Home sweet home. After seven months, 13 countries and 8000 kilometers I set foot in the USA again. I tell ya, I felt like the Pope: as I got off the airplane I wanted to kneel down and kiss the ground.

Since I am in the blog habit, I thought I would post a few pix of my ‘hood in South Beach, Florida. But first, you can’t bike eight hours a day for seven months and not get in shape. Here is a before & after shot of me. Before, I was a fat, disgusting old man. Now at least I am not fat.

Here’s a few shots of the beach at South Beach.

A few pix of Ocean Drive and the plethora of over-priced restaurants that line the street.

a model shoot?

Is the drink for her or the dog?

Dancing on the bar at Mangos

A statement about the war in Iraq. These are fake tombstones of all the Americans killed in Iraq. Pretty sobering. The sign says, “Support the troops. Bring them home now.”

Besides the beach, restaurants, bars and clubs, South Beach is known for the Art Deco architecture that was popular in 1920s to the 1940s. Many boutique hotels reflect this interesting style. Here’s a few.

The Colony Hotel

The Essex House Hotel

The Kent Hotel

So what’s next? Not without some trepidation, I am determined to complete the remainder of the trip. I depart on April 3 for Japan where I will visit my sister and her family for a couple weeks. Then I will bicycle a bit of Japan before catching a ferry to China. Then the fun begins.