Key West

Okay so I recently went on a little trip and I have failed to tell the world about it.

During the first week of Sept. I celebrated 21 years of life by doing what other 21 year olds do, drinking.

Oh I went drinking alright, but 90 miles from the coast of Cuba. I went to Key West, Florida.

According to the History of Key West, the island was originally called Cayo Hueso, the page goes into detail on the historical use of the island of Key West. Fishing port, trading port, creators of Key Lime pie, and Ernest Hemingway.

I didn't stay in Key West, I stayed in a hotel in one of the neighboring islands, the Sugar Loaf lodge. The place has a wonderful view of the waters in the back, had a bar to order drinks, and a bat tower in the backwoods behind the hotel.

The view from our hotel room. 

The Sugar Loaf bat tower

For my trip I decided to primarily act as a tourist in the Duval area. Drinking at the various bars, visit the Hemingway house full of cats, climb the top of the lighthouse, and went on a ghost tour at night with the Ghost and Gravestones Tour. Every local screamed to us "Doom!" as we went location to location learning of the deaths and history, based on what I learned we were the doomed.

View from top of the inland lighthouse. 

This was not my first time going on a little ghost adventure, I have done a ghost tour before while visiting the historic town of St. Augustine.

But I learned of the eerie hauntings that plagues the town full of bars, expensive housing and tourists attractions. My tour guide claimed that Key West is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., along with Savannah, GA, and New Orleans, LA. Personally I can't find an article that backs up that claim. But it is one of the most haunted places in FL.

On this ghost tour I was introduced to a peculiar entity, his name is Robert. Robert lives in the Civil War Fort, Fort East Martello. Because it is said that this entity is malevolent, I had to ask permission before taking a photo with the doll so he would not harm us. Originally the childhood doll of Key West painter and author, Robert Eugene Otto, some have dubbed the doll the originally Chucky doll. Here is more information about the legend and history about Robert.

Robert the Doll and myself. 

The ghost tour also introduced me to a darker story than that of Robert and his pranks. A love story that is definitely frowned upon and illegal in the United States. No I don't mean a love between an adult and a minor, I mean a love between the living and the dead. I am talking about the relationship of Carl Tanzler and his precious "Elena", a girl's body he took from the grave to attempt to reanimate her. But in the process of his failed Frankenstein experiments had relations with the body. I got the chance to purchase the novel that tells it all, Undying Love: The True Story of a Passion That Defied Death. It follows the story that put Key West on the map, well besides for its Key Lime Pies.

I also got the chance to kayak on the beach in Key West and enjoy the various sites of what Florida has to offer.

I could rate this trip, I would give it a 8 out of 10. I enjoyed the history lesson of Key West, the bars, and the tourist atmosphere that makes you wish you can stay longer. 

Ghosts Hauntings

Today I heard a discussion on the radio about hauntings and ghost sighting. Apparently one of the radio hosts thinks his house is haunted. I personally am not sure if I ever lived in a haunted place before. But I know a few of my cousins, who lived on a military base has some stories about their experiences.

My younger cousin told me when she lived in a military base in Kansas that she always was afraid to walk out of her room in the morning for fear she might see something at the end of the hall. She told me one time when she was laying down on her bed doing her homework she thought she felt her bed canopy fall across her legs. She ignored it for a little bit but she said when she went to scratch her leg, that the canopy wasn't touching her legs. She also claims to have a video of her and her sister talking in her bedroom, and in the background you can see her laundry hamper be picked up from the floor and knocked over.

My older cousins who used to live on military bases when they were teenagers have some stories also. My cousin told me that one night she was sleeping then she woke up for no reason at all and couldn't move. She lay there silently staring at her ceiling and then all of the sudden she said somethings grabbed her by her ankles and pulled her to the foot of her bed. After reaching the foot of her bed she gained back the ability to move, and boy did she jump out of bed and scream her head off.

I have a few family members that have ghost stories about Panama, but that's another story.

Insidious 2

I recently saw Insidious 2 and I have to say on a scale of 1-10, I have to give it a 6. I felt as though there was more humor than horror in this film. And it was very unusual compared to the first movie. But it did explain some things in a way

*Spoiler Alert*
DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT PARTS OF THE FILM SPOILED!

The ghost that was haunting the family, I just ended up feeling bad for him in the long run. His mother was the she devil honestly. I felt as though the reason he killed so many women, besides his mother making him kill people, was because it was a way of revenge towards women. The whole bride in black thing was even weirder, his mother had him wrapped around her finger. I also felt as though it was strange that before he died he knew he was going to haunt Josh.

I would also like to say that I like other scary movies because they are more realistic. I don't like the whole other realm thing because to me it isn't as realistic as it sounds. And the outer body experiences while still being in the present house also threw me for a loop.

Also there was too much humor for me. When I want to be scared, I wanna be scared and not laugh after. Make me piss my pants like I almost did in the first movie.

And what about that ending... WTF was there? What did the ghost lady see behind the girl in the wheelchair? Is there going to be another installment of insidious, but with a Latino family??