Memsahib's Voyage

We decided to try something totally different for our two-day stay in Miami, and docked at MiaMarina, a city-run facility smack dab in the heart of the city.  It is totally surrounded by Bay Front Mall, a retail mall with an entertainment theme, since it seemed like every other establishment was a bar or restaurant.  Reminded me of the Duval Crawl — the Miami Melt or something, because if you had a mojito at every place in the mall that sold them, you’d be having something like 30 mojitos.

Our first day we did what loyal Americans do — went to the mall.  Ate in the really good food court, had Starbucks, bought a camera, got some gourmet, organic cat food for Sparta — which she won’t eat.  It’s WalMart Friskies same as her childhood in Alabama, or she won’t eat it.  Maybe I will — $2 a can and it looks pretty tasty.  For our evening entertainment, we sat in the cockpit and mooched off the surprsingly good oldies music blaring out from the Hard Rock Cafe, just one dock over from the boat.

Next day we did a trip to Little Havana, for a great meal at El Cristo restaurant, a diner kind of place where the food is fabulous and (supposedly) totally authentic.  So we tucked into the pork, plaintains, yucca, tamales, red beans and rice and this delicious hamburgey kind of finely-textured stew full of olives, garlic, spices and what I think were sweet plaintains.  I asked our very nice Spanish-speaking waiter what it was and he proudly brought out his best English to inform me it was “Ground Beef.”  “Ah, Ground Beef, bueno, delicioso.”  Again, absolutely wonderful food, but if I ever get to Cuba I will ask to tour the garlic fields — they must be vast.

Arriving, Miami, FL. Or could this be Bobby’s Fish Camp? Nope, Miami.

The Miami River. It’s in there somewhere.

Miami Harbor coming into Mia Marina.

Memsahib at the Mall.

MiaMarina. Central city marinas are really fun.

Miami Heat play in the big building that looks like a spaceship

John at El Cristo waiting for the garlic to settle.