Everglades

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Over my luxurious stay at the Hotel Lorraine, I had decided that I would have to give the Everglades hostel another chance. Judging the hostel from the outside and retreating to Key West with my tail between my legs was niggling at me too much.

So I was off, saying farewell to Miami Beach with a smile. The poverty was depressing, the crime was all too apparent and the people were too beautiful. But I liked it and I’m sure I’ll be back sometime.

After the now normal battle on the interstate I headed to Florida City, and the Everglades hostel. Once actually inside the hostel things started to look a little more encouraging. I rang the necessary bell to attract the hostel owner who looked as if he had run away from the lead role of Jesus Christ Superstar. In trying to arrange the hire of a mountain bike for the day I found he must have been sacked; he had the quietest voice imaginable, inno way suitable for stage work.

Jesus quickly established my credit worthiness - Mastercard, and I signed off the required 4 forms for the insurance company, loaded the bike in the Jeep and headed off to an area of natural beauty so significant it is one of Americas (unknown) National Parks.

I’d decided upon a round trip of 22 miles on the push bike. I figured that I could bike to Dundee so how different could the Everglades be? It was flat after all.

After 3 miles I turned back. Having to pull an unidentifiable blood sucking insect out of my fore-arm was the turning point. Up until then I had persevered through the searing heat, the muddy terrain and the saddle sores, but the beasties were too much to bear.

Once back within the safety of the Jeep, I pulled another 2 blood suckers out of my feet and headed on my sweaty, itchy way.

Handing my bike back in one piece to Jesus, I enquired about the availability of a room. Being Jesus, and remembering my Mastercard, he offered me a private room (stable) for $45. After a tour of the hostel, I concluded the only people available to meet were the local workies treating the place as cheap digs. After over-hearing their conversation on the merits of reinforced concrete I concluded a quiet night locked in my room was in order.

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