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Published: October 18th 2006
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After a good nights sleep at the Lemon Tree Inn, I checked out and headed of for Florida City and a night at the Everglades Hostel.
The road was a lot more interesting this time as it went straight through the Everglades National Park.
The first rest stop (cludgie) I stopped at was an interesting affair. After parking the Jeep and getting out I couldn't help but notice a pack of vultures started to circle overhead. I used the facilities, in a number 1 capacity thank God, but was surprised that it was purely a hole in the ground. Yes there was a seat, but it bottomed straight into the ground. Granted you were inside, bit the cludgie had no flush handle, no rinsing purifying water. It was a case of in you go, do your business and leave. Bloody hell did it smell!
Walking back along the creek to the Jeep, I spotted my first wild alligators. I must admit I cacked it at first, before convincing myself they were quite happy just basking in the sunlight and winking at any passers by.
I drove through the remainder of the Everglades, dodging dead Alligators and huge
birds laying dead on the roadside.
Coming near the end of the park I saw my first Indian Reservation. From what I saw of it was a high tec casino designed to take back some Dollars from the white man. Good on em injuns.
A few miles later I pulled in for a subway sandwich where I had my first real conversation in days. The young black lady who was filling my sub must have spotted the Scottish twang when I asked for "rrroast beef and chesse purlease" and asked me where I was from. I replied that I was from Scotland and on a months or so vacation. She informed me she was from Sweden.
I, struggling to hide my surprise that it was possible that a national of a country which I had always considered to be populated by Blonde and Beautiful porn stars could be of African origin, asked how she'd managed to get to Florida. Some friendly chattering from her told the tale of a mother moving overseas with only her daughter.
Leaving the shop I reminded myself not to be so narrow minded and not to make pre-conceived assumptions and judgements
about people. That after all is one of the reasons I am on this trip. I want to broaden my thinking.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< I wrote the above whilst fairly well canned, but looking over it sober I believe it to be true, if all be it, slightly a touch too sickly sweet American Sit-Com.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> After a few more miles, I pulled up outside the Everglades hostel. I'd checked the place out online and all seemed good. Their virtual prescence could be in no dispute. However their physical prescence could.
It wasn't for me. The place was in the middle of what appeared to be a run down industrial estate. Think of reading all these glowing reviews about a hostel-land of Eden and then rolling up in the equivalent of Dunsinane Industrial Estate.
I got out the map and decided that Key West was the new place for me - but boy did that assumption turn out wrong.
I started the the 140 mile journey down from Florida City to the Keys feeling bad.
I'd built myself up thinking the Everglades Hostel would be my first night of making new friends and experiencing real
hostel life. I'd turned tail at the first first hurdle and I felt defeated. I couldn't help but think all i would gain from this trip would be a large Mastercard balance and a peely tan.
I phoned Dad who cheered me up, don't ask me why, but he usually does.
I continued on down the Keys, reminding myself all the time how lucky I was.
The road through the Florida Keys is one of the most beautiful roads on the planet. You have over 100 miles of bright sunshine, beautiful blue calm seas, mankind's best engineering and a knowing that if you miss anything you have the chance to soak it all in again coming back. Officially titled US-1, you follow the mile markers starting at 140 counting down to mile maker 0 in Key West.
Once in Key West I checked into the Atlantic Shores Resort, the most expensive place yet at $99 plus tax. Unfortunately it was also the worst. The room stank. Physically smelt really bad. Overpowering Odour. There was only one obvious solution. Get so drunk my nose stopped working.
So armed with a few tinnies I walked up the
main Street - Duval - towards Mallory Square to watch the sunset. Key West bills itself as the home of the sunset and every evening at about 7pm they do all they can to take cash off you while you watch the sun go down. I parked myself on a bench and prepared to be moved - emotionally not physically.
The sunset didn't happen. Well it did obviously, but the cloud cover was so dense you couldn't see a thing. The lack of sunset didn't dampen the piper's spirirts, yep 2 scotsmen in full highland dress squeezing their bags for all they were worth. They took a good few dollars and posed for photo's with more dis-believeing tourists.
So I stumbled bak to the Atlantic Shores and mercifully feel asleep straight away
drove throught everglades, saw alligators and lots of straight roads.
Went to evrglades hostel, decided against ir.
drove to ket west, checked into atlantic shore, drunk, went for waplk, sunset with pipers, slept badly
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