(on a Greyhound going N from Ft Meyers to St Petersburg) Still on a Hound and hopefully this entry will not be as long as the last one. The bus trip from the Keys left Key West at 8.'15am and it’s a 4 hr trip back to Miami. The cash price for this (web is cheaper) is $49 so I think I ill get my money out of the $439 30 day pass. We had some slowish traffic delays on the way back due to single lane highway and Rotary event/fair somewhere along the way and traffic really banked up. The Keys is a pretty scenic drive, mostly when you are crossing the bridges between them on the Overseas Highway – some of these are distinctly not just causeways and are in fact very long over ... read more

Miami 24 Feb. + One of the main things I hate about Miami is that, although the bus can get you around generally, it nevertheless can be a long way to go anywhere, especially if you are in a cab paying for it! The Greyhound is in a godforsaken place off a very busy thru-road virtually at the end of the airport runway in an industrial area really. Nowhere near anything! I had planned a route to get close enough on the Airport Express bus form Miami Beach a few streets N of my hotel – and got there, it was on the opposite side of the road, and then decided to take off – I think it was on time and I was 5 min. out on my timings. As I had a $5 daily ... read more

The next day we were at La Croix – pron. La Croy to Americans who do after all call main courses entrees!. Arriving in to the wharf at Frederiksted at the West end of the long/thin island. It was formerly a Danish territory and they sold it to the US for $50M. in gold in about 1918 I think. I did a 4 hr tour there for $70 which was definitely not worth it. We drove for about 25 mins and hauled up at some well known golf course designer course – for 20 mins?? A gift shop? (I think it was actually a “pro shop” so no use to ‘normal’ people). And we hardly needed a toilet stop quite yet! Asked for comments at the end I piped up that they should reduce the time ... read more

Miami-Cayamo 13 Feb. + posted 21 Feb.in Deco District, Sth Miami at packed Hostel to get it off my hard drive - no time for pic edits at this time so later... Obviously there has been no blog due to outrageous cost of Net on the ship (70cents per min.) – via satellite and not v fast it seems I had neither the time or inclination to do anything. I was here for the music not compulsive blogging after all! Rewind to Miami – left Orlando at 9.30am on 12 Feb. Greyhound – and after a TSA type security full open bag check (on the ‘Hound??) – with confiscation of open Southern Comfort – also joked about their potential worry about Cuban terrorists – and the guy pointed out he was Cuban – foot in mouth ... read more

Orlando 11 Feb. a hard overnight trip arriving at 12.30pm after not much sleep. A 12-15 min. walk to Best Western motelly type thing around the block. Noted the Fish and Loaves place so back for my fried okra and fish later (see below). Other than that West Colonial Drive, on which Best Western stood, is just a big main thru road with some pawn shops, car sales and some down market shops - although the Family Dollar store did net me 7 wire coathangers to dry clothes on (forgot em) for $1.25 - even made in USA??? Should have had a sleep but CNN told me Mubarak had stepped down and Obama press conference live at 3pm Eastern - (I have moved out of Central Standard into Eastern time zone) so watched that. Then out ... read more