Best Kayaking, Best Fruit Stand

Yesterday was one of my favorite kayak rides.  I had done the same route 2 years ago when I was here.   On this route and a few others, you spend part of the time navigating through narrow tunnels in mangrove trees.  Here's a pictures of these trees--before it becomes very narrow.  Once it becomes narrow, I'm too busy driving to take pictures:

The tricky part about this is the wide paddle that kayakers use.  It's nearly impossible to use in these tunnels!   So when I returned home after my last trip to Florida, luck would have it that there was this giant paddlesports exposition in town that weekend (called canoecopea).  I scoped the place out and found the paddle I needed, a child's canoe paddle.   Here's a picture of me returning from my trip.  The little child's paddle is in the front under the elastic straps:

 I got really good at swapping between the paddles.  It was a very enjoyable trip with different scenery and lots of big birds to view.    We are entering the dry season as you can see by these mangrove trees:


This is the first time I've seen snails in a long time:



I thought for sure this was a crocodile:

It was bigger than any gator I've seen--saw it all the way from across the lake, and there was supposed to be a croc in this lake.  But after reading up on them, I can't tell from the picture.

Okay, that had nothing to do with nutritarian eating.  That was an aside.  This does though:  The hotspot of this town (Florida City) is the Robert is Here fruit stand.  And he's still there after 52 years, ringing up your order and finding you the best ripe produce.  They have live music on weekends, and crowds all the time.  It is the place to go!  Granted, most people go for the milkshakes, but I'm here to tell you that the mangoes taste as good.  I have never had better mangoes in my life, except for the last time I was here.  These are Kent mangoes.  They slice them up for you to eat on the spot.  Here I am eating around the seed:


Of course, there is lots of other produce, so I'm enjoying great salads, surprise.  Here's the festive place from the outside:

I've got two more days to enjoy the mangos and other produce before heading up north again.