Tuesday 5th July 2005 - Miami

Yep, that's right - Miami. Not originally on the old agenda but ooh, how things change... I suddenly realised that Belize is only, like, a stones throw from the Bahamas (well it is if you're Superman). And DENISE is currently working in the Bahamas... you do the math. So today I have spent five (count 'em) hours at Belize airport trying to change my flights, arguing with the check in staff and generally getting extremely worked up. All worth it though because tomorrow I fly to the Bahamas to spend 9 days on the dive boat with Denise! After which I will go up to Ohio and New York on my own and then fly out to LA for my original road trip round Calfornia for ten days as planned. Best thing is the only real cost has been the flight to Bahamas and back (150 quid) and just 75 quid to change my flights around. Denise, God bless her, has managed to blag me on the boat with bed and board for the princely sum of nought pounds. Result! What I am not factoring in is the extortionate amount I shall spend in the Bahamas drinking many beers and cocktails out of hollowed out coconuts but sod it - this girl has not done any partying for the last two months and she's ready to let her hair down. Will be a bit scary in thew US of A all alone, particularly since I am hiring a car and driving from Cleveland to NY on me tod (providing I CAN hire a car; my license went through the wash a few weeks ago and looks like a particularly bad counterfeit...). So, the adventure continues! Feel all giddy and excited, although I have as yet to get out of the air-conditioned luxury of the airport so we'll see how long THAT lasts...

Not really time or energy to update on what I've been up to, 'cept to say that Tikal was simply fantastic, I did a jungle canopy trail (like an ariel slide through the jungle treetops) and got a bug stuck in my bandana half way down and ended up freaking out and coasting along and smashing into the platform backwards and upside down, did a terrifying caving trip where we had to swim through two miles of caves in the pitch black in freezing cold water and (best of all) went snorkelling with manatees and eight foot sharks. All pretty darn cool (christ, in America for two hours and already adoptibng the lingo...). After all that will be nice to kick back on the boat for a week. Although Denise has warned me that in return for the freebie I may have to contribute by doing a bit of work. Like, what-EVER!!!!

Be in touch soon

John xx