Daytona Beach... Car culture gone crazy

Daytona Beach, 23rd June:

Magun's Compass
Learn from the Travel Experiences of Others

Car Culture gone crazy: For $10 you can drive right on to the sand, and many do; preferring to cruise along the beach rather than expose out of condition bodies that might appreciate the exercise.

The stretch is eight or nine miles long, with vehicles parked along the coned-off strip. A few Americans hardly get sand between their toes as they set up deck-chairs close to their machines, or even on the back of the occasional pick-up.

Some of the fans scheduled to play in Orlando, make Daytona their base. [Italy 1 Norway 0], live from New York is ignored by the Belgian fans catching the last of the sun outside, before an imminent thunderstorm. Their game is against Holland in two days time, and they are not really interested; Italy and Norway are not in their group.

Team USA are almost certain of advancing to the last 16, and Americans are watching more of the game. Most of them are now aware that the tournament is in their country, and they talk about the possibility of their team wining again.

They no longer have to ask about how the game is played,
instead they anticipate who they might meet in the next round.

On screen, pre-match promotions are fast and furious, Americana at its best; showing off, and selling... Pele signs a ball, a Mastercard is flashed in front of viewers, and the ambassador of world football is wearing a white shirt with the credit-card company's logo emblazoned across his heart; "all brought to you sponsorship free by...."

A girl from Virginia walks in, tanned to compliment her golden hair. Her buttocks are of more interest than another word from the sponsors. They are both exposed, firm around a pink piece of cloth that needs to be studied closely if it is to be judged as a bikini bottom. She would not look out of place on Brazil's Ipanema Beach; but her white label, with all its washing instructions, distract the eye.

[Washington]

[Party Street]

US Index.

Travel on trains and buses in Asia, then jump into cars with complete strangers in Australia and New Zealand as Michel introduces you to a collection of characters that bring Nomadic Gatherings to life.

If you can't afford to buy a copy of Nomadic Gatherings, the chapters are slowly being made available online - for free.

You may even decide that it really is worth having a hard copy in your hands; a useful read for those long bus journeys being written about, and for endless waits at ferry ports.

Nomadic Gatherings - Online Chapters.

Magun's Compass