"The Hunt...!"

Too ridiculously hot to cycle today, so drove Harriet's car down to the Southern Everglades. Once away from the suburbs there are enormous hedgeless field growing fruit and veg - lots of potatoes and pineapple, then avocados and beans. Workers are weeding and picking in the hot sun.
In the National park the road is very quiet, with short spurs off to viewing platforms on lakes, boardwalks through mangroves, or on slight rises above sea level there are Hardwood Hammocks - small stands of trees. We spot a road sign we are not familiar with in Devon!


At the visitor centre Park Rangers provide tarpaulins to cover parked cars in order to protect them from the Black Vultures. Apparently they love to peck at rubber trim, and windscreen wipers... I saw one flock pull a tarpaulin off a vehicle. An alligator near the waters edge enjoys his lunch of Turtle - a foot sticking out of his mouth. It seems reluctant to share lunch with the vultures.


The Park road ends at Flamingo Bay, where Osprey nest on top of poles and tall trees. One dives and pulls out a fish. A large pink bird overhead is a Roseate Spoonbill. Trees are full of roosting Snowy and Great Egrets.
The boat chandler sells us two coffees for three dollars. We sit in the shade and watch a few canoeists and fisher men in shallow motor boats, pottering around at the mangrove edges.

Location:Flamingo Bay

Gators at Shark Valley...

After dropping Harriet off at the airport for her flight to New York, we drive to Shark Valley Nat. Park in the Everglades, to pedal the Bromptons on a traffic-free tarmac track. There are alligators, egrets and herons alongside, then we reach a massive observation tower, with views of lakes, mangroves and woods. Vultures circle, and 3 sorts of heron flap from tree to tree below. A stiff breeze stops the heat from being oppressive. Other cyclists on hire bikes admire our steeds.

Location:The Everglades

Breakfast in America...

Seems like every car in the UK is sharing the A303 with us towards Heathrow, bumper to bumper, for 5 hours(!) Fortunately we are in no hurry. We do get a long look at Stonehenge as we inch past.
I pedal up a 2000ft mountain, (in the Holiday Inn gym) while Mike battles with the wifi system to check us in on line. Next morning our boxed Bromptons weigh a bit more than allowed, but Virgin don't mention it. The flight leaves on time as we enjoy "The Bridge of Spies" & " The Minions" (yeh!) with a glass (or two) of bubbly.


We start our first Miami morning watching circling Vultures and flocks of White Ibis, from Harriet's balcony. Hot from sun up at 6:00. A light (!) breakfast at our favourite cafe, Daily's.