A walk through Little Havana

Little Havana, the soul of Miami’s Cuban culture. Where you can find questionably legal Cuban cigars and Cuban flags on almost every block. Little Havana was a blast to visit. My friends just arrived to Miami and we were in for a treat.

Street Art on Calle Ocho of Latin America , Hugo Morel

Memorial day weekend in Miami is very hectic. When traveling to Miami, try to avoid this weekend. You will not be able to fully experience the city because of the bumper to bumper traffic. Luckily for us, Little Havana and Little Haiti were unaffected.

IMG_20140521_185509 — Cuban and American Flags, Hugo Morel

roster statue, Hugo Morel

calle ocho, Hugo Morel

After finally meeting up with friends, we tour little Havana. Little Havana has many choices of Cuban restaurants. For more authentic Cuban, the best restaurants are on Calle Ocho (8th street). Most restaurants would serve you a huge platter of food for about ten dollars. Some are buffet style, if you want to pig out or want the most bang for your buck, these are the best spots. The only problem with buffet style restaurants, there is a lost of authenticity to the food.

twelve dollar meal including drinks, Hugo Morel

buffet style meal with Cuban “tacos”, Hugo Morel

Something you must do in Little Havana is to walk down Calle Ocho. Walking down Calle Ocho, you get to see more of the Cuban culture. From the Cuban movie theaters to the Cuban liquor. On Calle Ocho, there is a Latin Walk of Fame. Similar to Hollywood’s, The Latin Walk of Fame honors Latinos of celebrity status. This is why, Miami is called, “The Capital of Latin America.”

IMG_20140521_185837 — The Latino Walk of Fame, Hugo Morel

The deeper you go along Calle Ocho, the more influences of Latin America you will encounter. Although, Little Havana will always have Cuban roots, many Latinos from all over have moved in. Specifically, many Central Americans have made Little Havana their home. Little Havana will most likely forever be a center for the Latino community in Miami.

Cuban street art, Hugo Morel

Latino stars street art, Hugo Morel

My Mojito(a cocktail with origins in Havana,Cuba) Hugo Morel

Thanks for taking your time to read this post! Drop a like and a follow. Next week we will be in Little Haiti. Much Love!!

February 13, 2016 35

Boat Ride through Florida’s Everglades

It was a couple of days before the Memorial Day weekend in Miami. So, I decided to go to Florida’s famous Everglades. About two days before my friends came to Miami. It was a nice 2014 Spring day and I was in store for an amazing experience.

At my hostel, I was speaking to the staff. After making some friends, one of them informed me to take a boat tour on the everglades. It is always a good idea to make friends with locals. They recommend you to local attractions that would be overlooked. I paid about 80 dollars for the whole experience. The 80 dollars included the bus ride to and from my hostel.

IMG_20140523_105554 — air-boat tour, Hugo morel

After a 45 minute bus ride, we finally arrived to the Everglades. The air-boats fit about 7 people. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can always sit in the middle of the boat. You are less likely to fall over and get bitten by agitator (just joking).

IMG_20140523_105623 — air-boat. Hugo Morel

Once on the air-boat, we got to see more of the Everglades. It is truly a beautiful place. You can spot tons of wildlife everywhere you turn. From turtles to agitators.

wild life, Hugo Morel

swamp, Hugo Morel

shallow water, Hugo Morel

plants, Hugo Morel

beautiful scenery, Hugo Morel

Unfortunately, due to the strange weather patterns, the Everglades are becoming too shallow for boats to pass through. Many people will be out of work. Beautiful nature is being destroyed. Do what you can to support! Try to recycle more!

Beauty Of the Everglades, edited and taken by Hugo Morel

After the boat tour, you can visit the gift shop. Not many interesting items expect the alligator tail and teeth. If you eat meat, they also sell alligator meat. They also let you pet baby alligators. When you are in Miami, definitely stop by the Everglades.

IMG_20140523_114417 — A Real agitator, Hugo Morel

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. Drop a like and a follow. Next week, we will go to little Havana. Take care and much love!!!

February 5, 2016 27

Welcome to Miami

Like the Will Smith’s song, we arrived in Miami. City of the sun, warm weather, Cuban culture and beaches. After sitting on a plane for three hours, we were so excited to explore this city.

IMG_20140521_180121 — Skyscraper in Miami, Hugo Morel

I took untied airlines to get to Miami. It was inexpensive and I was able to choose my seat. There was a bag fee of 25 dollars for the first bag. Obliviously, I got the window seat!

IMG_20140521_120223 — Miami from a bird’s eye-view, Hugo Morel

Once in Miami, you can either take a taxi or the public transportation. I took a taxi at first, that way I can talk to a local. The taxi cost 40 dollars to get to my hostel and it was worth the money. I was unaware that the memorial day weekend was a major event in Miami. People from all over the country come to Miami to party at this time. We were in for a crazy night.

IMG_20140523_200521 — Downtown Miami, Hugo Morel

There are many high end hotels in Miami. The one I stayed at was not even a hotel, it was a hostel. Hostels are a lot cheaper. I spent 8 dollars a night, in a central location. The hostel was on Collins ave. Staying at a hostel, is a great way to meet friends who have the same interest as you.

IMG_20140522_092434 — Miami Beach, Hugo Morel

After getting settled in my hostel, I had some time before my friends arrived. I started to explore the city. I ended up going to South Miami, a somewhat affluent area. I took the bus and a train to get there. The bus fare for one way was $2.25 and the train, for one way, was the same price. To avoid paying in cash, you can go to a local pharmacy and they should sell metro cards. Keep in mind, that Miami is not a 24 hour city like New York. Most buses stop running after 11 pm. I ended up walking 30 blocks to get a bus that ran after 11 pm. Moral of the story, bring a portable charger.

IMG_20140522_165801 — South Miami mall, Hugo Morel

After a hectic night of trying to get back to my hostel, I woke up at noon and started to explore a little of Miami Beach. I wanted to see Miami Beach before the tourists came. From what the taxi driver told me, there would be bumper to bumper traffic. The picture below was taken while I was walking down Collins ave.