Welcome to Miami, Buenvenidos a Miami

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Miami is exactly like you’d picture it to be, all pastel coloured buildings, chic hotels and fancy restaurants. Where else could we stay but South Beach? Our hotel, the Whitelaw, was very cool, cerise pink curtains and black chandeliers all the way. It's over-the-top architecture and design was just perfect for the photo shoot that took place there the following morning. Miami was very busy that weekend as it was both the Film Festival and Spring Break (cringe). Do Spring Breakers ever stop shouting or stealing drinks?

Jen & I arrived on Friday evening and, yay, the shops were open until 10pm!! We had a good browse and made a plan of everything we were to buy the next day. Advance justification makes the purchasing even easier. On Friday night, armed witht he TimeOut guide, we went to the most amazing sushi restaurant ever, they “sushi’d” just about anything with fins and we kept on eating. It was nicely washed down with our first bottle of chilled white wine since leaving Ireland, good wine is very hard to find in Jamaica.

We rose early on Saturday morning, had breakfast and hit the shops. Everything you could want was there:
South Beach
Clear skies, white sandy beaches and palm trees... and the shops & bars only two minutes away. This is heaven. Barney’s, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, Gap, Guess, Sephora etc. We did so much damage that we had welts in our shoulders from the bags. Heaven! We dumped the bags back at the hotel and strolled down Ocean Drive to South Beach. It’s just so typical - crazy people shouting about Jesus, Spring Break-ers, and fabulous people pretending to play beach volleyball. The cars were either hip convertibles or one of the legions of stretch Hummers (one for you Jim Jackson!). The people watching opportunities were fantastic on Ocean Drive, you could sit for hours just watching the world go by. Time for cocktails! Miami knows how to do cocktails, I’ve never seen so much choice. I had to whisper “classic margherita please” in case anyone would hear me choose such on ordinary drink. Dinner later @ The Big Pink threw up some of the biggest portions I had ever seen. I had nachos as a starter and the portion was the size of a large casserole dish. It took me ages to finish them 😉. The food was delicious.

On Sunday morning, we had a short stroll on South Beach and said goodbye to the modern world before heading
Windswept
The wind picked up a bit during the day and the sun disappeared as soon as it saw our bikinis, don't blame it!off. It was weird landing at Kingston and suddenly realizing it was “home”. I could feel a little lump in my throat so I decided to practise my customs face instead... no officer, I didn't do any shopping in Miami, see no tags, please don't look at the steam coming off my credit card.... phew.

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Photos

South Beach
Clear skies, white sandy beaches and palm trees... and the shops & bars only two minutes away. This is heaven.

Windswept
The wind picked up a bit during the day and the sun disappeared as soon as it saw our bikinis, don't blame it!

Atlantic Ocean
The clear waters of the Atlantic were a lot cooler than the Caribbean. No way I was getting in.

And god created woman
Bathed in sunlight!

Ocean Drive
The legendary Ocean Drive, a mecca for people watching

Shopping on Collins Ave
With shops this pretty, parting with the $$$'s was so easy

Pink Cadillac
No Ford Fiestas on Ocean Drive, the camper the better!

Lobby, Whitelaw Hotel
Our hotel was a vision in cerise and minimalist white. An hour later, the lobby was turned into a photo shoot.

Sunset, Ocean Drive
Shopping done, beach seen, time to get glammed up and hit the cocktails.

Comments

[Cat]

you blingpacker!
Nice curtains, Breda could do you a pair like those for Marley Rd :)

[Ann Curley]

Jealousy is a terrible thing!!
Liz, What can I say - wow!!!!!!! Need any HR help out there??? :)

[miffy]

never mind HR people - I hear they're IT dept are recruiting?