Miami

First, I have to give a shout out to the Aloft Miami . Maybe it is partially in contrast to the cruddy hotel in Key West, but this hotel is extremely comfortable. It boasts several amenities that most Alofts don’t offer. They serve a breakfast, and it is several steps up from the standard hotel breakfast offering. And they have really nice snacks out all day. I understand this is at the discretion of the manager, it’s not an Aloft thing. They also have a pool table in the lobby - not that I played, but it is still a nice amenity. And the staff is great. It is conveniently located, at least for what I wanted to see.

I spent this morning exploring Little Havana , which is walking distance from the Aloft, and was my main goal in Miami. I went out early, so I was able to walk up and down the Calle Ocho while it was still quiet, then watch the neighborhood wake up.

I first walked down the Cuban Memorial Park Blvd., located on part of SW 13th ave. It has statues and plaques devoted to the Cuban-American experience. SW 13th ave. also marks the beginning of the central area of Little Havana. All along Calle Ocho are stars in the sidewalk - reminiscent of the Hollywood walk of fame - but these honor famous Cuban singers and actors.

After that I stopped at Domino Park, formally known as Máximo Gómez Park . This is located at the intersection of SW 15th Ave and Calle Ocho. Tables and chairs are sent up under shade pavilions and there is a formal staff present to oversee the games. It is a major social activity in this neighborhood. Apparently dominoes are a big thing in Cuba. The people playing are all characters in one way of another. I was standing outside the gates for a few minutes, mostly wanting to get an overview shot. One of the staff invited me in and told me to freely take photos. Well, I guess it is good advertising.

I then stopped by Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company . Just about every other shop on the Calle Ocho is a cigar shop, but this one is special. The Bello family has been making cigars for over 100 years. In this shop they not only sell a wide variety of cigars, you can watch them being made by hand. Armando explained about the shop while I watched Areocha roll cigars. It was definitely differently done than some of the other shops I saw - more roll, less bunch in an outer leaf. While I don’t smoke, I did purchase a box for a friend back home.

I had planned on walking another couple of mile up to the famous Versailles restaurant . This is the oldest Cuban restaurant in Little Havana and is reputedly the site of dissident meetings and where reporters went to hear the latest. Armando advised that, while it was interesting, better and more authentic food was to be had a few doors down at Old’s Havana . This is a small chaotic place with loud Cuban music. It did indeed feel authentic. I stuck to lighter fare in the middle of a hot day, but they had many Cuban specialities on the menu. Xuan sat down next to me and we had a nice conversation. Originally from Beijing, he went to art school in New York and now works as a video game designer now. He was taking a few days off to enjoy Miami.

Had I arrived on time yesterday, I would have driven over to Miami Beach to see the historic Art Deco section. Given yesterday’s chaos and tomorrow’s long drive, I decided to chill out for the afternoon in my nice comfortable room. Miami Beach will have to go on the list to visit next time.

Tomorrow I leave Florida and drive to Savannah, GA.