Clearwater Beach, Florida

Clearwater Beach Hostel, Florida. 4th December. There is a worrying noise coming from the clutch or gearbox of the bike. I stopped in Fort Myers BMW to pick some new brake pads and asked the service guys to have a listen. I going to have to have it fixed before I head any further.
After flying back from Buenos Aires I stayed for a couple of nights in Miami with Boyan and Iliana, both relatives of Nushka’s, before heading down to Key West. Didn’t have any problem at all coming back into the US. Pretty surprising given the general disapproval we received when we crossed into the US from Canada. In fact Aerolineas Argentinas expected me to be given a tough time and were reluctant to let me on the flight from Buenos Aires - I don’t have a return ticket from the US. In Key West I met a fellow rider, Josh from Detroit. He’s not on a mammoth trip himself but our paths may cross again before I leave the US. Looks like I’m going to be here for a few days. It a cool place - an old motel from the fifties, with a pool, orange trees and palm leaf roofs over tables in the yard. Nicely run down. Weeds between the paving slabs, that kind of thing. So I’m pretty relaxed here. I even have tea to drink. Proper builders tea from Britain, brought to Argentina for me by Nushka. Clearly the best girlfriend ever!
So, the plan from here is to ride to Austin, Texas in the next few days and from there head along the Caribbean coast of Mexico to the Yucatan where I hope to meet up with Daren, a guy I’ve been in touch with by email and who is himself riding to Argentina. So the journey is back on. Assuming the bike turns out OK that is.
Mileage 5255.