the street, only with body painting. The residents of Key West tell us that time seems to have stood still here. There is hardly anything here that reminds you of American stress and ambition. All people are relaxed and enjoy their life. The special thing about Key West is its unique flair. There is not much sightseeing here, but you just have to get carried away by the relaxed lifestyle. We explored the island on a comfortable bike tour. Along the way, we came across many beautiful houses. Although I find it difficult to understand how people can still build wooden houses after so many storms, they are beautiful. With the verandas, you feel like Pipi Longstocking. Chickens and iguanas roam freely on the street and lively people frolic on the beaches. Only with the sunset, which is applauded here every evening by a crazy audience, we had a little bad luck due to many clouds.Picturesque wooden houses on Key WestTrying to watch the epic sunsetHighlight for Martin: End point of Route 1 (goes from Key West to Canada) Hammock at Luzi & Martin's hotel complexSouthernmost point of the USA (except Hawaii) Bike tour along Key WestLime Cake: National dish of Key West (Mom's cheesecake tastes better ;) )Celebrating half-naked people (just so you believe me ;) )Beach on Key WestFree-range chickensHarbor on Key WestBeach resort on Key West
