Playing in the Deep End of the Dismal Swamp

Current Location: Poquosan River
Lat: 37 10 38.2
Lon: 76 24 57.5

Leaving Beaufort we plied the ICW heading for cooler weather. Our first stop was in Campbell Creek, a nice anchorage. The next day in brutal heat we made better time and stopped at a bend in the Alligator River which offered open ground and thus better breezes. Next we spent a couple of days in lovely Elizabeth City.

Conditions are such that we are not peeing during the day. We drink continuously but until the sun goes down and work stops nothing hits the kidneys, or leaves them.

After Elizabeth City a favourite stop for us is the Deep Creek Lock at the North end of the Great Dismal Swamp.

Meredith tied up at the Parking Lot to La Familia Restaurant

Why do we like it so much? Well, it is free.

It is half a block to the Food Lion and Advance Auto Parts Store.

One of the tie ups is at the parking lot to the La Familia Restaurant and Cantina. The other tie ups are in a beautiful state park. But the allure of La Familia governs all.

It doesn't look like much on the outside:
and the inside is no improvement:

Catch the Retro tear in the Naugahyde
on the Chair in the foreground;
the one by the varnished plywood table

Then you meet Chison, the very Korean maitre d, kitchen boss and chief busser:

This charming Korean lady has worked at the La Familia for 6 years, since it opened in fact. Her command of Spanish is flawless as is command of her very Mexican staff.

From here I can feel the skin creeping on Richie and Ian, two fine dining afficionados from back home.

Ahh, but.....

There are the Margaritas. A 12 oz margarita, well made and perfectly chilled, is $4. A 22 oz margarita, which put me to sleep last night, was $5.50. The 32 oz version of this masterpiece was only $6.

Enough good booze to lose the feeling in your legs for only $5. You gotta come back to this place. Time and time again.

We do.

Finally there is Dave:
Dave was serving samples in the local Food Lion. Yesterday it was rice chex party mix. Dave was talkative and we reciprocated. He asked where we hoped to go over the winter and we replied "Cuba".

The air chilled a bit and Dave looked down. Then he looked up and said "oh, right you are Canadian".

We explained that we wanted to see Cuba before the new President completed his efforts to rationalize relations with Cuba opening up the whole island to American tourists.

The head went down again. "Mister" he said, head lowered, " You best not discuss politics in this country. It can be bad for you".

Nothing more was said and we finished our shopping.

An hour later we were back on the boat getting ready to go to La Familia. Dave drives in in his big four wheel drive pickup. I checked quickly for a gun rack on the back of the cab.

Dave gets out and hands us a bowl of party mix. "This was left over." he said, "I figured you sailor people might not get much good food being on a boat and all".

It was a remarkable gesture and Dave, you are an ok guy.