Photograph by Cao Boi
Day 1
- Fly in to Key West Airport at 8pm
- Meet Cao Boi with his car he rarely drives
- Meet Cao Boi’s friend Brit and his wife
- Get free KFC and get some beers
- Drive to Cao Boi’s boat
- Eat KFC and drink Blue Moon beer, Relax
- Visit Duval Street, grab a beer at the Green Parrot
- Return to the boat
- Drink a lot and shoot the breeze
- Pass out on boat
Day 2
- Awaken and read my Alchemy Book while Cao Boi sleeps
- Walk to the store for sunscreen while Cao Boi sleeps
- Take a shower in the nearby public bathroom while Cao Boi sleeps
- Walk with Cao Boi to Brits and borrow a bike
- Bicycle to the Bank to check the Eat More Rice Fund
- Bicycle to the Icecream shop and check the internet
- Bicycle to the next island over to meet Clive and his cool boat
- Drink some rum and watch F-16’s scream overhead
- Meet Bill Gergosky, former world’s strongest man, his girlfriend, and a pet monkey on his back
- Feed a manatee fresh water from a hose
- Bicycle to the St. Mary’s food kitchen and get free food
- Bicycle to Smathers beach and look at tons of spring breakers
- Bicycle to the Unitarian Church
- Meditate
- Bicycle to the Icecream shop and check the internet
- Upload Pictures to Facebook
- Bicycle to Cao Boi’s Boat
- Drink more Blue Moons and shoot breeze
- Bicycle to Duval Street
- Participate in a radio show hosted from the Alamo Bar which has a Mardi Gra style balcony overlooking the alley
- Wander around in the crowds
- Drink drink drink
- Watch a girl get arrested
- Watch a bunch of surfer dudes get arrested
- Dance dance dance
- Watch a cute girl convince a not so cute girl that they should both show there boobs publicly
- Go back to dance more, but it is too crowded to move
- Find Cao Boi with girls he met
- Bicycle back to the boat
- Pass out
Day 3
- Wake up and go shower while Cao Boi sleeps
- Wake Cao Boi up
- Pack the car with food and supplies
- Drive to Icecream shop and check internet
- Drive north, pickup beer and gasoline
- Wander around the woods
- Find the Secret Swim Hole
- Swim and drink beer
- Meet Mark, a local with a Harley
- Take a nap in the dirt
- Drive north to Marathon
- Eat Vietnamese food at a Nail Salon
- Meet Marathon Mike and Larry from the Crazy Fox Saloon
- Stay at Marathon Mikes and have a bonfire
- Watch Russell get voted out of Survivor and cry
- Eat dinner and watch Mike’s TV
- Pass out on Mike’s couch
Day 4
- Wake up and draw while Cao Boi sleeps
- Watch a thunderstorm roll in over Marathon
- Surf the internet until the storm is settled
- Drive to 7 mile bridge with Cao Boi
- Walk 2 miles out to Pigeon Island
- Drink two root beers, wander around the island
- Urinate off of bridge
- Walk back 2 miles to the car
- Drive to Sombraro Beach Resort
- Drink some beers and have pizza at the Latitude Club
- Meet Marathon Mike and go to the Moose Club
- Play a lot of pool and drink a few beers
- Drive to Captain Ron’s boat and get my fortune read by his wife the Witch
- Drive back to Mike’s and drop him off
- Drive to the Brass Monkey Bar and drink
- Go to Walgreens and order Survivor autograph pictures
- Drive to Mikes and cook rice
- Pass out on the couch
Day 5
- Awaken to sunshine
- Watch CNN and see the tsunami in Japan
- Drive to Walgreens to get pictures
- Drive back to Mikes and give him an autographed picture and say adios
- Drive to No Name Key and visit No Name Pub
- Watch an old man chase his hat blowing in the breeze
- Drive to the Secret Swim Hole and drink
- Pass out in the dirt for a bit
- Drive back to Key West
- Ride bikes to the Unitarian Church
- Meditate with Humble Bob
- Bicycle back to the Ice Cream shop and check the internet
- Bicycle to Brits and watch Oceans 12 and drink beers
- Bicycle to Cao Boi’s boat
- Drink a little and walk into town on my own
- Go to Rick’s Bar and drink a Jack and Coke
- Dance dance dance
- Talk to a girl who doesn’t believe I was on Survivor or that I am working in a homeless soup kitchen tomorrow
- Walk home
- Pass out on the boat
Day 6
- Wake up and read Alchemy book while Cao Boi sleeps
- Ride bikes to the soup kitchen
- Make Peanut Butter sandwhiches, chop mushrooms, open cans of veggies for the kitchen
- Bicycle to Smather’s Beach and swim
- Take a nap on the beach
- Bicylce back to St. Mary’s Soup kitchen and serve the meal to the homeless
- Bicycle to the Key West nail salon and drop off food
- Bicycle to ice cream shop and check internet
- Purchase a 12 pack and tie it on my bicycle
- Bicycle back to the boat and drink beers and call random people
- Bicycle to Brits and watch Journey to the Center of the Earth and realize it is a horrible movie
- Bicycle to Duval Street
- Watch people play pool, Drink a lot
- Go order pizza at Mr. Z’s
- Wander around laughing at drunk kids
- Grab pizza and eat it in the alley while we watch the police arrest minors
- Get told to “F*%& off” by police officer while biking back and forth down Duval Street
- Bicycle home late
- Pass out on the boat
Day 7
- Wake up late (Daylight Savings sucks!)
- Cao Boi cooks up delicious eggs for breakfast
- Take a shower at the local public bathhouse and mix up Kool-Aid drink
- Pack up car and drive to Cao Boi’s work
- Cut down a bushel of Coconuts and toss in the car
- Drive to Icecream parlor and check the interent, upload pictures to Facebook
- Drive North to the Secret Swim Hole
- Go to Barbecue at S.S.H. and go swimming, watch people play horseshoes, and hack open coconuts
- Take a nap in the dirt
- Drive around looking for legendary Hippie Hangout
- Drive around another hour trying to find the Hippie Hangout
- Drive by a herd of Key Deer, endangered mini deer
- Drive down the same road 4 times looking for Hippie Hangout
- Give up the search and drive to Moose Lodge
- Drink a beer
- Meet a couple from New York City at the bar
- Meet a Keys Deer in the parking lot and have it lick my hand
- Drive back to Key West
- Cook up the rice
- Pass out on the boat
Day 8
- Sleep in late (Daylight Savings Sucks!)
- Bicycle to the beach
- Meet Frisbee Dave, a burnt to a crisp Frisbee flippin’ badass
- Play Frisbee
- Go swimming
- Dry off in the sun
- Witness the local police officer stare us down thinking we are homeless and looking to cause trouble for spring breakers
- Watch this cute volleyball girl practice volleyball
- Swim some more
- Bicycle to the food kitchen for a delicious dinner
- Bicycle to the Unitarian Church
- Meditate / Debate Morality
- Ride to the Ice cream parlor and check the internet
- Bicycle to meet Cao Boi’s hippie friends in their hippie dreamcatcher van at Blue Heaven Bar
- Drink on Cao Boi’s boat with Brit
- Pass out on the boat
- Repeat for days 9 and 10, except on Day 10 it ended with Cao Boi driving me to airport, having my bag searched, having security deem my coconut a flight risk, and flying back to Detroit Metro Airport
This, my friends, is how things go in Cao Boi’s Key West. I see a really awesome ridiculous reality show in the near future.
4 Comments
Erik, I would say this post is another home run. Very ingenious format! I would never have thought of that, but it certainly worked and brought your experience together to share with us all. This sounded like a fun trip, with some amazing characters, good drink, and interesting surroundings. Another “Reichenbach” journey, with its originality worn like a badge of courage… JT
what to do but to read your blog when i cant sleep. =) Love the Pictures. My surgar cane got confinscated at customer. I tried to being it in to the U.s and I had no idea it was with me. I like how you did the lay out of your day.
erik:))) you forget to write at the end of each day… pass out while cao boi stays awake:))) you were asleep… how would you know that?:)) ok ok:)))
we did find the hippie secret ranch… hung out with bob for a while before leaving for the moose lodge:)))
we got free kfc twice:))
the church is “unitarian universal life”
don’t forget the spam:))
the women and the men of key west miss you:)))
I did forget to mention that I would pass out early while cao boi would stay up all night telling crazy but true stories,..
..and I did have my first spam stir fry which was INSANELY good. Cao Boi is one helluva cook. I went for the weather, and I wanted to stay for the food.