I have been in Miami for nearly a week now. I have to say, it is a very different place. Spanish is commonplace here, perhaps even more than Texas. But unlike Texas, there are relatively few Mexicans here. Most of the population seems to be Cubans or from other South American countries like Argentina, Venezuela, etc. There also seem to be quite a number of Europeans here that are visiting on vacation or work here. For some reason, this seems to be a popular spot for them.
I also spent the time to drive down to the Florida Keys. I made it all the way to Key West, the southernmost point of the United States. The main street is known as Duval Street. It is sort of like 6th Street in Austin, but with more shopping, many art galleries, and various other stores besides just bars and clubs.
I am staying in South Beach, which is the southern portion of Miami Beach. Miami Beach is an island off the coast of the mainland and is separate city from Miami. Supposedly there is a big social scene here, but I didn't really find that to be the case. Maybe it's because it's not in season yet.
The beaches here are topless. Many women can been seen sunbathing topless. It's not as glamours as it sounds and the novelty wears off pretty fast. I never quite understood the idea of laying under the sun to cook yourself. Sun exposure is necessary to get vitamin D, but exposing yourself to the sun for hours at a time can't be healthy for your skin. I saw a few women with bronze, leathery, wrinkled skin from too much sun exposure. Not attractive at all. I guess that just isn't the look I find attractive.
Parking is very difficult in Miami and it almost always cost money to park anywhere. Another thing you will notice is that the tips are almost always included. They will automatically add 15% to your bill. Apparently, it is not the custom of South Americans to tip, so they add it to your bill automatically.
The buildings are built in the Art Deco style. It's very similar to what I've seen in the Caribbean. There are also many high rise luxury condo buildings. Apparently the real estate bust doesn't seem to have affected the real high end stuff as they are still ridiculously expensive.
The weather of course is warm and humid. It's a bit too humid for me.
Last night, I spent the evening in the Design District doing the Art Walk. It was actually fun. There was a good crowd, free drinks and appetizers, and some really nice stuff on display. I wanted to check out the night scene, but I got really, really tired after being out all day, so I decided to go back home and sleep.
The more I traveling throughout the United States, the more I appreciate being in Austin. My next favorite city was northern Atlanta. I've only been there once in 1996, but I remember everyone being extraordinarily friendly. It almost felt awkward. I don't think I would want to live here. The culture is very, very different than mainstream American. It almost feels like a foreign city in many ways. It just doesn't have my type of "vibe". I don't know how to describe it at the moment.
That's it for now. I will write more later.
Labels: travel
One of the cool things I really enjoyed doing in Miami was riding a scooter around town. I rented a small Yamaha scooter that are widely available. These are very light weight, very maneuverable, and don't go much faster than what I can ride my bicycle at when I'm in shape. They are far less intimidating than a motorcycle such as my Suzuki SV650 that I had until last year. Unlike a motorcycle there are only 2 controls you need to worry about; brakes and throttle. There is no clutch or shifting to worry about. The fastest this thing will go full throttle is around 35 mph. They are very good on gas. I spent 2 days riding all over Miami Beach and used less than a gallon of gas. They are extremely popular in South Beach as it is almost impossible to find parking at any of the more popular destinations. It was great for taking photos as I could stop any time and shoot in any direction unlike being inside a car. I have been considering buying one of these for some time now to get around downtown. But they are not cheap. A brand new 50-150 cc scooters seem to run $2,000-$3000. I can almost buy a full motorcycle for that amount of money.
