Day 3, April 27 - in Fort Lauderdale

Up early after a good nights sleep. Showered and down to breakfast of fruit, and toasted bagel. Back to my room, look at my iPad and make a list of the things I need to do today. The first is head up to the Galleria Shopping Complex to change some money at the bank and to by a white dress shirt.
I grab a taxi and zig zag through all the back streets because the main thoroughfare is closed in preparation for a big air show along the beach front tomorrow and the next day. As I write this four jets scream overhead in formation practicing. On arrival I go into a shop, get measured up for a shirt. After picking out a white shirt I am asked what other two shirts do I want--there is three for one sale on. The shop assistant ask if I can come back in half an hour and he will have the shirts ironed for me ready to take on the cruise.
The shirts paid for I head for the bank, walk in to be greeted by a gentleman asking "What can we do for you sir".
"I would like to change some money" I say.
"Do you have and account, sir".
"No" I reply " I just want to buy some Mexican pesos".
"Sorry, you can only do that if you have a bank account"
Evidently there is some law that prevents banks from selling foreign currency to people without a US bank account.
I wander back through Macy's, buy some light cotton socks, some light-weight vests, and then head back to pick up my new ironed shirts. Head outside with all my new purchase, grab a taxi and go back to the hotel arriving about lunchtime.
Sitting in the Breezes Cafe having a beer and waiting for my lunch, I had plenty of time to observe people arriving here at the Bahia Mar. Mostly big black cars (or should I say buses). Some obviously rentals by the way on departure they momentarily head backwards, brakes applied hard before exiting frontwards! A typical scene, a car pulls up. Sorry a big car pulls up mum and the kids jump out: the rear door pops open; mum dishes out nap-sacks--at least two per kid; then out come the pillows--obviously the kids as they grab their favorite. Dad jumps out and lifts out a chilli bin, then a bigger chilli bin on wheels and an extension handle, now a case of Coca-Cola, and then another case of Coca-cola. Everyone waits while dad stacks these all on the wheely chilli bin and then they all exit stage left. Eventually mum comes back and drives the big car off. This or similar scenes were repeated several times before my lunch arrived.




After lunch had stroll down to the beach and around the mariner next to the hotel. Took some photographs and came back to my room and to write up some of my Blogs.

Location:Seabreeze Blvd,Fort Lauderdale,United States