Miami Beach - the U.S. Ballermann

We arrived in Florida after a short flight, more precisely at Fort Lauderdale Airport. As we disembarked from the well-air-conditioned plane, we immediately noticed the oppressive heat. In any case, it feels like every vehicle, every house, and every bathroom here is air-conditioned, making the contrast between indoors and outdoors even more extreme. From Fort Lauderdale, we took the Tri Rail train to Miami International Airport to pick up our pre-booked rental car. After Flo's problems with the car rental in Canada, we hoped that everything would go smoothly this time. And it did! We got an almost new VW Jetta - much better than expected.

Now, off we go - first to the motel. Even navigating the partially 6-lane or more highways and the mass of honking, roaring, and aggressive drivers, Flo led us flawlessly and safely to our destination. The impression our motel gave us was one that we would experience several times over the next day and a half: nice and probably a real highlight (in the past 20 to 30 years). We then explored the area by car on the first evening and went to bed early.

The next morning, we took the bus to the tourist heart of Miami: Miami Beach. A separate island connected to Miami by bridges and to be considered more like a city on its own. We had read that the bus is a good and fast way to get around and saves you from the enormous parking fees and a long search for parking spaces. The second and third points were true. The first one not so much. Buses seem to view the schedule more as a rough guideline and apparently are also avoided by most residents - which explains the large number of cars (and traffic jams). The bus ride and our fellow passengers can best be described as a meeting of various curiosities. We felt a bit like in a South American metropolis. Due to the spontaneously chosen bus route, which was not what we expected according to the schedule, we spontaneously planned our trip and first visited the Bayside Market. A 'newly built' waterfront center with restaurants, shops, and tourist facilities that was supposed to enhance this district and make it more attractive for visitors. However, the luster here was already almost gone. Everything seemed a bit outdated and uninviting, so we quickly took the next bus (finally to South Beach). Here we enjoyed the view from the South Beach Pier of the beach and the city skyline. Actually, Miami has everything a stunning city needs: good transportation options, plenty of space, a great skyline, and the sea right at your doorstep. However, there was a bitter aftertaste for us. Everything feels a bit like a pearl from the 70s and 80s that was only somehow maintained after its heyday. Behind the facades, it's a bit shabby and rundown. And even the famous Ocean Drive could not really convince us. The Miami Vice era has long passed. Overall, we felt a bit like last year on our evening in Cala Millor in Mallorca - on one side, a Ballermann-like beach with the usual visitors, then a street that primarily serves to show off souped-up cars and honk (why the hell are people driving cars here and now?!) and on the other side, bars, bars, bars, and in front of each bar, an overly friendly waiter with an oversized menu. However, the beach and bar guests all seem to find it wonderful - Seeing and being seen. But personally, overall, it's not for us.

Impressive, on the other hand, is the weather. When leaving the motel, our glasses constantly fog up because at 30 degrees it is as oppressive, humid, and moist as in the tropics. In the sky, you can constantly see huge thunderstorms and sometimes get caught in a shower. The contrast between bright sunshine and dark clouds is a real natural spectacle but also often leads to the notorious hurricanes in the region.

We kept dinner simple: we each put together our own dinner in one of our favorite supermarkets. What you would more likely know from canteens or buffets, large shops offer here. You can put together a meal from a very diverse selection and then pay by weight. The advantage for us is that here you can also choose a lot of vegetables and salad at moderate prices, which is either not offered in the USA or is very, very expensive. These shops also offer small 'cafés' to sit and eat, so we are well taken care of.

Tomorrow, I (Gerdi) am going to a large shopping center. And I hope Flo doesn't have to 'suffer' too much when he accompanies me.