Tag 191: Miami Beach, USA

It is 10:15 am. We are sitting in the waiting room of a bus company, waiting for our bus to Tampa, our second destination in the USA. We have just spent a week in Miami Beach and have experienced a lot. However, it didn't start off so well.

It is July 13, 2017. We have been up since 5:30 am. After some problems with incompetent airport staff in Cartagena, several security checks, and about two hours of flying, we are now sitting in an empty waiting room somewhere in the airport of Miami. In front of us are five counters, two of which are occupied by very grumpy police officers. And these two very grumpy police officers now have our passports in their hands and are deciding whether we are allowed to enter the United States of America or not. It doesn't look good. The concept of 'backpacking' is completely foreign to them. The idea of entering the USA without a plan, without a destination, and without a return ticket is contradictory to them. We feel like criminals being interrogated. After a long discussion, we manage to convince them that we have no reason to work illegally or stay illegally in the USA. They have no choice but to let us in. We made it. Well, almost. There are still several security checks waiting for us. After about four hours, we finally arrive at our hostel. Miami Beach turns out to be a culture shock after almost six months in South America. The clichés from movies and TV shows come true in the first few days. The houses are big, the streets are wide, the cars are expensive, and everyone wants to be famous in some way. Everything is relatively clean and structured. The streets and houses resemble movie sets from the 70s. On the first evening, we are convinced by a good offer to visit an exclusive club with the other hostel guests. It is a unique and crazy experience, but we have a lot of fun. The rest of the week we spend rather quietly. Lying on the beach, swimming in the clear and warm sea, taking walks through the hot streets, and browsing in the shops where we can't afford anything. We have a good time. But in the back of our minds, there is a constant oppressive feeling. The USA is expensive, public transportation is poorly connected, and traveling is almost impossible. We are overwhelmed and have no idea how we will financially get through here.

Our bus is here. Next destination: Tampa. We have booked a cheap AirBnB room in Port Richey for a week to take a little break, organize our trip through the USA, and simply do nothing.