Today I went to a car shop where a hispanic mechanic welded together a few broken parts on my bike. We had a conversation in Spanglish, maybe the unofficial language of Miami?
I also went shopping in a Haitian neighborhood. I got shoes, and also had a chance to try a few Haitian foods like accra (a fritter made of malanga root), and fried plantains. There was a funny poster in the window of a shop, which showed little capsules about each of Haiti's political leaders. It seemed like around half died of an assassination, a coup, or in exile. A good chunk of the profiles weren't individuals but provisional ruling groups. Miami has a large Haitian population, many of whom fled political violence there. Now there are public signs, like on the buses, in English and Spanish and Haitian Creole (it took me a little while to figure out what the last language was). I've had conversations in French/Creole, although it's more of a stretch than when I converse in Spanish with many of the locals. The area I walked through had great plants, including mango trees (ataulfa/butter and the red/green ones), which produced loads of fresh and juicy fruits. There were also other fruits that I didn't recognize. Tropical fruits are so amazing! :)
Miami has many ethnic enclaves. There are also neighborhoods with lots of Russians, Colombians, Cubans, Jews, Northeastern Americans, French Canadians, and lots more. It's a big city, but fairly fun and easy to navigate. The people are somewhat self-involved, but very cool. And it's so utterly beautiful. And there are tons of beaches!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Miami has such a rich mix of gorgeous geography, diverse culture, commercial and civic activity, and so much more, it's a really wonderful city. Reminds me in some ways of a mix of Vancouver, San Diego, New Orleans, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and more. A unique place! :)
Miami is such a lovely city that I want to stay here a lot longer. However, with hurricane season approaching, my desire to do the northeastern US this summer, and more factors, I still think I'll keep riding soon…
Rock & Roll & Salsa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
We really give a hoot!