Miami Vice

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After weeks and weeks of uncharacteristic behavior - namely getting up before 6 a.m. everyday and 2 hr commutes - I decided it was time to take a break. So the idea of sunning myself in Florida seemed tantalizing. Add to it the prospect of a girls’ only weekend and you have a deal.

So Ria (Cousin or niece actually) and I met up in Miami, flying in from Toronto and Boston respectively. The 3.5 hrs of flight was rather nasty due to a rain system which enveloped nearly the entire flight path. So I landed at Fort Lauderdale airport (about 30 miles from South Beach where we were staying). The airport for some reason is known as Hollywood International Airport!

We had planned our stay in the most happening part of town - South Beach or SoBe as it’s popularly known. Naturally, the first thing we did on Saturday morning was to tumble out of bed and head straight to the ocean. So South Beach happens to be clothing optional and we did see some women exercising that option . Not a pretty sight, I can tell you. Us, we were just two girls happy to be out in the warm weather and escape the persistent cold, wet weather of North East.

For lunch, we decided to stroll down Ocean Drive and that’s when the peculiarity of Miami really dawned on me fully. There were men walking around with large snakes draped around their necks, one restaurant had a woman twirling around in a very cabaret fashion ( and this is just 1 in the afternoon !!!) The restaurant we chose was just perfect…it had blasting dance music playing ..Miami doesn’t really care if its day or night - people here want to groove at all times.

So we ordered our Pina Coladas and Mojitos and did a double take when they arrived - in giant glasses fit for an army … We diligently drank them but even after 2 straight hours - we had only finished one quarter of our drinks. While we were eating, entertaining things were happening by way of two drunken girls dancing in the middle of the restaurant and a cigar-selling woman approaching us.

Post lunch we headed to Lincoln Ave which really is the fashion and shopping hub of South Beach. This whole area is known as the Art Deco district due to its rather colorful buildings. Honestly though, didn’t see much by way of art.

The next day after the customary 2 hours at the beach, we headed to Little Havana , which is the area of Miami with a large Cuban population - a good reflection of Batista-era Cuba. To our disappointment most places were shut as we had gone on a Sunday. We were determined though to have a Cuban meal and we managed to do that in an authentic Cuban restaurant. I also wanted to buy Cuban Cigars - having heard so much about them - but they were rather expensive and we had no way of telling if it was a genuine Cuban cigar.

In the evening , we went to a charming little Spanish village right in the heart of SoBe. This is called Espanola Way and really was some blocks with Spanish architecture , little boutiques and street cafes.



I have to say that I wasn’t very impressed with Miami. It seemed a very soul-less city, not offering much by way of art, culture or history (not unless you count “world erotic art museum” as art). It is not a city I will visit again in a hurry.

Having said that, it was a very relaxing weekend and we had a blast of time. And now it’s back to cold and windy New England and the warm sunny beaches of Miami seem like a distant dream!

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Photos

In Little Havana
In Little Havana

City Hall
City Hall

Giani Versace's bungalow
He was murdered in Miami. The bungalow is now a hotel.

Comments

[namita]

break!
hey am so glad you managed warm, sunny, relaxing beach time....coz at least someone did :-) have been itching to take a break...but work is a killer and vacation doesn't seem likely in the immediate future!!!