This week, Nov 17-21, international trade ministers will be in Miami, FL for a round of negotiations on the pending Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA). My first exploration into downtown Miami was a drive to the Independent Media Center (IMC), twenty five blocks away from ground zero of where demonstrations in opposition to the FTAA are to occur on Thursday November 20. One focus of the most militant demonstrators will be the security fence around the negotiation site of the Intercontinental Hotel on Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL. My hotel is directly across the Biscayne Blvd from the fence.

The security fence surrounds a small area comprising one or two city blocks. The Intercontinental Hotel is on the waterfront of the Biscayne Bay, which serves as another perimeter. Police boats cruise the Bay with flashing blue lights. The inland fence perimeter is only a few blocks long, which I'm told is not very extensive compared to other fences that secured negotiators of past trade agreements.

Dateline very early Wednesday November 19, after Midnite: Miles outside of downtown Miami, Blue and red flashing lights of police cars were a common sight during the drive to the IMC. Arriving after midnight, the streets around the IMC and joint demonstrtion Convergence Center were very quiet.

After seeing video of a student's that car was detonated with small explosives, and torn appart, several FTAA demonstration activists at the IMC were clearly shaken. I had earlier asked these folks to drive me to my hotel, but they now retracted their offer citing numerous unpredictable arrests by police. They were kind enough to call a cab for me.

By 1am a cab driver was dropping me off at my hotel. The streets were quiet, and only a couple police cars were visible, a stark contrast to the numerous police cars seen elsewhere in the city, miles away from this focal point of pending activity. After checking in, I found a 24hr corner openair cafe with a few stools along a counter. I ordered a late dinner from the cubans running the place and playing checkers. After a bite, I took a walk over to the fence. Despite dire warnings, and video I've seen myself, no police came rushing up to me as I placed my hands on the fence.

The twilight 2am scene was a surreal sight. Bayfront Park, across from my hotel has a large computerized billboard, which scrolls announcements of events, including those of the FTAA demonstrators; I can see it now as I type this report. The balmy breeze was blowing hard, and a mulit-colored, christmas scene with a tropical theme including palm trees of thousands of little lights was being set up by workers behind the fence. The gate to the security fence was open, with a lone police car parked just inside. Several hispanic workers walked out of the gate, presumably on their way home to get some sleep. Other than them, I had ground zero to myself. Come Thursday, I'll have to share this quiet street with a wide variety of demonstrators, various policing authorities, and mass media.

Date Line: Wednesday November 19, 11am.

As I walked out of my hotel door, which empties out into the blocks in front of the ground zero for tomorrow's demonstrations, a grey haired man man in blue shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes was talking into a nextel raido-cell phone describing the movement of a yellow cab, "It is proceeding South on Biscayne Blvd. It is turning West on...."

The quiet scene of last evening has changed as everyone prepares for tomorrow's demonstrations. I was briefly awoken in the earlie hours of this morning by a small demonstration of vocal marchers at the fence outside my hotel. I confess that I rolled over and went back to catch up on sleep, having driven straight from Baltimore during the preceding 24hrs.

The streets around ground zero are active today. media people are getting oriented, exchanging business cards with people, the police occasionally move a convoy of thier cars around. I'm told the FTAA negotiators will arive today. (About ten police cars with lights on just drove by this corner internet cafe... the lights were on so they could go through a red light without breaking their convoy). I've seen fire trucks, a police bus and other non-conventional vehicles brought in and parked near the waterfront.

AS THE CAP LOCK KEY GOES WHACKY ON THIS COMPUTER I sign off for now... Reporting from just around the corner of ground zero of the FTAA demonstrations, 100 block of Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL.