Always has been, always will be. There is just something about it...
It is magical and oh so beautiful. A gift.
It invites a pause at the end of each day. A time to stop and just breathe...
When we heard that there was a daily Sunset Celebration on the island of Key West, there was no doubt in our minds that we had to go check it out. After a fun filled day touring the town, we headed down to the waterfront in time for the show...
Celebration is right! There was quite the festive atmosphere going on (and no, I don't mean partying, I mean simply festive :).). There were different street performers entertaining the crowds with their zany talents. Fire jugglers, sword swallowers, acrobats...
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| future sunset performer? maybe ;)... |
There were artists selling their crafts and vendors selling all different kinds of things. The one that caught our eye was the Coconut Man (of course :)!). He was just setting up and a little boy walked up to him, admiring the coconuts. He smiled at the little boy and told him if he could tell him the Spanish word for coconut, he could have the very first one...free. I don't know what the boy said, but he must have gotten it right (enough) because he left smiling and carrying his very own coconut :). So sweet :).
A couple of the kids wanted coconuts, so they went over and asked him the price. He told them the price was whatever they wanted to pay, and if they couldn't pay that was ok, too, they could have one for free (I'm telling ya'll, we met SO MANY kind people there!). Of course we paid and he pulled out a huge machete type knife and "chop, chop, chop" cut a few slices off one end to slope it and then one more chop and he cut the end off exposing the yummy insides. No straws, no problem :). The kids happily sipped on their coconut water as the sun slipped lower and lower...
It was really neat, everyone had been milling about checking out this performer or that vendor. But as the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon, it all just sorta stopped. Everyone stopped, found a place to sit, and just watched...
Beautiful :)...
When the last little sliver of light had slipped away, the festivities resumed. By this time, the coconut water was gone and the kids were ready to eat the rest of it. We went back over to the Coconut Man to get him to cut them open and he told us that our coconuts were jelly ones (this is in young coconuts when the meat inside hasn't hardened yet, instead it has a jelly like texture...very good for you and also delicious). He cut a thin piece from the outside of the coconut to use as a spoon and then he split the coconut in half to expose the jelly. When he handed Tristan's back to him he told him if he couldn't eat it all, to bring it to him and he'd eat it. No worries of little man not finishing the special treat, he pretty much licked it clean :).
Coconuts completely devoured, we wandered back over to the edge of the water. There was a steady stream of boats going by, full of folks celebrating life ;)...
At this point, it was getting completely dark and the mood was shifting to more of a party type atmosphere. Time for this family to call it a day...and what a great day it was :)!
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