Around the World in 180 Days
17-Apr-2001 South Florida/Bahamas
I am in the USA.
There is a saying in Australia…."Everything is bigger in the USA" ... It is used in jest but you know what? It is true. I flew into Miami from Spain, I did not want to leave Spain I loved it... Going to the airport from my hotel in Madrid, I wistfully stared out the window and my eyes welled up with tears... this I thought to be a little strange... even for me... as I had only been in the country for a few weeks. The people are so warm and friendly, the country is so clean and beautiful. Madrid was a fitting end to my time in Spain, as it is the cultural capital and the seat of government.
Having the good fortune to be upgraded to Business Class on my way to the USA, I decided to get a grip on myself and look forward to my next experience... Miami. I arrived in Miami having no hotel booked, no idea how to get around, how much it would cost, no USA money on me, and could not find a place to get it. Immigration was interesting in itself... herded from place to place with all the luggage in tow... I emerged from customs into a deluge of Porters... wanting to help me with my luggage. I knew I'd have to tip the helper but had no US money. I was so embarrassed. In my country we do not give tips, the wages are high enough to not warrant it... well we do tip if the service in a restaurant is excellent, but usually only in a restaurant, it is not expected elsewhere.
I searched for an information booth... oops!!! Closed, slight panic. All the airports I had been in had information booths to arrange a hotel. I spied a hotel board, started to look at it... had been warned to choose the area I stayed in carefully, I had no idea. Just when I began to have a pang of panic, along came a young man offering a package price in a Comfort Inn. I made sure it was in a safe area and accepted the offer as it had a free shuttle to the hotel, having no American money for a cab this was for me. Standing on the curb waiting for the Shuttle bus, another bus sided up and this guy jumped out and tried to get me to go to his hotel. I was a little overwhelmed with this blatant show of competition "I give you cheaper price" over and over and over again... he tried for 7 or 8 mins. I just said NO... I have given my word to this package!!!! NO!!!! I "stuck to my guns" and stood firm until he went away. OK!!! I was getting the feel for Miami.I had come from Europe where a light sweater was needed but Miami was HOT!!!! HUMID!!!! I looked forward to the hotel and a shower.
This hotel had it's own Automatic Teller, I thought "Only in America would one find such convenience." I immediately cashed up and felt better that I at last had money to tip... how funny that this was my first thought as I took the money from the machine.
I was tired and thirsty, found the drink machine and took out a bottled water. My room had two double beds, it was huge compared to my single room in Madrid, which reminded me of a cell with a bathroom... this was luxury. I awoke the next day with jet lag so bad that I thought my time had come. I had a migraine and I felt like a truck had hit me. I took a couple of painkillers and went back to sleep. I awoke feeling sick, headache still there, I was dehydrated, hungry and lonely... a little scared, as nobody knew where I was. I decided to call a friend and let them know my details, gave them my phone number so they could check in on me later in the day. This comforted me to know that I was not so alone in this HUGE country. I had to get up and get moisture and food... so I dragged my body to the restaurant in the hotel, had a yoghurt, a muffin and a coffee... the caffeine kicked in and I was human again.
Walking past the hotel hairdresser I decided to pamper myself before I started to cry... emotions were surfacing, taking advantage of my weakened state :o). The Jamaican hairdresser, Angelia, could take me right then. I was in that chair before she could blink. We began to chat, as all hairdressers do, I told her about my journey and the subject matter... she smiled and said, "I am an adoptive mother" would you like to hear my story…."Of course I said". When she had finished I had tears in my eyes, and asked her if she would tell her story to my camera, so that I may share it with others... she agreed. This stranger offered to take me to the stores to get summer clothing, and other items I needed, she was concerned that I might stumble into the wrong area. I accepted her offer of friendship, we spent hours together doing girl things, lunch, shopping, laughter and chat, she shared with me that she had not done this in years. I count her as one of the miracles that have graced me on this trip, her trust and friendship touched me deeply.
It took me a week to recover from my jet lag. I moved onto Pompano Beach, met a couple of friends and took a cruise to Nassau in the Bahamas, what an experience, I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real. The beach and sunshine was my gift to me for the next week.
My friend Di, who lives in Pompano Beach, is an adoptee I met on Yahoo!, she is just delightful, I have so enjoyed her friendship and company, we have the same interest, including Internet chat :o). I will be sad to leave her; I feel in a short time I have made a friend for life, I do hope I will see her again before I leave the USA.
I did not like Miami at all, however just a little North, in Pompano and Fort Lauderdale I had a wonderful visit. It is full of holiday makers and this gives such a happy and uplifting energy to the area. Palm Beach has such incredible displays of wealth it is hard to believe. There are no small runaround boats, they are all yachts, each one I see seems bigger than the last. I am right at home with the weather as the sunshine and the humidity is what I am used to in Australia. I made the observation, if I did not know I was in the USA I could have been walking along the beach of the Gold Coast of Australia... it is almost identical... long beaches of soft white sand and sun every day... "Good one day, perfect the next" is a comment made by the Gold Coast people... this is true of this area also.
I am happy to be in the USA... to have talked to my friend MARY, from Chipley, who declared to her husband "Wendy talks funny!!!!" I guess I do... hehehe, actually it has been very hard to convert my language to "American." Even thought we all speak English, there are words I use that are just not in the American Language, my pronunciation is way off for the Americans. I am learning though, fast, as I need to make myself understood in order to EAT!!!! I do love the courtesy the Americans show to each other, and their expressions.
Meeting, in person, the people I have cherished on the internet is an especially wonderful part of this journey, they are changing me, teaching me as they offer their love, hospitality, friendship and their stories to me, how blessed I am.
My love and hugs to you all,
Wendy
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