I do at least one yearly pilgrimage to Miami to visit my family. I went to high school and college there so the place have a certain meaning to me. It is a city made for cars and is very similar to Los Angeles in that respect. Miami is composed of different neighborhoods and by now everyone who's been there is familiar with South Beach, but Miami is more than beaches and hedonistic lifestyle. It is the unofficial hub of Latin America and the Caribbean, and all the cultures that make up that region of the world are well represented here. The strongest influence is from the Cuban community and they are partially responsible for the growth that this city has experienced in the last couple of decades. There is also a huge Nicaraguan and Haitian community that have left their marks in this city. I happen to love Cuban cuisine and advise anyone to try the famous "pastelitos" or pastries. These are basically flaky pastries filled with an assortment of fillings (cream cheese, guava, guava and cream cheese, coconut or meat). Ok, enough promotional talk. I'm starting to sound like a tourism brochure.
Cuban pastelitos
There are many places to see like Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Calle Ocho, etc. by my favorite is Coral Gables. This is an affluent residential neighborhood that is not as touristy as South Beach and remains authentic. I love the architectural sights one can find throughout this area as you can see below:
Coral Gables City Hall
Detail of City Hall
One of a kind clothing stores
Mediterranean style buildings
Captivating architecture
Building details
Not to mention an assortment of good restaurants
Well, you get the picture (pun intended). By the way, in my pursue of photographic subjects I woke up at 6:00A and headed here to take these shots. I guess I must have a passion for photography after all. If you are interested about the camera, I just used a Canon Powershot. No DSLR or fancy equipment. My knowledge of photography is really basic - I am just an amateur and do not consider myself a photographer at all. I just do it for fun.
next...the dark side of US