And a big warm welcome from US Immigrations!

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Miami, art deco city, fun nightlife, beach, beautiful people! That's what I'd heard, so I was looking forward to my one night there. Well, thanks Mr. Immigration men for completely taking it away from me for no apparent reason. 2 hours I had to wait in their fr*cking office for what? For a 5 minute chat about some departure form they probably lost the last time I was in the states. Well it might have been interesting for any sociologists among us - an interesting if not quite representative cross section of society, i.e. lots of blacks, hispanics, the odd russian, and a few dodgy backpacker types - but not for me. There was a big pile of passports which people kept on being added to on top, and being processed from from the top. Great, so while some people seemed to get seen to in minutes others like me were left hanging around for hours. And if you so much as mentioned their stupid f'ing system to them, guess where your passport was going...

Okay don't let these little things annoy you. I did discover Miami was a beautiful place the next day and later that night I also discovered that South Beach is a happy gay-friendly place. Barely had I stepped out of my hostel to make a quick call to Rich my friend in Phoenix who I'd be flying to the next day, than I met with a happy moped-driver who was propositioning me to a night ride, then drinks out, then a party at his. He even told me my long hair looked good. Well after that comment I must confess to feeling so flattered that I gave him a couple of extra minutes of chat, before affirming that 'no indeed I wasn't the slightest bit gay, and nor was I likely to change my mind on that in the foreseeable future'.

The following day I had a wander round the town, did a bit of shopping, ate a huge ice cream sundae at Ghiradellis (spelling?), snapped a few piccies of Art Deco just like the guide book told me, wandered back along the beach, chatted with the cute Geordie girl on reception, and then got on the right bus in the wrong direction for the airport. That cost me an extra half hour, but I just made it for my flight to Phoenix. The flight itself finally arrived in Phoenix late at 3am thanks to a puncture(!?) and there waiting for me was a familiar folically challenged head! hahaha!

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