Miami - Cafe con leche, la playa, y las amigas

Day 1 - arrival
I got into the Miami international airport (so humongous!) last night at 7:30, and Emily met me at the airport when I finally found my way through the maze to her, at 8. We went straight out to dinner at an amazing colombian restaurant that had some of the yummiest food I’ve had in a long while – chicken with mango sauce and sticky rice, fried plantains, huge avocados, and more… yum! Chicken and mango sauce was amazing. Then we got home to her super cool apartment. It’s a two bedroom place, with white tile floors and a large, open living room with a balcony extended off of it. The kitchen is white and seems big too. We watched finding neverland. There is a courtyard with a fountain that had pretty bright lights and the hum of the water touching the ground echoed through the pale yellow (or pink?) walls of the building. It looks like a resort, or like some trashy romance novel setting. Miami. We are here.

Day 2
Only now waking up… we will see!
Pm update:
Lots of fun things today!!!
Columbian bakery in the morning – el brazo fuerto – six pastries (one ham, two cheese and guava, one sausage, one sugar bread, one sweet unknown, and one rolly cheese unknown) and then beach for hours with swimming and lying and sleeping
Then
Leftovers at home and talk about caitlin’s vacation to come – columbia? South america, group of friends, south america + one week of london/paris
Then
Dinner at a cuban seafood place on the miami river – shiny city lights over sprinkling blueish dark water and sliver of moon meet wooden decked restaurant of grouper and dolphin fish
Plantains
Rice
Art walk around design district – wine, dark art, light art, posters and conversation with sweet french man
Tiredness fatigue
Sleep, excitement for tomorrow
Blazed eyes, red skin, sandy toes, cultured feet, readiness and weariness replaced with fresh and salt and food

Day 3
Emily was sick last night. That’s no fun. I should go check and see how she’s doing, but I have a feeling she is asleep.
Today we were planning to go snorkelling, but I think we will play the whole day by ear, to see how Emily is feeling. As long as I can write, eat, and spend some time outside (preferably by water) I will be a happy camper. I came here to relax, spend time by the ocean, and see Emily – the details are up for grabs.
pm update
Aaaaah so fun. Emily was feeling better. We went to the publix grocery store near her house (through a funny street that went through a parking lot) and bought bagels, lunch stuff, and guava juice
THEN we went to Don Pan (name?) to get me a café con leche and a couple pastries (of course!) living the life!!!
THEN we drove to the beach for another day of sun and water and fun and even a bit of activity
AT THE BEACH
We lay in the sun (emily the shade sometimes) and read, we tried stand up paddle boarding (which was so smooth and shaky and strong, and adventuresome and full of shallower spots, and frustrating wind and wave navigation and lying and drifting home)
THEN LUNCH! (at 4pm) pb and j and carrots and water
THEN more reading and lying in the sun and SWIMMING of course in water that became warmer and warmer as the day went on
THEN we decided it was time to pull up our breetches and head to south beach to endure and explore
Emily hated it
I enjoyed it, but I am the tourist, so this makes sense to me.
☺
We people watched, we drove slowly, we witnessed drunk driving, bathing suit walkers, and of course more and more of things you couldn’t imagine but would expect to see in that kind of a charade merry go round type of fancy pants beach place
THEN
We went back to eat haitian food at TAP TAP a place off a big street that served shrimp in coconut sauce, and fried plantains and friend sweet potatoes and NOW it’s time for ice cream! (after finally coming home for a nice shower) and we might even head to a bar to meet up with boys! ☺ what fun in MIAMI

Day 4

And we’re back on the plane again (by we I mean me)… TODAY was and is fun too.
We woke up around 9:30 (Emily earlier than me). The lovely sound of buzzing construction above our heads woke us into a bleary feeling of landing right in the middle of a construction site.
Breakfast at home – half of a leftover pastry and bagel. THEN we decided we would try out a beach near Emily’s work (or rather the garden that she works for – more on that in a bit).
We made our way to the botanical garden and stopped there first. Green, luscious plant after plant and shared information from Emily about many of the different species and creations we saw. Outstretched ponds, colorful plants, bright sun… so Florida!
THEN we decided to pick up lunch at a little juice bar nearby. We grabbed empanadas, smoothie, chips and hummus and made our way to the beach – Virginia Key (on Key Biscayne island). Doug met us at the beach. We all rolled up like we were in some movie – I can just see it now and imagine it then in the moment – craving that kind of life still – some mindless job, and just fun after fun with friends.
Then, sand and salt and all, we drove right to the airport and I checked in for my 5pm flight back to La Guardia. Never before have I gone through security in a wet bathing suit, and beach dress! Hasta luego Miami!