Day: December 3, 2009

We’re staying in Hollywood, Florida, with Dave and Leo and their three dogs, one snake and many birds and fish. They offered to be our couchsurfing hosts and we are very glad.

They just happen to live near a good VW mechanic, so Ghis made an appointment and brought the van in today. Got a few repairs done and hopefully the van will run happily now.

It was really hot and humid today, apparently a record for this time of year. I spent most of the day inside, but after picking up the van, we checked out Hollywood Beach.

We are definitely in a whole new place. The beach looks different from other beaches we’ve been to. The colour is different. It’s hard to explain. It’s like looking at pictures of Miami, but now we’re here and it really is like that. Palm trees everywhere.

Morgane is intrigued by coconuts. I am amazed by the avocado tree in the backyard.

I am excited because tomorrow morning, we leave for the keys. We have a hotel booked for two nights in Key West – big splurge – and we are leaving Carmanah at a recommended kennel here. It’s hard to leave her. Ghis says he’s having separation anxiety.

The keys are about 100 miles long and I think it will all be amazing!

We drove into Orlando around ten o’clock and decided it was as good a day as any to visit Disney World. It’s really expensive, so Ghis decided to forgo it and stay with Carmanah. He got the van filled up with propane and took care of our insurance.

He dropped Morgane and I off at the entrance. We took the boat across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. Disney World is so huge that it wasn’t even easy to find the part we wanted!

Morgane was very happy to be there. We walked up to the big castle which she recognized from her Disney movies. There was a show going on outside with Mickey and Minnie and some of the princesses. She held her little camera up to her face and videotaped the whole show!

Then we went on our first rides – Cinderella’s carousel and Dumbo’s flying ride. I took her in ‘It’s a Small World’ which is one that has stuck in my head all these years. She was enchanted. I hope she didn’t break the eardrums of the people in front of us with her excited shouts.

We had some lunch and rode Peter Pan’s flying ships. Then we went in the haunted house. It was seriously scary, but she wasn’t fooled. I was proud of her for being so brave.

Against my better judgment, we decided to go down Splash Mountain. I felt sick just thinking about the big drop. I think I closed my eyes all the way down. Morgane loved it and wanted to go again, but I refused. We went on the Thunder Mountain roller coaster instead which I liked better. We rode that one twice.

Then we did the jungle safari and Aladdin’s flying carpets and climbed the Swiss Family Robinson’s tree house. Morgane thought it would be a perfect place to live.

We went to Tomorrowland and rode rockets (a bit fast for me) and then Morgane got to drive me around in a race car. It was a bit hard for her to reach the pedal, so I helped, but she steered all by herself. Let’s just say it was a steep learning curve!

Then she wanted to ride the spinning teacups which are fun, but I hate rides that make me dizzy, so we found some little friends for her to ride with. Of course, she loved that!

We also visited Ariel, her favourite princess, and played in her grotto – a little water park. We visited Mickey and Minnie’s houses and then it was time to go home.

Morgane was very sad to leave and said that she had wanted to have her hair done and wear a costume – some of the kids we saw had done this. Eventually she got over her disappointment.

We drove out of Orlando to the Wal Mart, but couldn’t park there. We followed signs to a nearby RV park and had a quiet night. In the morning, we swam outdoors in the pool. Morgane is a real fish, like her dad!