Key West - Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Attitudes

I have to admit, my original plan for visiting Key West was to discover the world of Hemingway. But I ended up spending most of my time at the beach sipping coconut water and got wasted away (again) in Magaritaville.

 

Hemingway's old house, never end up getting in there

Key West is the southernmost island in the contiguous United States.  Despite the fact that Key West can be conveniently accessed from Miami by driving on the scenic US Route 1, the island is actually closer to Cuba than it is closer to the rest of Florida. Prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, there was even a frequent ferry service that run in between Key West and Havana. Ernest Hemingway, possibly one of the most iconic Key West residents, had homes in both Key West and Havana. Because the island is so close to other Caribbean nations both geographically and culturally, architectures in Key West have a very distinct style that makes you think you are in some Caribbean country rather than in the United States.

 

Houses in Key West

Even though Key West has merely 20,000 some residents and you can barely see it on the U.S map, it has a special place in the United States history. The island was once the winter home of President Harry S. Truman during most of his presidency. People call the building where Truman once lived and worked the "Little White House". President John F Kennedy also stayed there "on the front line" twice in 1961 and 1962 when Cuba declared itself a Communist state and secretly installed Soviet backed missile facilities. 

The Little White House

A residential building in the Truman Annex

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a place so distinct in style and has butt kicking weather all year round, must be targeted and invaded by swarms of vacationers and tourists. When an unknown and broke songwriter who lived in Nashville at the time named Jimmy Buffett first visited Key West back in the days as a tourist, he immediately fell in love with the place. He went back to Nashville, quit his job, packed everything up, and returned to Key West as a full time resident. It was in Key West Jimmy Buffett created his "tropical drunk rock" and became a superstar of his own league. One of his most famous and celebrated songs is called Margaritaville, which in many ways has become a synonym of Key West throughout the years. In the opening of the song, Buffett was pretty honest about what one would see in Margaritaville: Nibbling on sponge cake / Watching the sun bake /All of those tourists covered with oil. / Strumming my six string / On my front porch wing/ Smell the shrimps, they are beginning to boil

 

Duval Street

When Magaritaville became a breakthrough success, Jimmy Buffett decided that he was going to open up a restaurant with the very same name at the place where inspired him to conceive the term. That's why on Duval Street, there stands a relatively small restaurant with LOTS of customers called "Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville" (In contrast, the one in Niagra Falls Canada was ENORMOUS but  literally had no customers). You can now find Margaritaville restaurants all over the Caribbeans and even in Australia, but the one in Key West remains the grandfather of them all. 

Jimmy Buffett's Portrait in the Original Margaritaville

Just when everyone thought it was impossible to spot any gloomy faces in a place that has lots of sunshine in February and is famous for its laid back lifestyle, I have found out a very inconvenient truth about the actual Key Westers who work and live there: They too, are very stressful. In order to make a living, many who work in the tourist district had to "fake" that priceless warm, tropical smile a visitor might expect from "somewhere hot". The reality, however, is that when you look at them when they are not engaging any conversations with their customers, you could clearly see the high level of anxiety and even depression they have.  

Any photo you take, you see tourists in it. Welcome to Key West

If you think you got screwed by your super stressful job in Chicago and made your escape all the way down in Key West - that's fantastic. But hey, remember that when a swarm of people like you come into Key West, don't you think those who work in Key West will be super stressful as well? Like an old Jimmy Buffett song suggested: "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" - just take everything easy. If you received great services from maybe a waiter, a shopkeeper, or a Conch Train driver, make sure you leave them some good compliments. If you received not up to standard services, there's no need to be pissed off. Smiling is always a good option for solving all sorts of problems (not the sarcastic type). If you expect warm, tropical smiles from the locals, why don't you start to smile warmly and tropically like the locals?

 

The Southernmost Point Landmark in Key West. Everyone should smile like the random tourist in this photo (People were lining up for a photo-op with the buoy. It's just impossible to take a picture of just the buoy)

One thing I noticed while wandering around the streets of Key West was that there were chickens strutting everywhere. Again it's not hard to imagine that on an island setting, self-sufficiency is always the number one priority. Chickens are not only able to produce eggs, they are also decent poultry meat people can eat and survive on. As time progresses, big slaughterhouses have made ready to cook/eat meat cheaper and more accessible than ever. People started to buy poultry meat from the markets instead of raising and slaughter their own chickens, which require both time and skills. As a result, all those chickens were released by local residents to the streets of Key West and running around with full freedom.  I guess not only is the America a free country for its people, the Key West part is also a free country for chickens. 

The place where we parked our car. This parking lot remains the only Hemingway- related place I actually stepped my foot in. The fedora hat wearing parking lot owner remains the only person who works in Key West that doesn't look stressful at all

When it comes down to beaches, one of the most scenic places I have ever been to is Key West's very own Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. The beach is actually located in a cove right beside a US Navy Base. On a clear day, you can see all the coral reefs from the shore and if you are really tempted by your own curiosity and your adventurous spirit, just grab a pair of snorkeling gear and go explore them by yourself! On the beach, you will find people of all ages enjoying the cool  breeze, warm water, and hot sunshine Key West has to offer. Yet the best part is that unlike margaritas or some overpriced coconut water like the one I was holding at the time, the breeze, water, and the sunshine are completely free of charge for everyone regardless of who you are. 
 

Right Next to a Navy Base

People Enjoying the Coral Sand Beach

Now I am back in the winter wonderland. When I stepped into our local supermarket and saw those cheap coconut water imported from somewhere in Asia, I had the urge to complain about how overpriced the coconut water I got in Key West was (ok......looks like I am complaining right now...). However the fact is, the moment I handed the money to the vendor in exchange for the coconut water, I was well aware that the it was overpriced. But at that moment I just laughed it off, bought one, and had lots of fun with it. I guess that was my version of "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes".

I still dream of Mallory Square

I think I'll need to grab another one of those overpriced coconut water some time soon.

I'll buy some "local art" as well