G’day all. Well, it’s time to resume my detailed recounting of my round the world trip from what is now LAST YEAR! When last I left my tales last year I was in Nicaragua, this was actually the very last day of April 2025 when I visited the Laguna de Apoyo (read about it HERE). Well, the first of May arrived, and it was time to leave Central America and head up to the USA, my first visit in 21 years.

Now, you might wonder if I was concerned about travelling to the USA, and if I was, were my concerns justified? Concerns around the general political climate and concerns stemming from stories of people being denied entry for a variety of reasons, often around things on social media, anti-this or anti-that, or anti-you-know-who, I remember a story of someone who came to the States last year or possibly late 2024 who was denied entry because they felt the route he took to get there was ‘odd’.

So yes, I did have some concerns. I generally keep politics well away from my writing (but I confess not completely) and social media posts. Because you will always offend or trigger someone I guess. And the truth about some of the denied entries that had made the news in Australia in the six months before I left, well to be honest how do we know we get the full, true story? Yes, I had a little bit of angst, but I had got my ESTA – the new entry system permit – a few months before leaving and didn’t think there was much to worry about.

I took Avianca for the fourth and final time on the trip from Managua to Miami. We were staying in Granada but the hotel provided a service to Managua (the Nicaraguan capital) Airport which worked out really well as it meant we didn’t have to stay a night in Managua just so we could catch our flights. I was travelling with my mate Graham who was flying home the same day as I flew to Miami.

My reason for including Florida in my trip? Well, I was looking for bucket list items to cross off and I have always wanted to visit the original Disney World, in Orlando. So I was close by, so I thought I would take this opportunity.

At the airport they took a brief look at my ESTA and that was all. I was expecting a lot more. The airport was small and it was early, not a lot was open, but I wasn’t spending that long there and of course airports can be a good chance to get the diary up to date and even do some editing.

The flight was beautiful. Flying over the Gulf of Mexico and parts of southern Florida, possibly the Florida Keys with this amazing turquoise and other shades of blue water was simply brilliant, and beautiful. It wasn’t a long flight, under three hours, but the most beautiful of the trip thus far.

And before I knew it, I was at Miami International Airport. Being cautious I refrained from filming once off the plane. Probably didn’t need to to be honest. The immigration hall was massive and I was suddenly in the longest immigration line of my life. The line did not move fast and there were hundreds and hundreds in there. There could have been north of a thousand. The more I think about it, several flights arriving at once, all with 150 to 300 people on them, there could have been well north of a thousand there.

It took around two hours to get to the front of the line. I had all my documents ready to go. Not just the ESTA but proof of onward travel, proof of travel out of the states, hotel bookings. ‘Hello sir, how long will you be staying in the United States?’ ‘5 days’, ‘What will you be doing?’ ‘Tourist things, I’m going to Disneyworld’, ‘How much money do you have’, ‘I have XXX’, ‘Thankyou enjoy your stay’. Stamped and out. It took less than a minute I guess.

Grabbed my bag and then I had a long walk to get to the bus terminal. I was staying two nights in Miami Beach, thought I should check it out whilst there. The airport is pretty big, not going to lie, but in the States there are a few bigger at least. There is a bus to Miami Beach, and from there you can change onto the trolley buses and other buses that go up and down what is basically an island.

The bus ride was long. The bus drivers generally friendly and helpful and knew where I needed to alight and helped me with that. It passed over a number of bridges, along freeways and through downtown Miami before taking a superlong bridge to get to Miami Beach. Then a swap of vehicles, whereas I had been comfortable on the first bus, the next was crowded but it got me to where I needed to go in the northern part of Miami Beach.

The Collins Hotel was my accommodation. Over $200AUD a night for a somewhat simple room, worn but the place felt like there was some history there which kinda compensated. Miami Beach was NOT cheap, and this was one of the cheapest hotels that I could find that wasn’t a hostel and was somewhere vaguely around where I wanted to stay. Some cool corridors and lifts. No restaurant but a few options in a couple of vending machines near the lobby and a microwave.

I had made it to Miami, I’d seen it really was shiny and quite beautiful out there, beaches looked very nice, it’s an impressive place. So next time, I’ll be detailing Miami Beach for you, after first presenting a photographic post on the locale.

Thanks, as always, for following, reading, and supporting my blog! Take care wherever you are in the world – May the Journey Never End!