August 27, 2008

• Florida Vacation 2008

   

  Florida Vacation 2008

   

  May 31 – TO THE SOUTH

   

  My mother and I arrived at LAX a couple hours before the scheduled takeoff.  We ate some Vietnamese sandwiches one of my mom’s friends brought.  They were good.  For anyone who has never had one, I recommend you give it a try.

   

  We took off on Delta Airlines from LAX at 11:40 am.  On this trip, I went with my mother and her friends (Pimpa, Sarita, Surapee, Pramrudee, Rachanee).

   

  While on board, I played the trivia game they had throughout the entire flight to Atlanta.  It’s against other people on board and the only free game they had.  I won 5 games, came up second a couple times, and had some forgettable games.  Being so focused on these trivia games really helped me on this flight.  It made me forget how little sleep I actually got last night.  Typically if I don’t get enough sleep before flying, I get nauseous.  However, not this time.

   

  We arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia at 6:40 pm EDT.  The layover gave us enough time to stretch our legs, go to the restroom, and grab a bite to eat.  We went to the nearby Chili’s mini-shop.  I had me a Cajun chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll.

   

  At 8:40 pm, we took off.  Two hours later, we landed at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.  There, we rented a Toyota Sienna from Alamo.  Sarita drove while Surapee navigated.  At around 11:30 pm, we arrived at the Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort.  This is to be our abode for the majority of this excursion.  It has two bedrooms, a sofa bed, a Murphy bed, and a full kitchen complete with cookware, silverware, cutlery, and refrigerator.  We are located on the 12^th floor giving us a pretty good view of Ft. Lauderdale.  It was humid as expected.  However, I didn’t know it was going to still be 88°F at this hour of night.  That was an omen of things to come.

  
  

  View from our balcony at the Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort

  We boiled some Mama (Thai brand ramen noodles) for a late night dinner.

   

  June 1 – EVERGLADES AND MIAMI

   

  We returned to our rented Sienna and assumed our positions from the night before.  Sarita drove, Surapee (as navigator and trip planner) sat shotgun, Rachanee, Pramrudee, and I were in the middle, and my mom and Pimpa manned the back.  We took off from Ft. Lauderdale at 9 am.  Around 40 minutes later we arrived at the Bayside Marketplace in Miami.  This place is open air full of shops and restaurants.  As the name suggests, it is seaside where one has a terrific view of the marina and the many boats docked.

  

  Front left to right: Surapee, Pimpa, Prapassa (my mom), Pramrudee.

  Back left to right: Rachanee, Warunchai (me)

   
  

  View of marina from Bayside Marketplace

  At 10:15 am, we boarded the tour shuttle for Miami Nice Tours.  Our driver/tour guide is Harry.  As he drove us towards the Everglades, he explained to us that all of the water in the Everglades comes from rain.  None of it comes from underground springs or runoffs from mountains or rivers.  He also told us that there are notably two non-native species in the Everglades that are in abundance.  They are the melaleuca trees and the Burmese python.  There were many other factoids Harry threw at us.

  

  Gator Park, Everglades (not real gator seen)

  We arrived at Gator Park in the Everglades.  First thing we did was board an airboat.  It’s a boat that moves via a large fan in the back.  These are commonly seen in the movies or TV shows that portray Miami like Miami Vice or CSI: Miami. 

  

  All aboard the airboat at Gator Park, Everglades

  First the airboat moved slowly as the driver would point out alligators, iguanas, birds, and certain plants.  It then moved into an area without trees, just grass. 

   

  

  

  Gators galore

  

  Turtle

  Here, we put on the earplugs provided to us and off we went.  The airboat accelerated giving us a more exhilarating ride as it weaved around one grassy island after another.  It was great because on this hot day, any kind of breeze is soothing.  We then stopped.  The driver explained some more stuff about the Everglades.  There, we saw an egret.  Soon after, the driver drove us back and back to the dock we went.

  

  Egret

  

  The Everglades

  

  The seven of us

  Then we went to the Alligator Show.  It’s hosted by Sal.  First, Sal grabbed a baby gator and showed it up close to everyone. 

  

  Sal holding baby alligator

  Sal said that he needed a volunteer to wrestle with an alligator.  He walked around scoping out the audience and approached a young man and asked him his name (Justin, if I recall).  Sal told him that he has a very important task to perform.  He needs to take photos as his girlfriend will wrestle the gator.  The girlfriend’s name is Pam.  She was surprised at being selected.  Sal told her to come to the front.  We all had a big laugh.  He guaranteed that nothing will become of her.  Sal then went inside the pen and approached a nine-foot gator named Norman.  Norman hissed at Sal.  Sal later dragged Norman by the tail to the middle of the pen.  While Norman’s mouth is open, Sal put his hand inside.  When he pulled his hand out, Norman’s mouth snapped shut but missing Sal’s hand.  That gave Pam goose bumps since Sal told her that she’ll be doing the same thing.  Next Sal stood behind Norman.  He explained to Pam and the rest of us that alligators see from side to side but cannot see in front or behind them; thus, he is invisible to Norman.  Sal told Pam that this gives her the advantage.  Sal then jumped on top of Norman’s back, grabbed the mouth, and pinned it under his chin.  He then got off and told Pam not to worry when she performs this stunt.  Pam closed her mouth with her hands in amazement and fright.  In the end, Sal told Pam that she won’t wrestle Norman…that he was just putting her on.  He wouldn’t let anyone in a pen with an alligator. 

  

  Sal on Norman

  Instead Sal reached into a crate and pulled out a smaller 3-foot gator named Larry.  He let Pam hold it.  Larry’s mouth is taped shut.  As she held Larry, her beau snapped the Kodak moment.

   

  Every one of us got a chance to hold Larry and have our photo taken.  Our tour guide Harry warned us before arriving here not to squeeze the gator or else we’ll be drenched in Gatorade if you catch my drift.  I took his word to heart and just held Larry.

  

  Me and Larry

  

  Sarita and Larry

  We had lunch there.  My mother and her friends ordered the usual stuff like chicken sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.  I had me a gator sausage.  It was served on a hot dog bun.  It was a bit tough to bite into at first.  When I bit harder, juices squirted out.  Once I finally took a real bite, it was salty.  However I like salty food so it was good to me.

   

  It was nice getting back into the shuttle because of air conditioning.  We returned to Bayside Marketplace to pick up two more guests.  We then went on a driving tour or Miami.

   

  We began on Brickell Avenue.  It is named after William Brickell, one of the co-founders of Miami.  This street is a financial one with up to 150 banks.  There are a lot of them from Latin America and Spain e.g. Banco Popular.

   

  Then we went to Coconut Grove.  Harry explained that underneath Miami is all coral rock.  He mentioned how coral rock can be found everywhere including various buildings.  As an example, he stopped by Plymouth Congressional Church.  It is an English church built 111 years ago entirely out of coral rock.

   

  Left to right: Surapee, Rachanee, Sarita, mom, and Pramrudee at Plymouth Congressional Church

  He also mentioned that Miami has a large number of banyan trees.  We passed by a number of them in Coconut Grove.  Each time we passed under one, Harry would ask if we noticed the air from the AC got cooler.  I felt it was.  In Coconut Grove was also one of Miami’s two city halls.  It used to be the Pan Am Clipper Club and served as the country’s first international airport.  In the distant past, Ponce de Leon would stop his boat in the nearby inlet to hunt boar in the Everglades.

   

  Next we passed into Coral Gables, another city within Miami.  It was founded by George Merrick.  He hired European architects to build German, Italian, Spanish, and French style houses.

   

    

   Homes in Coral Gables

   

  However, these homes didn’t sell well until Merrick decided to dig a canal through the area.  This provided convenient access to Miami.  Nowadays, it is a very nice place to live with beautiful homes including a large one belonging to Philip Michael Thomas (if you don’t recall, he starred as Rico Tubbs in the hit 80’s show Miami Vice).  The lawns are neatly cut, the houses generally unpainted, and for sale signs are only 2”x4”.

  

  Philip Michael Thomas’ mansion

  We then stopped in Little Havana.  Harry was hungry so he wanted to grab a Cuban sandwich and that we were welcome to join him so we did at La Lechonera del Sur.  First thing though, he got us samples of Cuban coffee from next door.  I didn’t try it because I don’t drink coffee.  Everyone else did and they all agreed that it was really good if not the best.  They said the flavor and aroma was stronger than the usual coffee.  I was more interested in a hat because it was so hot.  I found a very nice looking Cuban hat.  It was off-white with a dark trim.  However it was over $70 so I declined. 

  

  Entertainment at La Lechonera del Sur

  I had a Cuban sandwich.  Inside were typical ingredients like Swiss cheese and ham.  However there was also a slice of Cuban pork (lechón).  It was served inside Cuban bread which is crispy sort of like a baguette to a lesser degree.  The sandwich was then pressed flat so it was only about an inch and a half thick.  I took one bite and heard the crunch.  It tasted so good, I couldn’t stop.  I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed this sandwich.  Each time I bit into it, I could hear the crunch.  Harry was right as he told us it was really good.  We also had delicious freshly-squeezed orange juice.

  

  A most curious sign                                         Grabbing a bite at La Lechonera del Sur

   

  At long last Harry dropped us off at Bayside Marketplace to conclude our tour.  I had a good time and thanked Harry for a fantastic tour.

   

  There at Bayside we had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  As you may well know, it is themed after the movie Forrest Gump named after Forrest Gump and his friend Bubba.  I had  the Boat Trash (fried shrimp, lobster claws, fish).  Others had other shrimp plates and split the lechón sandwich they got from La Lechonera del Sur.

   

  In the early evening, we boarded Island Queen Tours.  It is a boat touring the Miami waters.  We saw the nearby American Airlines Arena, home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. 

  

  American Airlines Arena, home of NBA’s Miami Heat

  There were two guides, one spoke English and the other Spanish.  The boat took us near Fisher Island and then came to Star Island.  On this island are mansions belonging to the rich and famous.  We passed by homes belonging to (some of these I’m not entire sure so I’m guessing):

  

  Rosie O’Donnell

  

  Xuxa, I think

  

  Gloria Estefan, I think

  

  Sylvester Stallone

  

  Julio Iglesias

  

  Shaquille O’Neal

  

  Vanilla Ice, I think

  

  Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, I think

  

  Former Miami Dolphins great Bob Kuechenberg

  

  Alicia Keys

  

  Sean Combs (a.k.a. Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy)

  However the biggest house belonged to Dr. Phillip Frost, the developer of Viagra.

  

  Dr. Phillip Frost

  Later we passed by a couple more homes on a separate island.  One belonged to Paulina Rubio and another one formerly owned by Al Capone.  According to the guide, there would always be a bodyguard around to allow Capone to take a comfortable nap.

  

  Al Capone

  Madonna and rapper Lil’ John also have pads on Star Island.

   

  We returned that evening to Ft. Lauderdale and shopped at a market called Winn Dixie.  That concluded this eventful first day.

  

  Us aboard the Island Queen Tour boat

  June 7 – UNDER THE SEA

   

  My mom and friends made some chicken and rice for breakfast.  At 11 am, we took off for the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park located in Key Largo.  We had spotty rain but not too much.

   

  We got there a little after 2 pm.  It was even hotter than the previous day.  We went to a picnic table and had lunch.  It was all stuff my mom and friends had made plus a few snack items from Winn Dixie.  After lunch, I had just had it with the sun so I got myself an $11 straw hat from the gift shop.  This hat would prove to be my best friend until the end of my trip.  I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.

  

  Me, Pimpa, and Surapee aboard the glass bottom boat

  At 3 pm, we boarded a glass bottom boat.  As it departed, both sides of the waterway were lined with mangrove trees. 

  

              Mangroves                                                      Bird on mangrove

  Finally we reached the open water.  We could see coral, plant life, and fish.  Some examples were brain coral, blue tang (what Dory is in Finding Nemo), permit fish, and even some sunken ship wreckage.  I was the only one in our group to see something because everyone else was getting seasick.  Admittedly if this lasted another 30 minutes, I might have hurled.  There was one woman who kept seeing this and that.  I looked and saw nothing.  Either she is seeing things that aren’t really there or her eyesight is a whole lot better than mine.  I’m hedging towards the latter.  The guide is very knowledgeable about sea life.  He pretty much recognizes all the creatures upon just a glimpse.  What I found captivating was his excitement and zeal he displayed as he described the various creatures we saw.  I think he could make a very good announcer for the WWE.  We returned to the park two and a half hours after departure.

  

  Brain Coral

  

  Parts from sunken vessel

  

  Some fish

  We headed back to Miami for dinner intending to eat at Royal Thai.  However, they were closed.  My mom and friends then shopped at nearby Bravo Supermarket.  This is a Cuban market.

   

  We finally had dinner at Sukhothai back in Ft. Lauderdale.  It’s a Thai restaurant named after the first capital of Thailand.  Bangkok is the fourth.  Some of my mom’s friends were dying to return to eating Thai food.  They seemingly cannot live without it.  My mom also has the syndrome but won’t admit it.

   

  June 3 – MORE ASPECTS OF MIAMI

   

  At 9 am, we headed for Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.  It was the former residence of one James Deering.  He was a tycoon selling farm machinery worldwide.  As it turned out, he was into the arts and wanted his home to be artistic in every aspect.  Due to that, he would purchase furniture from all over the world (e.g. baroque, rococo, some Chinese).  Every inch from the floors to the ceiling was decorated ornately similar to the Hearst Castle.  However, photography inside the mansion was not allowed so I didn’t have any to show.

  

  Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.  Left to right: Pramrudee,Pimpa, mom, Rachanee, Surapee, Sarita

  To me, the most visually stunning aspect was the back of the home.  It bordered the water.  In order to prevent waves from hitting the home, there was a breakwater constructed.  However, this breakwater looked like an old Greek or Roman ship.  It was really neat.  The only thing was that the shape at the back of the home trapped water so it smelled pretty bad.

  

  

  Break water at back of home

  There was also a pretty garden with statues, fountains, and carefully aligned plants.  Take away the foul odor of the trapped water and it is a gorgeous sight to see.

  

  

  

  Vizcaya’s gardens

  

  Mom at the Orchidarium at Vizcaya

  

  Me at Vizcaya.  They’ll never peg me for a tourist.

  

  Lunch time

  After eating at their picnic area, we headed to the Schnebly Redlands Winery.  Before getting there, we stopped at Robert is Here…Fruit Stand.  There, my mom and friends were hoping for more fruits.  I decided to bask in the air conditioning.  I also now rode shotgun since taking over as navigator.  Surapee is still the trip planner.  Anything she says, goes.  I’ll just try to get us there.  I also became the vehicle’s DJ as I flipped through the many songs on Sarita’s iPod.  It turns out Sarita was happy since I cycle through a wide array of songs including a few more modern hits which she is accustomed to.  Incredibly, this is the first time I had ever laid my hands on an iPod.  Sarita had to show me how to use it.  I’m such an anachronism.

   

  At last we came to the winery.  There my mom and her friends tasted some wine.  They had mostly fruit wines (guava, passion fruit, carambola, mango, and lychee).  As usual, I didn’t taste any.  Instead, I admired their back area which was attractive with its lawn, bridge, colorful plants, and waterfalls.  My mom and friends bought some wine and got some free wine glasses for coming over and tasting.

  

  

  Wine tasting

  

  

  The area behind the wine tasting area

  Pimpa heard that there were fresh lychees for sale in the back nearby so we went there.  My mom and her friends are suckers for fruits that are normally found in Thailand.  Surapee and I bought some.  As we were driving along, we spotted a roadside vendor selling more lychees.  We bought some and these were fresher and better tasting than the ones we just bought.

   

  Due to how long we took at Vizcaya, we cancelled on going to the Miami Metrozoo.  There was supposed to be a casino cruise for later tonight but it turned out it ended a few days before our arrival to Florida.  As we were on highway 1 en route to Miami, we arrived at the Coral Castle so we checked it out.

   

  It was constructed by Ed Leedskalnin as a love shrine in hopes of winning back his ex-wife Agnes who left him for someone younger and richer.  The entire place and all structures within were carved out and erected all by Ed via hand tools and without the aid of machinery or anyone else.  Everything was made of coral rock.  Some of these rock pieces weighed several tons.  It is a wonder and mystery how he did all this since there were no eyewitnesses.  He wouldn’t do anything if there were eyewitnesses.

  

  Me on the throne                                                        Florida table

  

  Some sort of shrine                                                      Beds

  

  Sarita on coral chair                                                    Telescope

  

  Ed Leedskalnin’s residence

  

  Cutout of Ed Leedskalnin inside abode at Coral Castle

  Sadly, despite his efforts, Agnes wouldn’t come back to him.  Ed has long since passed.  A crew making a documentary about the Coral Castle managed to track down Agnes who is now a widow.  They told her about the castle and wondered if she would like to come see it.  She flatly refused.

   

  Since I’m riding with an older crowd, I tried to choose songs that they might know and like (e.g. Beatles/Eagles songs).  For the most part, I think I did all right.  Then Pimpa requested Dean Martin.  My mom was like, “Dean Martin?  That’s TOO old!”  Since Sarita had a wide selection, I put on That’s Amore.

   

  My not-so-great navigation made us wind up at Key Biscayne.  We then went to the nearby beach and took some pictures.  There was also a family of ducks that stayed nearby.  I’m guessing they are hoping for some food.

  

  At Biscayne Bay

  We then cruised to South Beach.  On Ocean Drive we saw the famed art deco buildings like the Colony Hotel.  They are typically only 3 stories high and adorned with neon.  It looks nice and unmistakably Miami.  The only thing was that it was still late afternoon so there was still ample daylight; thus, no neon was lit.  We then cruised northward to Miami Beach and Hallandale.  This went all the way back to Ft. Lauderdale.  I was having a ball as DJ.  I also learned that if I needed to wake up the masses, You Spin Me by Dead or Alive will do the trick.  Since we were in Miami, I put on a lot of ‘80’s hits.  I guess when I think of Miami, I think of Miami Vice.

   

  Near our hotel was a Primanti Bros. Pizza.  We ordered one with pepperoni, sausage, onions, olives, and bell peppers.  It was really good.

   

  The downer today was that Pramrudee couldn’t find her cane.  After a fruitless search, she concluded that she left it at the Coral Castle.

   

  June 4 – OUR FREE DAY

   

  My mother and her friends came to know each other through the Thai temples.  They are avid temple goers.  With that in mind, on our free day, they wanted to visit the Thai temple in Miami…Wat Buddharangsi.

   

  This temple is actually located in Homestead which is a little south of Miami.  We arrived at noon.  We would have gotten there earlier but my poor navigation had us veering off until we hit ProPlayers Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.  My mother was excited because this is where Jason Taylor played football.  She became a huge admirer after his successful stint on Dancing with the Stars. 

   

  After lunch, I walked around scoping out the place.  On this 10-acre temple are fruit trees.  Around the main altar are small trees covered with purple, magenta, and pink flowers.  Inside the altar is a beautiful golden Buddha statue similar to the renowned Phra Buddhachinarat statue in Pitsanulok, Thailand.  There is also a bell tower.  It’s a nice looking temple that is still under development.  Once done, it will be quite grand.

  

  Inside altar at Wat Buddharangsi

  

  Window painting

  The abbot talked to us.  He explained the history of the temple and the toils and troubles they went through before gaining approval to establish Wat Buddharangsi.  The temple has stood for over two decades to this day.  We made a monetary donation to the temple.

  

  

  Wat Buddharangsi

  On the way back to Miami, we stopped at the Coral Castle.  Pramrudee picked up her cane.  She is now mentally at ease.  We continued.

  

  At La Lechonera del Sur

  

  At Little Havana

  I was wondering what everyone wanted for dinner.  As it turned out, we wanted to return to La Lechonera del Sur.  We got there and were tended to by a very friendly waiter.  I had two sandwiches (Cubano and Media Noche).  Others had pork, some had chicken, all had some plantains, and that fresh squeezed orange juice.

   

  We then parked at South Beach on Ocean Drive.  We went to the beach.  While my mom and her friends sat on the sand watching the waves, I was trying to snap more photos.  Pramrudee was tired so she went back to the car.  Rachanee accompanied her.

  

  Ocean Drive in the late afternoon

  

  At Miami Beach

  When it was close to dark, we returned to the car.  However, I was not ready to go yet.  I wanted to walk along Ocean Drive and admire the art deco buildings.

  

  

  

  Ocean Drive at night

  Coming along with me were Sarita, Supapee, and Rachanee.  The other three stayed in the car.  Ocean Drive is pretty attractive.  The buildings looked great with the neon lit.  It’s a happening place with clubs, bars, and lots of young people frolicking away.

   

  Finally we returned to our place in Ft. Lauderdale.

   

  June 5 – FT. LAUDERDALE

   

  At 9:30 AM we boarded the Jungle Queen Riverboat Tour.  It’s a boat that looks like a steamboat (like the Mark Twain at Disneyland).  It took us on the New River and other streams as it toured Ft. Lauderdale. 

  

  The Jungle Queen.  Sorry, I couldn’t find a louder shirt.

  There are yachts everywhere we turned.  There was a nice large home we passed by belonging to H. Wayne Huizenga.  He owns many companies e.g. Blockbuster Video and the Miami Dolphins.  We passed by many more homes belonging to the well off.  One thing we noticed was that they were generally uninhabited.  Basically they served as vacation homes come the winter time.

  

  

  

  Millionaire’s Row in Ft. Lauderdale

  The Jungle Queen also passed by many ships including a cruise ship from Nassau, Bahamas.  It then took us to the mouth of the waterway leading to the Atlantic Ocean.  The breeze was so soothing.  Everyone fell asleep at some time on this tour because it was three hours and very relaxing.  Guide was very informative.

  

  Enchantment of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas

  

  Cargo ship

  

  The Atlantic Ocean

  We had lunch at Thai on the Beach.  It is located above the Primanti Bros. Pizzeria.

   

  From 3:15 pm until 4 pm, Rachanee, Surapee, Sarita, and I toured the Bonnet House.  It was the former estate of local artist Frederick Bartlett.  All of the structures are painted yellow after the Bonnet Lily which is prevalent in the ponds on the estate.

  

  The Bonnet House Gallery                                            Gift shop

  We could not take pictures inside any of the structures.  Everything is adorned by the artwork of Bartlett and his family.

   

  What’s nice about the pond is that there is a bridge in the middle which seems like a very nice place to relax.  Also in the pond are swans and cygnets.  Swans are such beautiful birds.  They make any body of water that much more alluring to the eyes.

  

  Bonnet House gallery and pond

  

  Bridge at pond of Bonnet House

  

  Swans and cygnet

  The Bonnet House closed at 4 pm.  We returned to our place in Ft. Lauderdale to get ready for dinner.

   

  We had dinner at Mai Kai Polynesian restaurant.  First came appetizers – crab/cream cheese won tons, bacon-wrapped chicken bites, crab rolls.  For my main entrée, I had the beef with mushroom, chestnuts, and gravy.  It was pretty good.  I really liked the pineapple sherbet.

  

  Aloha from the Mai Kai Restaurant

  Then on the stage was entertainment.  There was a Polynesian band and dancers – two guys and three gals.  There were several dances.  Each was introduced by the emcee who is a Polynesian man who’s quite a smooth talker.  Honestly, by the way he talks; he could be a used car dealer.

  

  There were dances with everyone, ones with only the men, ones with only the women, and ones with just one guy one girl (e.g. the wedding dance).  The men also performed the fire dance.  The women shook their hips so fast and effortlessly.

   

  

  It was a very energetic show.  Everyone showed off their skill and dance prowess.  The percussive beats stuck in my head for hours after the show.

   

  The back of the restaurant features a garden adorned with tiki statues here and there.

  

  Mom and I at garden at Mai Kai Restaurant

   

  June 6 – PALM BEACH

   

  At 9 AM, we departed for Palm Beach.  At 11:45 am, we arrived at The Breakers Hotel.  It is a beautiful hotel designed to be a work of art from the inside and out.  Palm trees align the drive to the hotel.  There are colorful plants carefully placed everywhere to adorn the facilities.

  

  

  Driveway of The Breakers

  Inside, the ceilings are painted with classic European artistry.  There is a great view of the ocean through one of the doorways.

  

  

  

  Inside The Breakers

  

  Me and the ocean

  

  Pramrudee and the ocean

  

  Rachanee and the ocean

  As it turned out, there was a sale inside the Venetian Ballroom.  My mom and friends took advantage.

  

  Sale inside Venetian Ballroom of The Breakers

  We left The Breakers and arrived at CityPlace.  It’s a place full of restaurants and shops.  However we only had 35 minutes before having to board the Diva Duck Tour.  We purchased burgers from a place called Cheeburger Cheeburger.  By the time the food was done, it was time to board.

   

  Diva Duck Tour is a tour of Palm Beach aboard an amphibious vehicle.  Our guide, Feliz, is very animated and entertaining.  She provides information, corny jokes and antics, and timely music from her boombox.  Once we got to the water, in we went.

  

  Mom ready to board the Diva Duck Tour

  

  Tour guide Feliz

  

  Mom aboard the Diva Duck

  We ate our burgers on board.  It turns out that they were fantastic.  I think what made it taste so good was the bread.  It was very flavorful and really accentuated the patty.

   

  The vehicle in water can achieve a maximum speed of 6 knots.  It took us to homes belonging to celebrities like Liberace and Celine Dion.

  

  Liberace’s home

  She explained that Palm Beach is to Miami what Beverly Hills is to Los Angeles.  Whereas in Beverly Hills the famed shopping street is Rodeo Drive, in Palm Beach it’s Worth Avenue.

   

  Once we returned to CityPlace, we hung out until 4:40 pm.  I did some Christmas shopping (yes, Christmas shopping) at Brookstone.  The others went to a clothing shop called Sigrid Olsen.  Since they were going out of business, everything was 70% off. 

   

  At 6:30 pm, we boarded the Palm Beach Princess.  It is a cruise ship that houses a casino.  It is nowhere as large as the ones used by Royal Caribbean or Carnival.  However, it is still the largest ship we would board on this vacation.  On board, I changed out of my T-shirt, sneakers, cargo shorts, and straw hat into a previously unworn dress shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. 

  

  Palm Beach Princess.  Casino plus all-you-can-eat dinner.

  

  Let’s play some cards!

  Dinner was all you could eat.  We definitely took advantage of the Alaskan snow crab legs.  There was also prime rib, salmon, Maryland soft shell crab.  I also tried a blackberry cobbler and strawberry shortcake.

   

  My mom found a slot machine to try her luck.  Her friends relaxed on patio chairs on the back of the ship.  I tried my luck on No Limit Texas Hold’em.  As it turned out, I played badly, the cards weren’t kind to me, and the guys at the table have done this a whole lot longer than I have.  I lost $400 this night and definitely not proud of it.

  

  Mom and friends chillin’ at the back of the Palm Beach Princess

  Afterwards, I walked around the ship to admire different angles and views.  Surapee got seasick.  The others also weren’t feeling too hot.  They mostly just hung around the back of the ship which has lots of patio chairs.  I guess I didn’t notice since I was focused on playing cards and my opponents.

   

  On the way out to sea and now approaching the dock, we were entertained by a rock band called The Barnacles.  They played old rock hits like Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild and The Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women.  Other than slots and the poker room, there was also blackjack, three-card poker, craps, roulette, and other games I don’t recall right now.  There was also bingo, shows, and a dance floor featuring 70’s and 80’s dance hits.

   

  I changed back to my usual attire.  I always wanted to dress up for poker.  Since that didn’t work, I’ll stick to my usual beach bum attire.

   

  After returning to the port, we drove back to Ft. Lauderdale and arrived at 12:50 AM.  Only now on this day did I notice mosquito bites on me.

   

  June 7 – FROM FT. LAUDERDALE TO KEY WEST

   

  Everyone woke up SO early despite how late we returned.  I effectively had only 4 hours of sleep.  We checked out of the Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort.  It was a wonderful residence for us.

   

  In Miami, we stopped off at Pimpa’s dream shopping Mecca – Ross.  She and the rest shopped while I walked around pointlessly.

   

  We had a picnic lunch at a park nearby.  There were a family of ducks that approached us and followed us wherever went.  I’m guessing these ducks are used to being fed or feeding on the scraps left by people.  We had rice with a mixture of crab, ginger, and egg.

  

  Picnic lunch with some ducks expecting to be fed

  The drive to Key West is absolutely stunning.  It is via the Overseas Highway which is a series of bridges that connect the many keys, which are little islands.  The waters appear in many shades – turquoise, light green, aqua, deeper green.  The best part of the drive is on the seven mile bridge.  Basically while you are on this bridge, all you see to the left and right is water.  All you see in front or back is the bridge until you finally reach another key.

  

  On Overseas Highway en route to Key West

  

  Seven Mile Bridge

  At 5 pm, we arrived at Key West.  We checked into the Parrot Key Resort.  Where we stayed is a 3-story house.  It is stupendous with its scenic balconies, fully equipped kitchen, and widescreen TV’s in every bedroom.  When I saw two gaming chairs and an Xbox in my room, I was stoked.

   

  We drove from the resort to an area close to Mallory Square.  There we saw many bars, restaurants, and shops.  There were lots of young people hanging out and getting wasted.  My mom’s friends wanted Thai food so we found a place.  It’s simply called Thai Cuisine.  Our waiter Joe was very polite and helpful.  For dinner we had pad Thai, tom yum goong, duck curry, chicken satay, and sweet and sour fish.  It didn’t live up to my mom and her friends’ expectations.  I actually downgraded my expectations to the floor so it was actually better than I had thought.

   

  Rachanee, Sarita, and Surapee were able to catch the sunset.  There is a celebration every time there is a sunset.  I could only imagine how beautiful it was but didn’t get to see it as I waited for my mom to finish her shopping.  She along with Pimpa and Pramrudee then continued shopping at the Duval Village.

  

  Sunset at Key West

  Perhaps one day I’ll come back and see the sunset here at Key West.  I’ve seen the sunset on the Irrawaddy River before.  It was pretty.  However there was such a big crowd here in Key West.  It was probably very exciting.

   

  Pimpa and Pramrudee returned to the car.  I still wanted to see stuff.  My mom and I went to Mallory Square.  It borders the water and all along you can find various street vendors and entertainers.  I wanted to see much more but my mom has had it.  She wanted to go back to the car, too.  I walked her back.

  

  Mom near Mallory Square

  

  Me at Mallory Square

  Everyone wanted to go back.  That was disappointing to me.  I didn’t come all this way to Key West to miss the sunset (which I obviously did) and not see a thing.  I basically was going to tell the rest that I wasn’t going back to the resort with them…that I was going to continue sightseeing on my own and will find my way back.  Surapee then said she would try to arrange a tour of Key West tomorrow morning.  With that glimmer of hope, I went back with everyone.

   

  Upon arriving, in the sky we saw stars…an indication to the cleanliness of the air here.  In fact, I saw the Big Dipper.

   

  In my room, I was ready for some Xbox action.  However, I couldn’t find any joysticks.  I searched everywhere but it was to no avail.  I was most heartbroken.

   

  June 8 – KEY WEST AND THE ROAD TO ORLANDO

   

  At 9 am, Pramrudee and Rachanee boarded the Conch Train Tour.  It’s just a tour vehicle shaped to look like a locomotive in front.  Surapee, Sarita, and I boarded the 9:30 am “train”.  Pimpa and my mom deferred the tour and instead went shopping at the Ross nearby.

   

  The tour took an hour and a half.  It took us by many homes.  The notable ones were former residences of Ernest Hemingway, Calvin Klein, and what’s called Harry Truman’s Little White House.  Six US Presidents, as recent as Bill Clinton, have graced this house and have conducted some official business.

  

  Harry Truman’s Little White House

  

  Home of Ernest Hemingway

  

  

  Homes in Key West

  What also adorn Key West are the many bougainvillea trees.  They are very beautiful with them being covered in red flowers.

  

  Bougainvillea trees

  The tour also passed a red and black buoy-like thing.  It represents the southernmost point of the continental US.  From here it is a mere 90 miles to Cuba.

  

  Southernmost point in the continental US

  

  Beautiful Key West

  As the “train” arrived at the starting/ending point, the driver played what he calls the “national anthem of Key West”.  It’s Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

   

  Upon arriving in Key West, the conch is a very ever-present thing.  Everywhere you look is Conch Republic, conch this, conch that.  Native Key West folks are even referred to as Conchs.  It’s pretty obvious that the conch is in abundance here.  After the tour, I saw a stand that sold conch fritters.  I figure since I’m here, might as well try some.  Looks like the conchs were ground up.  I don’t know if any other ingredients were added to the ground mixture.  Little balls of them were then scooped up and tossed into vats of boiling oil where they are fried.  Once done, the vendor recommended me to try it with the key lime sauce so I did.  It was tangy and good.  The sauce is similar, if not the same, as the one used for the Awesome Blossom at Chili’s or the Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse.  I got some for everyone.

   

  We had lunch back at our place at the Parrot Key Resort.  At 1 pm, we departed.  Sarita drove until we arrived at Grassy Key.  Since this is Key West, I put on some Jimmy Buffett.  Then my mom took over.  She managed to drive us over the rest of the keys until we reached the Florida mainland and Florida City.  There, she stopped the car as we all took a break at McDonald’s.  Basically had some McNuggets and Southern Style chicken sandwiches (thanks to my free coupons).

  

  

  

  On the Overseas Highway

  Sarita then resumed being our driver.  It was still a long way to Orlando.  Once we got fairly close to Orlando, I played Disney songs from Sarita’s iPod.  I figure might as well put everyone in the spirit of what’s to come.  How can you resist “Yo ho!  Yo ho!  A pirate’s life for me!” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”?

   

  At 8:30 pm, we arrived at an ornate and large Chinese restaurant in Orlando called Ming Court.  The food was tasty.  We had kung pao shrimp, beef with oyster sauce, some very succulent and crispy duck, crispy tofu, pan fried noodle smothered with gravy, and some sashimi for appetizer.  I ended this scrumptious night with cheesecake.  In one of the dining halls, there was a duet playing Chinese music.

  

  Chinese musicians at the Ming Court Restaurant

  

  Pramrudee in front of Ming Court                   Pimpa in front of Ming Court

  That evening we checked into the Sheraton Vistana Village.  Our spread had three bedrooms and a full kitchen.  The master bathroom was pretty big.

   

  June 9 – DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

   

  At 9 AM, we went to the Westgate Vacation Villas.  Basically, everyone (but me) got Disney World tickets for cheap (2 for $25).  However, in order to get them, they had to attend a sales pitch by these timeshare salespeople.  While my mom and friends ate breakfast, a saleswoman was doing her thing.

   

  As for me, I took advantage of breakfast, too.  However, I walked over to another building in this place.  There I purchased my own Disney World ticket for $72.  That’s because they couldn’t get me as part of that deal.  It’s cool.  I’d rather not sit through a sales pitch anyways.

   

  After finishing my breakfast and getting my ticket, I returned to the waiting area.  I waited…and waited…and waited.  As the clock dial kept advancing, I grew antsy and angry.  My biggest fear was to not have enough time to tour the park.

   

  They finally finished at 12:45 pm.  Finally it’s off to Disney World.  My mom’s friends went to EPCOT. 

  

  Rachanee at Spaceship Earth

  

  Pramrudee, Pimpa, and Rachanee at Mexico

  Since my mom and I had both been there before and we figured that the Magic Kingdom was basically Disneyland, we decided on going to the Animal Kingdom.

  

                   Me at front of Disney’s Animal Kingdom         Mom at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  It was very hot and humid when we got to the gate.  It lush with lots of trees.  Once inside, we saw enclosures housing a rhinoceros iguana, swamp wallabies, and colorful scarlet and hyacinth macaws. 

  

  Scarlet macaw                                                Rhinoceros iguana

  

  Hyacinth macaws

  We walked to the central part of the park called Discovery Island.  In the middle of the island is the Tree of Life.  It dominates the landscape here.  It is a massive, manmade tree with many animals carved out of the bark. 

  

  Mom and the Tree of Life.  What animals can you identify on the bark?

  On Discovery Island we saw the interactive 3-D show “It’s Tough Being a Bug”.  This is also shown at Disney’s California Adventure.  It’s a fun show and a good way to start the day.  It’s great also to avoid the heat.

   

  We crossed a bridge to Asia.  There we had lunch at the Yak and Yeti.  The waiters wore traditional Indian garb.  My mother had dim sum with fried rice.  I had a skirt steak and tempura shrimp.  The steak was wrapped around a cone of rice with the skewered shrimp lying on top of it.  I found this presentation to be quite imaginative.  It was not bad. 

   

  We walked to Africa to get a Fast Pass for the Kilimanjaro Safari.  In the meantime, we rode a train from Africa to Conservation Station located in Rafiki’s Planet Watch.  It is an educational place trying to spread awareness of endangered species.  There is also a petting zoo where kids can pet llamas.

  

  Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch                         Rafiki’s Planet Watch

  We then rode the train back to Africa.  It’s still too soon to use the Fast Pass so we decided to split.  My mom hung around Africa to watch Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade.  I, on the other hand, went to Dinoland USA and rode Primeval Whirl.  It’s virtually a clone of California Adventure’s Mulholland Madness but dressed up to match the dinosaur theme.  In the end, the coaster spun like the Disneyland tea cups or Knott’s Berry Farm’s Sierra Sidewinder.  All in all, it’s a small kiddie coaster but still fun.

  

  

  Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade

  I then made my way back to Africa where I reconvened with my mother.  It’s safari time!  We rode an actual driven vehicle that will traverse the trails that cuts through a large enclosure full of real animals (no animatronics).  We saw an okapi, crocodiles, flamingoes, a rhino, giraffes, elephants, and lions, hippos in the water, a warthog, and antelopes.  The large baobab trees really give this place a true African feel.  To me, this is the “can’t miss” attraction in the park.  It’s a shame my photography skills aren’t up to par so many picture came out blurry.  The vehicle never stops and I didn’t expect it to.  My mother and I really enjoyed the safari. 

  

  Kilimanjaro safari

  

  Hippos

  

  Baobab tree

  

  Termite nest

  

  Wildlife

  

  Giraffe

  

  Another baobab tree

  

  Elephants

  

  Flamingos

  

  In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…

  

  Warthog

  

  Ostrich

  We walked back to Asia.  The amount of vegetation makes you feel like walking through a jungle.  I thought to myself, “I got to give Disney credit.  Not only did they bring authentic Asian plants and animals…they brought over the climate, too!”  I was sweating so badly due to the heat and humidity.  It was really beating down on my mom.

  

  I needed to take a restroom break.  My mom waited outside.  She looked so miserable, a woman walking by stopped to ask if she was all right.  My mom basically said that she was overheating. 

   

  Seeing this, I figure the best thing was for her to get indoors.  Knowing she likes musicals, I suggested that she go see Finding Nemo: The Musical.  I pointed across the waters to the building across the bridge and told her it was playing there. 

   

  As she made her way there, I got in line for Expedition Everest.  It is a roller coaster that zips through and around the Himalayas.  While in line, it looks like we are passing through a real museum of hiking and Sherpa gear.

  

  Me and the “Himalayas” (actually it’s Expedition: Everest) in the background

  On the coaster itself, it rose into the Himalayas and then it dropped and swerved and went pretty fast.  Then it stopped as the track was busted.  I thought “Whoa!  That’s different!”  The coaster then slid backward and into a pitch black cave.  There it went pretty fast and it really felt like it did a loop in there.  It then stopped again as we can see an animated silhouette of a yeti.  The yeti then destroyed our track sending us down a high drop which then zoomed back up into the mountains.

   

  It was a lot of fun.  It’s not as intense as a Six Flags coaster but pretty fun for a Disney coaster.

   

  I walked to the theatre where my mom saw the musical.  It turned out that the show was not over yet.  I waited outside nearby.  At that point, I pondered to myself how good a time I was having.  I was having fun and felt some regret that this was the last day I’ll be here for a long time.

   

  Finally the show ended.  My mother really liked Finding Nemo: The Musical.  She highly recommends it for anybody.  The fact it’s a pretty long show was great for her.  She got to watch a good show while avoiding the heat.

   

  We walked to Dinoland USA where I got on Dinosaur.  The line to it resembled a museum of natural history.  Finally we got to our vehicle.  It looked identical to Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland.  I knew that this was going to be that sort of ride.  The vehicle was a “time machine” that took us to the primordial world where we ran into this dinosaur and that dinosaur.  It was pretty fun.

   

  My mom and I were done at the Animal Kingdom.  However the others were awaiting the fireworks show at EPCOT.  My mom and I waited just outside the entrance of EPCOT for them.  We bought bottles of water from the concession booth.  In this heat, it was vital to remain hydrated.  From where we were, it was impossible to see the fireworks.  Spaceship Earth (that gigantic silver golf ball) blocked our view.

  

  Mom at gate outside of EPCOT

  

  Me with Spaceship Earth in background

  Finally we all rendezvoused.  Everybody had a terrific time.  Now it’s dinner time.  Surapee figured that since we’re here, let’s go to Downtown Disney.  It was now about 11 pm.  We couldn’t see what was still open.  Also some people didn’t want to walk.  Pimpa wanted to go back to our residence and boil some noodles. 

   

  We settled for McDonald’s for our late night dinner.  However Pimpa wouldn’t even come out of the car.  She had enough of the heat and all this walking.  She simply told us what she wanted.  Once we were done eating, we brought her what she wanted.

   

  Back at the Sheraton, I basically collapsed onto my bed.  The heat simply sapped my strength.

   

  June 10 – SALVATION

   

  Surapee, Rachanee, and I dropped Sarita off at the Orlando International Airport for her flight on Air Tran back to Los Angeles.  It took off at 10:40 am.  It was also here we dropped off the Toyota Sienna at Alamo.

   

  We rode a shuttle to another rental company where Surapee rented a smaller car seating just four.  That was all they would need because today my mother and I were taking off, too.

   

  My mom and I were then dropped off at the airport by Surapee and Rachanee in the afternoon.  Beforehand, we bade Pimpa and Pramrudee farewell as they would stay for another 5 days in Florida along with Surapee and Rachanee.

   

  The airport terminal is picturesque as it merged with the Hyatt.  There was a fountain and trees inside.  Since there was basically no real food on domestic flights, we went to the food court and got us some Nathan’s hot dogs which we snuck onto the plane. 

  

  Orlando International Airport

  We took off at 3:05 pm.  I ate my hot dogs and they were good.  We arrived in Denver at 5:30 pm mountain time.  It was 93°F there!  Just before landing, it was pretty turbulent.  I was happy to land.

   

  At 6 pm, we took off from Denver.  It was pretty turbulent until we got a bit further from Denver.  The skies were pretty clear on this leg en route to Los Angeles.  We got a terrific view of the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon.  The snow on the Rockies makes them majestic and beautiful. 

  

  

  

  Rocky Mountains

  

  

  Grand Canyon

  At 7:30 pm, we touched down at LAX.  When I stepped off the plane, the cool, dry 62°F air caressing my face brought instant relief and gratification.  I so missed the cool, dry air of Los Angeles.

   

  My sister-in-law Konie picked us up.  We had dinner at Pattaya Bay restaurant with my brother and Konie’s friend Nun.  Besides being really happy to come back to LA, I was also thankful to learn that the Lakers finally won a game against Boston in the NBA Finals.

   

  All in all, I had a wonderful time in Florida.  I’m happy to have seen many places, tried some different foods, and ride various boats.  I thought Surapee planned a terrific trip encompassing a wide array of experiences and locations.  It would be great to come back one day but perhaps during cooler times.  Heat and humidity are not a great combination for me.

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