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Published: July 26th 2016
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Miami, Florida
Down town Miami Miami, on our returned visit to Miami we had hot and humid and days, light stretching to later hours. We enjoyed wandering around the downtown area and along the marinas and canals. Although not a lot of people speak English, a lot of Hispanic live there. High rise buildings with luxury apartments with price range in the millions. We liked south beach the best with its art Nouveau buildings painted in pastels which blend in with the promenade and the beach, make it a great place to chill and people watch.
In the evening it comes alive with trendy clubs, restaurants and cafes. A modern city and very much spread out with all the amenities for young and old and the disabled, every thing so easy, the transport infrastructure is very well planned. We used buses to get around and enjoyed the company of the aged passengers, particular one an aged Jewish man. Dressed in his traditional black hat with ringlets in his hair, he wore a while shirt and black pants. He was trying to strike up a conversation with a Mexican guy who wasn't having a bar of him, I was willing him to chat to me, which
Miami, Florida
Parking the Dingy he did..and his name was Tzvi meaning deer. He was so lovely and we chatted for 45 minutes about everything, but in particularly Australia and the Hollywood classic movies and movie-stars. We had a common interest in the old movies, he asked me names of movie stars that he couldn't remember, and was delighted when I knew the names. We could have chatted for hours, Glen smiled when we got off the bus and said that their was no way that you were not going to talk to that man. Im sad I didn't ask for his photo a chance per meeting, such a lovely man. I enjoyed window shopping in the shopping malls nothing like AC window shopping. And finally Glen's replacement licence arrived and we could rent a car.It's very liberating to have a car and to be able to go exactly were we want to go and also strange to be in a space in which to nest. But with that goes less time to meet interesting people.
Traveling down to the Keys we spent and few days exploring Key Largo down to Key West it is summer holidays here in America so it's mad with all
Keys,Miami
Florida Keys the vacationers. People everywhere queuing outside restaurants and bars attractions. Small townships with beautiful timber homes certainly a very attractive place but in summer a very busy place. We needed to find quiet and peaceful. After a few days we traveled to the Everglades and purchased a National Park annual pass which allows us to get into any National Park throughout the USA we thought it would be a great investment for our travels. The Everglades National park was great, we saw Alligators and beautiful birds although the mosquitos were rife. We traveled up the coast to Naples a lovely city on the coast. Touristy with harbour and marina beautiful beach homes and clearly a place to retire and also where the richer people lived. Naples also has a historic Pier which has just been refurbished, it's ideal for fishing and promenading down. Our road trip had been going swimmingly until we were pulled up on the free way. We don't usually get on the freeways but as we were staying in Tallahassee for the evening we decided to use it. We sat on the speed limit and locked in the cruise control. Cars were passing us and I even
Key West
Typical timber homes remarked on the same car as ours doing a crazy speed. And then it happened, a police car started to tale us putting it's siren on with flashing lights, we looked at each other and made a remark like maybe we were going to slow or maybe they are just checking licences. We sat in the car and watched the police men approach us with their hands on their guns and stand in a firing stance we were rocked. One officer approached my window and asked for our licence and documents for car. The other cop was at the rear of the car. No kidding I don't think I have been so frightened, I asked the police what the problem was, were we going too slow. He replied "exceeding the speed limit", Glen said Bull S..t which probably not the best thing to say at the time, we were then TOLD I am a trained officer you want to argue with the fact I saw you speeding, "fine" we will go to court and its your word against mine, I will win FACT......end of story. I said well can we at least see the radar......no radar. We had no front
number plates which you're not required to have in most states of America, so what the !! How can you know it was us. We just do. Well can we see the photo of us speeding ......no photo. We tried to explain that we where in the slow lane with our cruise control on the speed limit. No! he said we were speeding. He then went back too his patrol car to check our papers and returned with a ticket, again with his hand on his gun. Handed us a ticket exceeding the speed limit by 45 klm a hour, ?? for $300 US that's $450..Australian dollars. He said that he was going to let us off with a warning but we were argumentative. I said no we aren't argumentative we were not speeding, as simple as that, I told the officer we are tourists we had no reason to speed. So after he left us, we then went to the county court and paid the fine (Glens fine)......for not speeding. Now I give you my opinion not on the fact we were not speeding, but on the intimidation of American police men and guns I have never been so
scared, the thought he may have shot me. It's everyday life here in America, I feel sorry for the fact that this is the way of life for the American people, and I get it that there are some very bad people here. But get rid of the guns people. People say it can't be done, but even if it took 10 years, yes, it can be done. And policemen please try and talk to people like human beings, I'm sure your all lovely people but not everyone is a criminal. So a story for the kids and grandkids when Grandad and Grandma got picked up for NOT speeding. We stayed the night in Tallahassee and the next day drove the coastal road through two states Alabama and Mississippi onward to Louisiana.
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