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We woke up early and started the long drive down the I-95 to Miami. Got caught in the most immense storm on the drive down, it was as if we were driving through a bad cloud - one minute it was there the next it was gone. Couldn't even see the end of the bonnet the rain was that bad, only lasted a hair-raising three minutes at most but scared the living daylights out of us! My life flashed before my eyes.
We stopped at a restroom which was an odd mix of modern 'hands free' toilet facilities and a historic 'missing children' board to bring you back down to reality. It's crazy how many people still go missing in this day and age, this promptly got us back in the car and on the road.
We hit Miami at just gone lunchtime, driving down from North Miami beach to South Beach and parked on 4th Street. The city is amazing, sky scrapers surrounded by Yachts docked in crystal clear blue waters - everything here is impeccably clean. We had a pootle around the beach on foot, but you can't hang around long as the white sand will burn your feet if the sun doesn't melt the skin first! We walked along the beach front admiring the clear blue sea and the beautiful people bronzing their already brown skin on the beach. The odd Brit stands out with their pasty white legs and odd fashion sense! Everyone dresses perfectly here, not a bead of sweat or flyaway hair-do in sight. Surprising, as the air is hot all the time! It's been about 32c at its coolest today.
We grabbed a pizza in one of the many trendy bars on Collins Ave, where the waitresses wear hotpots for uniforms! Before heading off for a mooch at the art deco architecture around 1-10th street. It's a bit like being transported into a futuristic film set of how the 1980's should be, a hybrid of the pretty woman shopping scene, baywatch sea front scene and Miami vice. The buildings are bold, colourful, sharp edges and each one contrasts it's neighbour. The people are always smiling and music is always playing, it's beautiful.
After the heat exhausted us of any remaining energy, we hit the road in search of our bed for the night - The Everglades International Hostel. Recommended by the lonely planet guide book, it lives up to its name. The rooms are simple but clean and nicely decorated, but the garden blew us away. It has a very hippy feel, a freshwater pool with a waterfall to swim and play in, a tree swing, treehouse style hammocks (that you can sleep in if you're feeling brave!), a low level hammock, gazebo for chilling, and all the usual hostel facilities. This place puts even the most manic of minds at rest and soothes the soul. We hit Walgreens for some bug spray (there's a shed load of mosquitos here!) and grabbed a much needed salad sub for tea then hit the haystack for the night.
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