I traveled to Miami over the New Year’s weekend. It was a busy way to start the year. It was a long journey since I had to first get to central Orlando. I chose to use Amtrak. The famous Brightline train didn’t start at Orlando due to some repairs. So I went with Amtrak. The buses would have been faster but I wanted to try the Amtrak experience.

It took me about 6 hours to get from Orlando to Miami with the coastal route. The alternate route goes through Tampa but is an hour longer.

Amtrak

The Amtrak ride is a comfortable train ride. Your luggage is checked into the luggage compartment. You are seated based on your destination. I was in the front car as people heading to West Palm Beach, Hollywood and Miami were all housed in the first coach. The seats are large with USB ports for charging. Seating is first come, first serve. The conductor labels your destination on the storage bin above so you don’t miss your stop. The dining is very limited. You can go to the dining car in the middle of the train. There are chips, cookies, cup noodles and hot or cold sandwiches. These may run out. I picked up a roast beef sandwich and something to drink. You can either eat in the dining car or take your food back to your seat where there’s a tray table. There were no other dining options.

The ride in itself was okay. There are pockets of beauty with the sun washing over all the Florida fields. However, there are many areas where you’re just passing through the back alleys of industrial area. I was equipped with my audiobooks and a kdrama. So entertained myself. Would I do it again? Probably not. Anything over 6 hours would be painful.

Bayside Marketplace

So Elizabeth, my landlady, was my tour guide for a good portion of my stay in Miami. As a local, she knew all the hot spots and go to places. The only problem was she had the Sunday and Monday off while I had the whole weekend. The first weekend, she drove us along with her dog, Negra to Bayside. We went to the marina, the marketplace and Brickell area.

The marketplace has many stores and local collection of things from Latin American countries. Due to its proximity to the port, there are lots of cruise tourists here.

When we got here on Sunday, the place was super full. Elizabeth ordered her favorite espresso martinis and I had some frou-frou non-alcoholic drink. We did pick up some fridge magnets and then headed to a local Dominican restaurant to eat dinner. Fried chicken and yucca fries.

Wynwood

For Lunar New Year, Wynwood had a Chinese themed event complete with a dragon, pan-Asian snacks and delicious meals. Elizabeth’s cousins joined us for this trip and so we all hung out for a bit at Bakan for lunch and then walked through the rest of Wynwood. This is a very artsy neighborhood known for its street art and graffiti. There are a ton of cafes and restaurants here. Its very colorful and you can meet lots of friendly people who are just here to relax.

Amelia Earhart Park

We came here on a hot afternoon Sunday at about 4. There’s a lot of stuff online about animals etc here. All I saw was ducks and someone riding a horse. There were lots of people having picnics, boat rides, kiddies trains, parties and one couple even doing their wedding shoot in all their wedding regalia. It’s got a separate dog park for small dogs and large dogs. Overall, there’s lots of grass and tree cover. It’s a nice place to walk. It’s massive and you can spend a good 2 hours walking. I highly recommend that you have company though because it’s a hugs park, lots of secluded areas and many water bodies.

Hialeah

This is the alternative to Calle Ocho. Hialeah is the quintessential Cuban neighborhood. If you want authentic Cuban food or bakeries, then Hialeah is the cheaper version of Calle Ocho with everything and its staff from Cuba. I was here almost every week because my parish, the Church of the Immaculate Conception was here. Hialeah also has lots of stores that aren’t present in other parts of the city.

Work

I spent a lot of time at the clinic. Every one of my colleagues was from a different country. We spent a lot of time at the clinic and even outside talking about the clinic, haha. My attending was super nice and even bought us food to celebrate little happy moments. I absolutely loved working here. From sharing tequenos to dealing with life, it has been amazing working here.

Miami Beach

When we went to Miami Beach, it was super crowded. This was a little before spring break. The beach was full. It seemed like everyone in Miami was at the beach. The first time we came here, we just walked along the sand. The bars and restaurants were all full. By then it was also Lent, so food options were limited. Elizabeth grabbed some coffee and I got gelato. The beach itself is nice. The surface under the water is kind of rocky, so it was not really ideal. I dipped my feet in the water and we just walked. We waited thirty minutes to get a picture near the sign because the place was full.

Biscayne Beach

A few weekends later Miami Beach had been so full, Elizabeth decided we should just head to another beach. And that was Biscayne beach. Elizabeth came fully prepared. Chairs, cooler, beers, drinks, snacks, her own speaker, bachata music, and what not. We went for a swim and Negra went swimming with us and we spoke to quite a few people. It’s a friendly place and we had a very good time. The wait to get into the beach area though was almost one hour. There is a large tree cover here and a shorter distance to the water. I was hesitant about the water but once I was in, I didn’t want to get out. We started packing up by 6 because the sun was setting and there is very little light on the beach after. All our pictures were taken after the water so for some reason, they’re all very dark in the fading sunlight.

Celebrating Match Day @ Aventura Mall

The day the match results were out, Elizabeth suggested we go to Aventura Mall to celebrate. I wanted to have dinner out. It was a Monday evening and I was sooooo happy. I have to say, it probably was one of the happiest days of my life. We drove all the way to Aventura Mall and hung out here. It was jam packed. At Tap 32, we could only get a place by the bar. Elizabeth bought me dinner and we spent a while here talking. She was giving me a sorts of advice about renting apartments and furniture etc. People find it so hard to believe what medical people have to go through. She was amazed when I explained the whole process to her. Anyway, I’m not sure why I have lost all the pictures of the mall and I was so giddy with everything that happened that I didn’t take that many.

Frost Science Museum

The last week in Miami, I chose to go to the Frost Science Museum. I saw the planetarium and caught the show narrated by Lupita Nyong’o. Then I went to the aquarium and dinosaur exhibits. I think I have more pictures of this day than I have of my entire 3 month stay in Miami.

You can cover all of Frost museum in a day. I came here as soon as it opened. Booked my tickets online and first saw the morning show at the planetarium. You can touch the stingrays in the open aquarium. The dinosaur exhibit has lots of small details. There are smaller exhibits by different organizations and groups. Right across the science center was the Perez art Museum. So the entire walkway has sculptures of digs and cats. You can walk along the shore and sit by the water outside into the heart of downtown Miami.

Miami train loops

After the trip to the science center, I rode the Miami Omni loops. They can take you through downtown Miami and Brickell for free. They loop around these areas and are a nice way to catch the skyline.

What’s to love/not to love about Miami

Love about Miami:

People are friendly and love to talk.

The food is amazing.

The bakeries are just out of this world.

The train system is fantastic.

Not to love about Miami

People mostly speak Spanish and insist that you do. You cannot get around if you don’t have some basic Spanish.

The bus transport system is always late and unreliable. Passes are available at select stations only. There is no bus transfer system unless you get a bus pass.

Miami is a party city. Things get going here after 11 pm. I am usually asleep by 9. So I couldn’t go out to a lot of these. I just didn’t have the energy or interest to hit up any of the nightclubs and dance places. I was happy by the beach which I went to every chance I got.

Miami is expensive. I found it more expensive than NY.

Au Revoir Miami

I flew out of Miami International Airport. It’s sparse. The only good places to eat are before security check and immigration. After that, it’s all fast food and there’s limited quantity. The seating is quite limited and many people were sitting on the floor. The best part is they have the latest gadget for security and you don’t need to take out your electronics from your carry on.

I have made some really wonderful friends in Miami. My attending, my colleagues, my landlady and her family. I will not forget this place, because of all the good things that have happened to me here. March 2023 has been the happiest month of my life. I was giddy all through the last few days. I hope you enjoyed my pictures from Miami.

Miami is a reflection of where its people come from. It’s different from the rest of the country in many ways. I have brushed up whole lot of my Spanish out of necessity. It has been a great learning experience. My next stop…. Philly!!!!!!!