Coral Morphologic, Burial Mounds, and Trespassing With the Weird Miami Bus Tour

S. Pajot

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Have you ever been to El Portal? It's basically a leafy little paradise and the Weird Miami peeps took us to NE 85th Street and Fourth Avenue Road to see a hill. Well, it wasn't just a hill. It was a Native American ceremonial sand mound.

S. Pajot

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Although this particular mound is only sand, others are actually built on dead people. Back in the day, the Chief or Big Man would die and the village would burn his house. A hill of dirt and earthenware would be made on that site. And generation after generation, the process would repeat itself and the hill would grow, bringing the tribe ever closer to God.

As part of the burial ceremony, the conch would be blown like a horn and palm fronds burned to keep the mosquitoes away.

S. Pajot

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In some neighborhoods, the driving hazards include armed carjackers and drunk dudes who suddenly stumble into the street. In El Portal, though, you really need to watch out: There are big beautiful birds everywhere.

S. Pajot

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After leaving the shaded, residential part of El Portal, we wandered past Town Hall and the police station before taking off down the train tracks like a gang of well-fed, over-educated hobos.

S. Pajot

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Totally dedicated to urban adventure, we weirdos streaked past this "No Trespassing" order from the fine folks at the Florida East Coast Railway Company. Minutes later, a work crew of train monkeys threatened to have every member of the tour arrested.

S. Pajot

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But before coming under fire from the authorities, a discovery was made: There's an upside to the collapse of the South Florida construction industry. A number of native, resurgent plant species have taken root in empty lots once marked for condo development. One such example is the pond apple tree. Unfortunately, its fruit tastes like turpentine.