Floriday Keys tailing off the end of Florida.
You can literally drive off the end of Florida. The Florida Keys is a string of low-lying coral islands that tail off the bottom end of the Florida peninsula. The term ‘key’ comes from the Spanish word ‘cayo’ that means small island. This used to be a hazardous region for ocean-going traders and ship wreckings were common. Salvaging from these wrecks was a profitable business for the Keys. Key West is the largest of the inhabited islands and at one time was the biggest city in Florida. The communities on these islands are well established and have history. Cuba is just 90 miles away so it is a busy trading area in all sorts of things, legal and illegal. It is still a popular entry point for Cubans seeking a better life.
You can see the road connecting the islands.
Initially serviced by ferries, the islands became connected to the mainland in 1910 by rail. In 1935, WW1 veterans provided the labour to build a road right through.
This bridge or skyway spans over 10 kilometers of water.
This road was replaced in the 1980s with new cement bridges, the longest being over 10 kilometers long! In places, the old bridges remain in a broken, run-down and unused way. A power line follows the new road to connect the keys to the main grid. This is an impressive and sophisticated level of infrastructure for a group of islands.
I wanted to see this so I hired a car and headed off. It didn’t look far on the map bur four hours later, I arrive on Key West! Much of the speed limit over the 130-mile trip is slow, making for a long tiring drive. Once you leave the mainland, the road becomes a series of bridges and islands with such names as Pigeon Keys, Tall Pine Keys, Little Duck Keys, and of course the main one and the end of the line, Key West. Key West is a tourist destination now. Its proximity to deepwater makes it an access point for cruise ships and there are hotels and pubs everywhere. I was only here for a few hours but the place seems to have character and I’m sorry I didn’t have more time for it. I get back to my hotel in the dark and rain.
PLEASE NOTE: Internet access may be limited in Peru so I’m not sure when my next blog posting will be possible.
angusmccoll 