Miami

We can't say that we were too sad to leave Iowa, and justifiably so given that the temperature on the way to the airport was -13 Celsius and predicted to be lower. We landed in Tampa, Florida, to balmy temperatures and stayed a night in a hostel that defied all building codes before catching an Amtrak train down to Miami the following day.

Miami is a city of beautiful buildings, beautiful people and beautiful cars and hence we were completely out of our league given our wardrobe/backpack of wash-and-wear, 100% unnatural fibres. What to do? Go on a cruise to the Bahamas, that's what.

Art deco in Miami

Now, we're not very cruise-ship type people but after thorough investigation it appeared that it was cheaper to live on a cruise ship for four nights that it was to live on the mainland USA so we got ourselves a cheap internet deal and soon found ourselves buying a helmet full of beer on the Norwegian Sky as it set sail from the port of Miami destined for the Bahamas. It took us a night to find our sea legs, but the following day we were partaking in the buffet with the best of them. After introductions all round, it seemed that the cruise ship clientele was mostly from Florida. So much so, in fact, that it seemed impossible that there was anyone left in Florida. We spent a day in port at Freeport and Nassau and on the island of Great Stirrup Cay. In spite of the weather being warmer than Iowa, it still wasn't warm enough for Bec's Iowan bikini to get a work out. Glenn went swimming as a matter of principle.

Our cruise ship

Great Stirrup Cay Airstrip

After four days of eating a drinking ourselves silly with half of Florida, we docked again in Miami and took ourselves off on a tour of the Florida Everglades. We took a run-of-the-mill airboat tour, complete with toilet paper ear plugs to reduce the ungodly racket, around the national park and watched a rather peculiar display of crocodilemanship.

Airboats in the Everglades

After a blissfully warm week in Florida, London called................