We popped into an authentic looking place that was clearly family run, and ordered smoky non-alcoholic and alcoholic mojitos (to compare!) and two Cubanas. I don't know if it was our hunger or what but they were so delicious. We had a funny conversation with a Turkish businessmen that was sitting next to us... he was kind of laughing at the lack of history of America ("I'm from Turkey... are you crazy?"). He was actually he was from Pamukkale and he was pretty surprised that we'd been there.
We did the obligatory cigar purchase (for RTD and grampa!) and some smaller things for the kids, before we hopped into an Uber and headed back towards our hotel, located in Wynwood. Wynwood was a former industrial area that is now an art and entertainment district.
On the way, we passed through a few sad, very run down neighborhoods... I'm always amazed at American cities I've been in where you can travel 1km and quickly drop into some really poor, dilapidated place. It's sad.
We got dropped off close to Wynwood walls, an amazing indoor/outdoor museum of street and other are from around the world. It was so cool.
Wynwood itself is a fantastic, giant mix of queen street and Kensington. There are clubs in industrial buildings surrounded by new hotels and condos rising between derelict old industrial land. We found out that that weekend, there was an EDM festival (apparently there's one here every weekend practically). In the lobby, there was a Vitamin IV recovery station being run for the people that were just waking up from last night (this was around 5pm). For some reason, the IV people didn't even make eye contact or pass out cards to Beth and I.... must have been... something... about us?
We had dinner at Bohu, a funky restaurant 10 minutes walk from the hotel. There were a bunch of tables full of young people there to begin the warm up for a late night. Our flight was early - we had to leave the hotel at 4am, but when we asked at reception if we'd have trouble getting an Uber at that time, they just laughed and said it would be no problem.
When we woke up and came down to the lobby, there were dozens of kids dressed in all kinds of weird and funky outfits in all different states of intoxication. Outside, there were hundreds to people milling about, sitting on curbs with their heads between their knees... others dancing and chatting in small groups. What the hell? lol. Anyway, yes, no problem getting an Uber. Out nice driver was actually a 31 year old Venezuelan guy who had played for the Washington Nationals organization for 3 years when he was 19.
Miami is crazy. From plastic, sad south beach, to little Havana, to run down residential areas, towering concrete expressways and construction, to the urban, hip Wynwood area, it felt like we'd seen a lot in such a short time here. Galapagos seemed a long way off... but we won't forget that experience any time soon
No comments:
Post a Comment