A dade in Miami 28/05 - 31/05 2010

My final days in PC do not alter that much from the beginning of the week: more reading, eating and chilling out. We do, however, head off to the unspoilt beach of Macao for some surfing on the Saturday. To get there we drive through some small villages with colourful facades but unfortunately there is a lot of litter around but somehow this doesn't ruin the scene too much and there is an abundance of mango and avocado trees.

When we get there, the sea is as flat as a pancake and apparently this is the first time that it has ever been like this! I guess that I am just not meant to have a surfing lessons and whilst the waves do pick up a bit to allow Ig's son to surf, we sit in the clear blue warm water and it's just like being in a bath (but with other people and some surf boards). We all underestimate the strength of the sun and I get very burnt, despite having suncream on.

My flight the next day is at 7am and it's a 5am start to the day and it is already humid at that time of the morning. The airport is packed and full of fellow sun burnt travellers, so it's not just me that's been an idiot. I arrive in Miami, put my bags in storage and get a shuttle to the Art Deco Museum, Ocean Drive to go on the art deco walking tour. It's Memorial Day weekend and the beach is packed with mostly black Americans and big, black Americans at that. There are all sorts of shapes and sizes parading around in next to nothing and I feel very thin! The area surrounding the beach oozes sex and groups of girls wander around and get cat called by the boys cruising around in cars blasting loud music: it's an assault on all senses and the most bizarre place I have ever seen and makes Las Vegas look tame.

Unfortunately, the Art Deco Museum is closed for the afternoon but I walk around and do my own walking tour and save myself $20. The buildings are beautiful and I have to stop myself from taking too many photos and then I manage to get the local bus back to the airport and save myself a further $20. Alrighty. I check in for my flight to Londres and the big bottle of Punta Cana honey that Ig bought me causes great consternation going through security and my bag get checked and the honey is unwrapped and swabbed for illegal substances. The security officer tells me that 'it was over wrapped for honey' but I don't really know what his moronic statement is supposed to mean because it's better to be over wrapped than get honey leaking all over my clothes.

My flight to Londres experiences some turbulence: I definitely think that this has increased in the last 20 years since I have been flying and there were some moments that I was holding on to my seat like I was just about to experience the dentist's drill. A bit terrifying at times, I have to admit.

Londres is cool (13 degrees), grey and a bit miserable but I get home fairly quickly and the worst thing that has happened is that my boiler doesn't work but at least the flat hasn't been burgled and is still there!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my trip and thanks again to everyone who let me stay and showed me around: I hope that I can reciprocate the favour when you all come and visit me when I move to my Tuscan farmhouse!

Watch this space for the next one.....