what a pleasant surprise!

I had the worst night’s sleep yet on our over night bus from Miami to Daytona Beach. For some reason I just couldn’t sleep and then when I finally did, we had to get off the bus for a three hour layover and the Policeman wouldn’t let me lie down! Ollie met a blind man who he looked after and made sure he got on the right bus. While they were chatting the guy, Neville, said he was originally from London but had moved to the states in the 80’s. At first he sounded completely American but as he and Ollie spoke, a strange sounding but definitely Cockney accent started to appear in his voice. It was as if his accent had been tucked away as some dusty memory but was now coming back to life as Neville talked about his time in England. He even gave us his number incase we knew of any English women he could meet as his wife had died. Even at his age he was still a player!

Daytona was already hot by the time we arrived and wearing our packs was almost unbearable over our....eeek....sunburn! We looked like proper English fools! As it was Sunday we guessed the buses would be difficult but they were awful! Routes didn’t match the ones on the map, the drivers didn’t know which buses went where and some didn’t appear to be running at all. Eventually we got on a bus and a really nice man helped us to find the way to our hotel. It was difficult at first because we couldn’t remember the name of the hotel! But once Ollie did, the guy rang an operator and got the address for us. We promptly forgot it however when we got on the next bus! It was like a moment from that film (The Lady Vanishes?!) as Ollie and I tried to remember the street and building number...only we didn’t sing! 

I was very excited to be staying in a hotel for the night. We had found an internet offer which made it cheaper to stay here than to find a hostel. Spending a night with just Ollie and not six other men was a very big deal for me! Sharing rooms is fine but I was desperate for just one night where I didn’t have to lie near sweaty, snoring foreign men that farted every time they turned over! Our room is great! We have a balcony, sea view, two double beds, microwave, fridge and a big T.V. This is as close to bliss as we’re going to get! And as it’s only £42 for the both of us it just makes things even better!

Since we’ve been away we’ve found it very difficult to eat healthily. We’ve found that although we can find grocery stores in towns and cities, they never sell fresh fruit and vegetables. Those that do charge an absolute fortune. A diet of donuts, crisps and chocolate seemed like my perfect meal times but after two weeks all I want is a bag of lettuce! And so does my waist band! Luckily just opposite our hotel is a big enough super market that does sell what we need so I have stocked up on as much fruit as possible...who knows when we’ll next be able to get any! It does make wonder though if maybe this could be the reason so many Americans suffer with obesity. It really does seem as if in town shops only sell ‘on the go’ food and don’t care about ‘eating healthy’ at all. If you try to buy something nutritious it’s more than likely to be twice as expensive so I can understand why people just wouldn’t bother, or may not even have the time to.

For breakfast though I really fancied pancakes and fortunately there was a IHop opposite our hotel. I thought Denny’s breakfasts were good but they are nothing compared to IHop! I had banana and strawberry pancakes with whipped cream on top and maple syrup. YUM! The best pancakes I’ve ever had! Ollie had a cooked breakfast that came with unlimited pancakes. He tried his best but he could only eat six! Our server, Kenneth, looked a little sad when Ollie refused his third round, I think Ken thought Ollie was letting England down!

Daytona is very different to what I expected. It’s like a giant English seaside town really. A little run down and past its best maybe, but very friendly and relaxed. There are a few high rise hotels but apart from that the sky is left pretty empty. It’s nice to not see a steel horizon for a couple of days. The beach is ‘World Famous’ according to its sign but it reminds me of the one at Bognor Regis! The sand is very compact and if you stand in one place long enough you sink! When I was little Dad taught me how to bury my feet in this kind of sand, so of course I had to have a go today and yes...I got stuck! All along the beach we saw these tiny little birds that could run ridiculously fast so that they looked like cartoons. It was hilarious to watch as they zoomed across the sand. It was like a Bird NASCAR! 

I really like Daytona. It’s a quiet, unassuming place that is a refreshing from other places we’ve visited. It’s a place I think ‘average’ Americans live and visit. Being here feels like I’m walking through childhood seaside memories, which is strange ‘cos I’ve never been so far from home as I am right now. I’ve even asked Ollie if we can stay another night tomorrow, I like Daytona so much. It’s not amazing, eye catching or wondrous. But it's real. Honest. And this is so important in a country that lives to be larger than life.

23/10/11