Miami without the vice

How do you sell a car in America? Good question. A couple of well known car sales chains offer to buy used cars but for ridiculously knock down prices. As I find out, local car sales firms aren't interested in buying cars unless you're buying one of theirs. When you don't have an American phone number or permanent address advertising the car can be difficult. Luckily there's a free classified ad website on which we advertised the car and hoped for a response. It was just at this time when a loud knocking noise developed whilst driving. Oh good.
We decide to spend the last few days of the trip around the Miami suburbs and hopefully sell the car. Miami and it's districts is absolutely huge. It's a shame that the only real good bit is so incredibly small at South Beach.


We spend a few days visiting car dealerships whilst stopping in the infamous Miami-Dade area. Infamous because during the rather dodgy Bush election of 2000 the whole country, and some of the world, had it's eyes on this county. Why? Because of the refusal to recount the votes or even finish counting the votes cast in this district.
Pretty much the whole of Miami is complete and utter dirge but there are a couple of bright spots. We spend an evening in Coral Gables which is an area of upmarket restaurants set within and around Spanish Colonial buildings. We actually get the opportunity to sit and eat outside somewhere in this country, which is very few and far between. Luckily our food isn't complete tripe either, unlike what we see on everybody else's plates.
We're having no luck with the car sale and consider that an auction may be our only way to get rid of it. Not that we can find the car auction. We spend a couple of hours trying to follow internet directions to no avail.
Upon returning to our motel we find that a couple of people are interested in our car from our web advert. After a few phone calls and an eventual meeting, we sell the car and collect the cash within a couple of days. With 3 nights left of a year's trip some people would consider this complete lack of planning to be somewhat fortunate. Me too.
With a hire car sorted for the last couple of days we drive towards West Palm Beach for yet another complete fluke, the chance to see one of my favourite bands at the first gig of their new tour. The timing is beyond jammy.