Georgia and "half" of Florida

---

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is Nov 19th and Glenys, Chad and I arrived in Savannah in the early afternoon. Chad slept in the car while Glenys and I went out and had a drink at a pub down by the water. The hostel we wanted to book into did not open until 5pm and we still had another hour to kill. Glenys and I decided to drive up to a few hotels and see what rate we could get. We eventually got a good rate at a motel that was about a 5 minute drive from downtown so we decided to take it. We settled in and did a little grocery shopping … can you guess what Chad was doing? You got it … sleeping still. It was the norm for Chad to stay up all night and sleep all day.

The next day, Glenys and I headed downtown to walk around town. We decided to follow the trail that the tour bus would normally take. What a breathtaking town. I loved this place mostly because there were so many “green” spots. There was a square (park) every few blocks. Of course, Glenys and I stopped at a pub (the famous Pirate House from Treasure Island) to have a drink while Chad was … you guessed it …. sleeping.

Now it was time to head for Florida … our next stop was St. Augustine. On the way, we listened to the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” on CD which was a true story based in Savannah. It made the 3 hour drive go by quickly. It was also great to be able to visualize the scenes as we were just walking those same streets. I am now a fan of the “books on CD” for my road trip so I have acquired a few more at used book stores.

The hostel in St. Augustine was free for the Friday night, but fully booked for the Saturday as it was a special weekend for the “lighting of the Christmas lights” so we stayed at the hostel Friday and then a motel the next day. After exploring St. Augustine a couple days, it was time to take Glenys and Chad to Jacksonville for their plane to Phoenix. We enjoyed lunch in Jacksonville down by the water at Hooters where the birds hung around waiting for the leftovers. They actually got on the tables and ate off the plates. After we said our fond farewells, it was time for me to head back to St Augustine to hang for another 5 days.

The hostel was practically empty except for me and my new roommate/ friend Pat from England. Because I was the first to check in, I actually got to sleep in a double bed in the dorm instead of a bunk bed. It was luxury. Isn’t it funny how just a simple thing like a double bed is luxury. Back home, I hated to sleep on anything less than a queen size bed. It is just a case of appreciating the little things once you do without them.

The next few days actually went by quickly. I didn’t do too much around town. Some things I did were:
• Climbed the lighthouse
• Went to the outdoor markets
• Wandered the streets and browsed the shops
• Tour of the local winery (I didn’t actually particularly love any of their wine and I don’t have high standards  as Darren knows!)
• Went to a couple pubs to enjoy live music.

I actually took the time to start reading and researching my volunteer stuff. I finished my “World Volunteers” book with notes on which organizations to explore further. I have also started looking into the possibility of taking a course on Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Quite a few people have recommended teaching English as a good first step into my volunteering. I can do it in a developing country and once I am there, I will have a better first hand knowledge of the needs of the country and whether it is a culture I can adapt to.

After St. Augustine, it was on to Orlando. This was really just meant to be a quick stop in between St. Augustine and Miami. I enjoyed the hostel in Kissimmee where I was staying. I arrived on Thanksgiving and they were hosting a turkey dinner for all the guests. That was a very nice night to get to know some of the other guests. Quite a few people actually live at this hostel and work nearby which is different than most hostels. Most have a maximum stay of about 3 weeks and you usually have to be travelling from out of state or country.

As most know, I am not really much of a shopper. I would rather be out walking enjoying nature than shopping, but there is no way I was going to miss my first “Black Friday”. Funny thing is, I never even heard about Black Friday until a couple days ago. It is the day after Thanksgiving and it is the single biggest shopping day of the year in the US. Bigger even than Boxing Day. Most shops were opening around 4 or 5 am. On the Thursday, I decided to go by Best Buy as I was thinking of getting a new camera and thought I would check them out first. The store was closed, but there was a line up at the door at least 30 people long in tents.

The group of guys at the front of the line actually had a “box home” that they made with a chimney and everything. I stopped and talked to them and they told me they had been there over 24 hours already and still have another 15 to go. A couple of the guys were off having their “turkey dinner” while these guys kept the spot in line. They said that they wait in line to get the coupons for the sales. They tell the store representatives that they want “everything” and then what they do is sell the coupon to someone else who didn’t have to stand in line. For example, there was a coupon for $300 off of a TV. They already had someone lined up that will buy the coupon for $100 off them. They both win. The person buying the coupon doesn’t have to stand in line and still gets $200 off the price of the TV.

So, I set my alarm for 3:30am and since I went to bed around 11, I was quite tired and questioned my sanity for doing this. I kept telling myself this is one of those “once in a lifetime” things that I can’t do any other time of the year, so if I don’t do it now, I will miss it for at least a year, maybe ever. So I dragged my butt out of bed, got dressed and headed for the malls. I went by the Best Buy around 4:30 (it was to open at 5am) and the line-up now was at least 300 people … it was crazy! I decided to head over to Kohls which opened at 4am and take a look around.

Kohl’s was packed. It was surreal to see this many people in a store so early in the morning. I grabbed a cart and started to look around. The sales actually were incredible. Everything was at least 50- 70% off and for every 50 dollars you spend you get $10 store credit to use later (which is really another 20%). I found some nice clothes for great bargains. After I spent a good 3 hours shopping, trying things on, I was very happy with my bargain finds. I just had one more thing to get. I was looking for some Christmas tree decorations. While I was looking at them, I put my cart off to the side out of the way. After about 5 mins, I found what I was looking for and when I got back to my cart … it was GONE! If you can believe it, someone stole my cart. There wasn’t anything in there that anyone would want like a toy out of stock now or something. They just wanted the cart as the store was out of them.

I was so upset. My 3 hours just went down the drain. And it wasn’t like I could find these things again as most were clearance things. I talked to people who worked in the store and they were not surprised at all. They basically said on this day, almost anything goes. Some went looking where someone would dump the items but we couldn’t find them. Eventually they would dump them or leave them at cash.

I decided t just get the Christmas tree decorations and leave. I went and bought new running shoes that I needed and looked in a few other stores. It was now a couple hours later so I decided to go back in Kohls to see if the stuff had been put back. A few of them had, so I grabbed them and then had to go wait in line again. It took half an hour just to go through the checkout line. There is my Black Friday experience. Would I do it again? Sure would! (bet you didn’t expect that reply)
After Black Friday, it was time to make the final decision if I was going to go to Disney World. I had decided before going that I wouldn’t and I would save it for a trip when I was with someone else, but so many people recommended Epcot Center so I decided I should go. So off I went and it didn’t disappoint. I spent the whole day there from opening to fireworks and I still felt a little rushed that I didn’t get to everything. I won’t go into details as I hate to spoil it for anyone who is going but my favourite was the “Sorin’ ” ride where it simulated you being on a hand glider. Boy, was I ever excited. That is something I will have to do for real someday.

My last day in Orlando, I dropped Lucianna off at Sea World and Luanna and I went to the Outlet mall. I still need a pair of dress shoes for the cruise so I bought some there. I refused to shop anymore as I would be tempted to buy more things. The rest of the day was just relaxing before I head further south.

It is now December 1st and I am leaving Orlando. I decide I can’t leave without spending the day at the Kennedy Space Center. I absolutely loved it there. I met a real life astronaut, rode in a ride that was a simulation of a shuttle take off and another that simulated “G-forces”. I also took a tour out to Cape Canaveral where all the old launch sites were. I really gained a new understanding and appreciation for the Space program and a deep respect for the people who participate. I left hungry to know more (so I bought a couple books to read)

The drive was 3.5 hours to South Beach - Miami after a day at Kennedy Space Center so needless to say I was pretty tired. I started to listen to another book(Faces of Fear). This one is 8 CDs long and I got through 3 CDs (8 chapters). It definitely help makes the trip go by faster. Given this was a long drive and all in the dark, it was exactly what I needed. I arrived at my hostel in Miami around 10:00pm with loud music and hordes of people drinking, smoking and partying. What did I get myself into?

It was Tuesday and it was my first full day in Miami and it was COLD. It was only about 18 out there with a cool breeze. Of course, this is nice compared to you suckers back in Canada, but it isn’t the sunny south I was anxiously waiting for. I still went to the beach though. I must have looked funny reading my book on the beach with my shorts and fleece on. While sitting on the beach, Pat (whom I met in St. Augustine) came by and we got caught up. She was leaving to go home the next day.

Wednesday, I decided it was time to get back to my long walks. I walked from 3rd Street (the hostel) to 47th and back. It was a good 3.5 hours. After my walk, I decided it was time to go in for a trim and instead I got the haircut from hell. She had cut it shorter than I wanted and I realized this when she pulled out the razor for the back of my neck. I left the salon with my hair still wet (it was $30 to blow dry) and went back to the hostel. I had a nice 15 min power nap and when I awoke, my hair had dried a little and I noticed that the one side was at least half an inch longer. The next day, I went back to the salon and they fixed it. But of course, it is much shorter now, and still quite uneven. At least I won’t need a trim again for a few months.

This weekend in Miami was a special one. It was a major international art show called Art Basel. I took the time to go around and see all the art. There were some interesting pieces. I especially liked the huge one with three dots that was selling for 1.2 million (did you detect the sarcasm in that statement?) While walking back from one of the shows, I ran into an old co-worker from Toronto (Patrick Tu). It was too cool. He comes down here for this show every year.
It was now Saturday night and my last night at the hostel in Miami. I haven’t been out to experience the club life yet (which is HUGE here) so I figure it is about time. I went into Miami to a club called “Space” which was supposed to be the best club in America. There were about 7 of us from the hostel. As soon as I arrived all the guys split and went out seeking the “young” chicks. I was left alone, standing at the bar. It was a good club and I would have loved to dance, but it wasn’t my thing to stand at the bar and wait to be asked to dance. Especially when our tour guide warned us not to let anyone buy us a drink as it often happens the drinks are drugged. I ended up staying about an hour, then thought “why torture myself, just grab a taxi back.”

That was a smart move on my part. When I got back it was about 1am and one of my roommates (Silvano from Italy) was making himself a sandwich (I was sleeping in a room with all guys by the way). We stayed up and talked for a couple hours and I sent some emails in Italian back home for him. It probably sounds very boring, but he was very sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed out brief time together. It is moments like this that are the best and worst part of travelling; meeting people and making connections and friendships, but in the next moment having to say goodbye. It is an emotional rollercoaster … but it is all worth it!

---

Photos

Photo 1
Me in Orlando Florida a the hostel

Photo 2
Me in Savannah in one of the squares

Photo 3
Glenys and Chad on the streets of St. Augustine.

Photo 4
Chad, Me and Glenys at the hostel in St. Augustine

Photo 5
"Plane art" in the sky in Orlanda

Photo 6
Guys waiting for Black Friday at Best Buy with their cardboard house.

Photo 7
My hostel roomies at the world's largest McDonalds.

Photo 8
Me and astronaut Robert Skinner at Kennedy Space Center

Photo 9
Me touching a piece of moon rock

Photo 10
Art at the Beach in South Beach Miami (Art Basel)

Photo 11
Art at Bayfront park, Miami (Art Basel)

Photo 12
Out for dinner with a couple friends from the hostel ... It was awesome chicken!

Photo 13
The group I went out with in Miami to Club Space (voted America's best club)

Photo 14
One of my hostel roomies after he got pissed drunk and passed out ... they really went crazy with the marker this time.

Photo 15
One of the homes on Star Island Miami where all the rich and famous live.