Miami, Florida Keys and the Everglades

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The first thing to hit you after stepping off the plane is the intense humidity and the extreme heat, coming from Boston the contrast was severe.

From the plane we headed to the rental centre and as I drove last time this was Bens turn. Like last time we selected the cheapest range of cars; compact/economy. Now whether they simply had no cars available from that range or whether this was Miami’s version of a compact/economical car, I’m not sure. What we ended up with was a 3.7litre Jeep Liberty.

With Ben driving (if that’s what you call scrapping alongside a stationary skip) and myself as navigator we headed to Miami Beach. Opting for cheap, we ended up in one of the most uncomfortable hostels I have ever had the displeasure of staying in. The beds did not come with sheets and the rooms were so hot they came with a complimentary drip to keep you hydrated through the night.

The next morning we headed down to the Beach itself to catch some rays. Clearly the pre-holiday tanning sessions had been an utter waste of time as I looked as white as a sheet. I’m pretty sure I saw other sun goers don their sun shades to prevent the sun glare reflecting off my chest. And of course, as is somewhat of a tradition for me, and despite applying factor 50 by the bucket load, I was still able to burn myself.

In the afternoon we headed out to the Florida Keys. Expecting glorious coastline and attractive beach town resorts we felt rather disappointed. Failing to find anywhere cheap to stay, (even campsites were $30+) we opted for a night in the car at the side of the highway. This was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life. In fear of letting into the car the swarm of mosquitoes that were gathering outside, we kept the window shut. However, this only exasperated the temperature situation inside the vehicle. The Florida heat was unbearable and being in the car created a greenhouse affect, I spent the night in buckets of sweat. When we finally made the decision to open the window, the temperature still did not drop sufficiently enough to sleep until about 3am.

Awoken by the sun and the ever-increasing heat at about 8am, we started to explore Key West. Again, disappointed with what we found; unmaintained, ugly buildings and short ordinary beaches we decided to start our 120 mile journey back to main land Florida. The one highlight of the keys was the interconnecting bridges that linked the islands together the largest of which was 7miles in length and a real feat of engineering.

Our next destination was the everglades. We spent the afternoon exploring some of the short walks that took you through a variety of different eco-systems. We saw alligators, leatherback turtles, lizards and other birds and insects that inhabited the park.
For the night we decided to camp in the park. The only ones there, we soon realised why. The heat was unbearable and there was no wind to bring in fresh air. Mosquitoes surrounded the tent and when both Ben and I started to itch uncontrollably, we decided to move to the car. Another uncomfortable night followed, similar to the night previous.

In the morning we went on a few more short walks then headed north out of the park where we were able to take a tour on an airboat. Gliding over the long grass and passing alligators was a fun experience. At the end of the tour we both held a baby alligator and had a picture taken.

Opting to end out tour of the everglades a day early and head back to Miami for a fun Friday night. We ended up back in the same cheap grotty hostel. We walked the Miami Beach boulevard and decided to start our night in a fun looking Caribbean style bar. After two small drinks we had already made a significant dent in our wallets and decided to call it a day. After a slightly cooler night I looked forward to leaving Miami and taking the short flight to the cooler, less humid Dallas.

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Photos

Sunset at the Everglades
Bens camera is much better at capturing sunset shots.

The Jeep
The 3.7litre Jeep that Ben drove around Miami.

Ben on the Beach
We took a picture of me but the sun glare off my white chest caused the image to be overexposed.

Crusin' the Keys
We went off road and into 4 wheel drive to take this shot.

7-mile Bridge
Highlight of the Keys, the incredible 7 mile bridge links two of the islands together.

Alligator
In the Everglades no fences seperate Alligators and Humans. The week we visited the Everglades there were unusually three alligator attacks on humans.

Alligator eating
We watched this Alligator catch and eat a fish.

Roadside Turtle
We spotted this Leatherback Turtle at the side of the road.

Lizard spotting
We both tried to capture close up shots of these lizards that were found throughout the park.

Insect spotting
The park was filled with wildlife.

Approaching an Alligator
Me slowly trying to approach an Alligator.

Airboat over the Everglades
The airboat tour we took accross the Everglades.

Big Ben
Little Ben stands next to Big Ben.

Holding a gator.
I had an opportunity to hold a baby alligator.

Comments

[hellen wall]

just do not do it
just iet them live in peacef do not your going to get bet ok it commen sens