Debris lines residential areas
At breakfast this morning we realize that our hotel is full of workmen. AT&T/Direct TV guys in their florescent vests and carrying hard hats are sitting over coffee. I overhear their conversations. They are receiving a lot of anger from the people seeking restoration of services. One young man sums it up, “I know you’ve been waiting 2 weeks sir, but you’re not the only one!”
The obvious signs of what happened down here are the piles of flora debris and household goods that have been damaged by rain or floods. These sit in heaps like monuments all along the residential streets in the greater Miami areas.
By the way, it’s raining again. We are expecting flood warnings and 35 mph winds today and tomorrow. Tropical storm Nate is another threat that is expected to cause some impact over the weekend although predictions seem to be taking it up the gulf and again possibly reeking some havoc on the panhandle. It’s not over for Florida yet.
On the upside, we sailed through security at the airport. I 💕 early morning flights. Don’t get me wrong, it’s rough getting up at 4 a.m. but the aggravation saved is priceless. Plus you have a full day ahead once you arrive at your destination (if you’re on the same coast). Southwest Airlines provides a pretty good experience overall, despite their strange “pick your own seat when you get on the plane” philosophy. Luckily, we were not on a full flight and there was sufficient choice. Three-across seating ensured we were all able to sit together. We arrived 5 minutes early in Ft. Lauderdale and acquired our rental car then headed south to Miami. The last time I was in Miami I was 5 years old and we decided we’d spend 2 days there. High on Don’s list of activities for the Miami area was eating Cuban food. Specifically, a few dishes from his childhood. I found what seemed to be an authentic place near our hotel. I wasn’t wrong.
Outside of our restaurant which has a walk up Cuban coffee window.
When our waitress arrived at our table and spoke to us in Spanish we replied in English. She politely told us she did not speak English. She smiled and handed us our menus which were completely in Spanish. Don described what he was seeking to her and between his few Spanish words and my NY Puerto Rican Spanglish we successfully (we hoped) conveyed our orders. She came back with two tiny cups of the jet fuel that is known as Cuban coffee. Just what we needed after our 4 a.m. wake up. Shortly after plates arrived containing yellow rice, black beans, fried plantains and crispy chunks of pork covered in sauteed onions.
Damian played it safe with a cheeseburger and fries. A few minutes after we were digging into our lunch a waiter arrived with a plate that looked like mashed potatoes. We were confused but figured something got lost in translation. When our lovely waitress stopped by to check on us she too was confused by the potato addition. We shrugged, she shrugged and told us they were just home made mashed potatoes and to go ahead and enjoy them. The veritable feast was very reasonably priced and we paid our bill, said our thank yous and departed to check in to our hotel.
Kicking it in Little Havana.
We considered heading to Everglades National Park but the closest entrance point is still closed due to the flooding from Irma after the 6 ft. storm surge. Over lunch we gave Damian a quick history lesson on the revolution in Cuba and the mass immigration of Cuban exiles to south Florida. Our plan B becomes a tour of Little Havana to build on the lunch lesson.
For the baseball geeks
For the architecture geeks
Little Havana is often considered to be the cultural and political capital of the Cuban exile population in Miami. There’s live music in the streets, art displays and galleries, a monthly festival, art films, street food and lots of cigar shops, a star-studded walk of fame and old folks playing dominoes and chess in the park.
Croquetas de jamon
(street eats)
It sort of reminded me of The Bronx, if all the buildings were low, pastel-colored and had Spanish tile roofs. A few observations about the Miami area:
1. The traffic is awful and so are the drivers.
2. It’s the closest you can come to being in another country without actually leaving the country.
3. The food has been delicious.
4. Everyone seems to like baseball.
5. Most of the local high school teams can beat the Marlins.
Tomorrow promises more rain so my beach plans will need to change.
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