Sampling Miami Healthcare and the South Beach Scene

This week was spent mostly stocking the boat and dealing with some health problems. I woke up with my left ear clogged and feeling like my head was larger than it is. As the day progressed Al looked at me and said what did you do to your nose. He said, “It looks like a brush burn.” I could not think of a single thing I had done to cause it. The next day it was redder and spreading with tiny bumps and oozing some clear liquid. So the search was on for a doctor. We first went to our health insurance site to see where I would be covered. Then it was to find a doctor within walking or bus distance. So I called for an appointment but they said I had to come to the office, fill out forms and then get an appointment. So the appointment was two days away. I went and she felt it was a cellulitis and I needed antibiotic. She checked my ear and said it look inflamed and felt I needed drops.

She told me if I went to Publix grocery store that the antibiotic would be free,and it was. The ear drops were another matter. No pharmacy had them, so finally the pharmacist called the doctor and asked if he could give me the cipro eye drops which was almost the same as the ear drops, just that they were a wee bit stronger and sterile. He explained to me that eye drops can be used in the ear, but not ear drops in the eye, because ear drops are not sterile. So I have been on the medicines for three days and it seems things are clearing up. I felt so self-conscious because I looked like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or like someone who had been hitting the bottle too much! 

Grand Daddy iguana on the right.

They love being around the bridges. 

We mostly entertained ourselves by going into South Beach. We pass under some low bridges on the Venetian Causeway always seeing a menagerie of large iguanas sitting on the pipe next to the bridge sunning themselves. Their tails hang down and when coming through the other way, they look like bell pulls. But believe me, I would not pull them!

 One day we went in to walk the beach with Mary Jo and Mike from Serenity and to enjoy a beverage on the way back.

Mary Jo and Mike on Serenity

 Another day we did laundry and hiked around town enjoying the variety of people and animals here. 

How often do you see a guy sleeping on a pillar?

This dog was cuter to look at than the guy!

 Yesterday we went in with Toni and Dave to have lunch and a walk as well. 

Toni,Dave, Al and myself enjoying lunch at "Paul's"

Needs the edge done but almost complete!

 I also had time to finish the hooking of my “Welcome” rug. Now I had to find someone who has a sewing machine on board so I can zig zag around it and trim off the excess to finish the edge. I already found out that Mary Jo has one, so when we stop at the marina in Nassau I will use it then.

We have enjoyed our spot at Di Lido Island, especially at night where we get to see the lights of Miami. It is a beautiful view, but it is time to move on.

The Miami skyline as seen from our boat.  The guys enjoyed the dancing girl on the purple lighted building

 We are heading to Key Biscayne for the night and will leave in the morning with three other boats in our group and the other 50 or more boats that will take this opportunity to cross as well. Next time I blog it will hopefully be from the Bahamas. We should get to Nassau mid to late morning on Monday.

Happy Holidays.