Auspicious Occasion and South Beach

The next day, Elliott was invited to go along with the Cap and First Mate of Azimuth to pick up their kids from the airport.  He was so excited as he had really missed them.  He got home quite late, but he was smiling.  He spent most of the next day with them as Gary and I decided to go walk around South Beach for old time's sake.

We thought we could find some free dinghy parking, but no dice.  The water was choppy from big yachts, so we both got a little wet.  At one point, we turned around to see a huge boat bearing down on us; you bet we gave way. 

We asked the JetSki rental guys and they said that if you dock up at the Miami Beach Yacht Club docks and then go into Monty's Restaurant, you can show the dock guy your receipt and get your $20 tie-up fee back (for two hours).  We decided that was not enough time to make the South Beach walk and eat and drink, so we went straight to the restaurant and proceeded to get drunk.  We also celebrated that we were back at the place where we first met 9,070 days before; actually, I think where we were sitting was actually a huge parking lot then, but the high rises and restaurants, and shops were slowing taking over.  Not necessarily a bad change from what it was; just different.

We love our Margaritas and are not super picky about them; I won't demand top shelf because it doesn't make a difference to me.  I'm a flavor person.

Oh my God; these nachos!!!!!

But, since we had to wait for a table, we started at the bar, and got the drinks and drank most of them before we got to our table.  There was a delay even with the appetizers (we kept forgetting this was still Christmas vacation time), so with no food to temper the alcohol, I was seeing fuzzy quite quick.

After we ate and ate and ate and packed up leftovers, Gary suggested that, since I really was the one who wanted to see South Beach, that I should go and when I got to the dinghy dock we'd been using for our other shore excursions, I could call him and he'd come right over.  I was a little hesitant because I was loopy, but then I thought:  South Beach, with its loads of people, fast cars, loud motorcycles, and tons of neon might be quite interesting with an alcohol-inflamed brain.  So yes it was.

Bring me my food already!

I toodled off down the street while Gary settled the bill and headed back to the boat.   All I had to do, really, was make a big "L," well, maybe an upside down one, to get into the right area and then find my way back.

South Beach was decked out in all its glory.  The beach was still busy and the volleyball sand courts were full of tanned bodies lunging for the ball.  The streets were crowded with a cacophony of engine and horn sounds.  The cigarette and cigar girls were out hawking their wares, too.  I think that's all they were selling.

Every table I passed on the restaurant side had diners mostly on their phones, but it was good to see a few tables where the people were actually interested in each other and enjoying a conversation.

House DJs cranked up the music while psychedelic images flashes on screens behind them.  Not a lot of dancing yet, though the night was young and the moon had just risen.

The mood of South Beach is upbeat, loud, and on the move.  I like that.  I also like the sleepier town of Hollywood.  They both have good points.

As I made my way to the end of the "strip," I ran right into the Lincoln Road area.  Easy as pie.  Turn left, walk straight, and if you don't fall off the sea wall, call your ride.  Oh, but it was hot and the Margarita had worn off, and in its place a sheen of sweat pulled me into a little restaurant to cool off.

I got a bottle of tea (Arizona, not the real good stuff) and ordered the flan.  I love flan and this flan was the most delicious and creamy flan I'd ever had.  And they made it so much smarter than I've seen; in something like a Bundt pan, so that you just sliced off big chunks.  It was so much that I took some home to eat later.  But I just realized that I never did get to that; I think the Captain exercised the chain of command and took care of that for me.