7.30am alarm call early breakfast before starting our new adventure of catching buses and touring Miami. Little did we know on the weekend the 101 Aventura and Miami 93 Biscayne Downtown buses don’t run? Waited a while on US1 Federal Highway till I flagged the No.1 bus, which I know stops at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. The driver was great I showed him where we needed to go to catch the Miami No.93 bus and he said he goes to that stop at the Aventura Mall. Seemed like eternity nearly one hour (not including Richard’s pit stop at the airport) travelling through Dania Beach and Hollywood districts to the Aventura Mall. Must say pension day passes are great including county bus transfers US60 cents each to downtown Miami.

Raced across the road to the No.93 Bus Stop only to find we catch the No.3 bus and again the driver was great when I showed him the directions to 330 Biscayne Boulevard. Didn’t have the right change so it only cost US$1 for the two of us. Had another interesting ride the passengers on the bus are certainly interesting and entertaining to watch, a different breed of people a lot of Hispanic, Cubans, Caribbean islanders and Negroes. Still travelling along US1 Federal Hwy and all one can see is a lot of motels and places to eat, just like to see on TV.

After one and a half hours plus a sore bum from the bus seat we finally arrive at 330 Biscayne Boulevard where we catch the City Sightseeing Miami Tour on the double decker hop on hop off bus. Lucky for us the bus is right in front of us, quickly paid US$39 each and jumped on the bus.

Good to see there is only a few people seated in the open air upstairs, we sit up front and the only drawback is one cannot see over the small panel above the window. The young Guide was very knowledgeable, started our tour downtown (skyscrapers everywhere) quickly put the old sun cream on as it is very hot had to be quick the wind was very strong going over the MacArthur Causeway. The plan was I video and Richard take the photos, he is worse than me snap at anything and everything. To the right is the Port of Miami on Dodge Island with six or so large cruise ship in port and a large working cargo port. Over to the left is manmade islands (Jungle, Hibiscus, Palm and Star Islands) with connecting roads and of course the expensive boats moored in front of the beautiful homes. In the distance you can firstly see Venetian Causeway over the Venetian Islands then further in the distance Julia Turtle Causeway all connecting to an expensive stretch of land where the Miami Beaches are including the famous South Beach.

Just over the MacArthur Causeway to the right is Fisher Island where the exclusive rich (Oprah Winfrey) own properties and lots of expensive big launches moored in the Marina. Down 5^th Street into the South Beach Art Deco District, lots of beautiful buildings and in the distance at the end of the street is the famous South Beach. There is a big festival on and the traffic is bumper to bumper with expensive cars and beautiful people so unfortunately we cannot go along Ocean Drive to see South Beach, which is a pity cause that is what we came to see. Proceeded along Collins Avenue where you need a lot of money to stay at these magnificent hotels or shop in the stores. Hopped off at No.14 stop at Eden Roc Hotel car park the only access we could get to the beach, which was packed with people rows of blue umbrellas and it wasn’t anything special just another beach with white sand, I don’t know what they rave about.

Sat for nearly an hour under a coconut palm tree waiting for the double decker bus, which was held up in the traffic and this time we had a different Guide with a load of Spanish speaking people on board. Drove over the canal bridge through a residential area down Washington Avenue back to the Art Deco buildings onto 5^th Avenue, over the windy MacArthur Causeway ending our Beach Road Red Line Tour before starting the City Road Blue Line Tour. Would be lovely if the Guide spoke more English than Spanish so we would know where we were going, Richard and I were the only English speaking people on board.

Miami is a large city of sky scrapers, mini railway above roads and in between buildings, with under and over highways. One good thing there were lots of trees lining roads. Don’t know what we are looking at can’t hear the Guide but we are going round Biscayne Bay along Sth Miami Ave into Sth Bayshore Drive, lots of different sorts of boats in the bay. Now in the district of Coconut Grove an affluent area with beautiful homes and shady trees lining the street. Had to duck our heads a lot on this tour with the overhanging trees and palms.

Next was Coral Gables the first area people settled in Miami, very old and a poorer area and lastly we came to Little Havana where the Cubans settled another poor area everything is in Spanish nothing special only Cuban cigars, food and mojitos.

The whole day past very quickly the tour ended where we started in downtown Miami. It’s 5pm time to catch the No.3 bus on a long one and a half hour journey through suburbs to Aventura Mall then No.1 back to the Embassy Suites. Lucky for us we knew where to get off near SE 17^th St it was the same stop when we went to the Bass Pro Shop on Thursday, as the Driver didn’t know he only knew he turned left at the next set of lights. Guess the name of the street “SE 17^th St” doesn’t know the street names on the bus route.

What a day we left at 10am in the morning and arrived back at 7.30pm hot, sticky and exhausted after a long interesting day with lots to see. Showered had our last meal of BBQ chicken, salad and fruit before falling soundly asleep.