The day finally came when I got to publish this article - the first from Miami, the first from... America, America, America! 🙂 Traditionally, I start with general impressions and local curiosities, and then there will be recommendations about Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, but also... Key West.

Obviously, this text would have included more details if I had written it on fresh impressions (there were serious reasons), but still, if something remains untouched, I will answer you 🙂

So, here are the most important and interesting details about my first trip to the US and my first destination - Miami, Florida, especially from Miami Beach, where I stayed the most.

1. Visa - This, I think, is topic no.1. Everyone is asking: did they give you a visa?! how did you manage to get a visa?… and so on. Naturally, without it, there is no need to talk or do more, or without a US visa it remains only a dream - well, if we are talking about the quality of being a tourist, there are also other ways, documents...

Because the visa meant a great risk, the tickets were bought with the possibility of being changed to another destination, and the accommodation was only booked, not paid for 🙂 After completing the online application, I paid the official fee – 160 USD, and made the appointment for the interview, which it was not possible earlier than 2-3 weeks after submitting the application.

I think I had two big advantages, thanks to which I got the visa: I applied for a "group" visa - I wasn't going to the USA alone, and I have a passport full of stamps and destinations, I only have about 5 pages left 🙂 and, obviously, checks have been made:

I also have a travel blog but also accounts on social networks full of images from various destinations (I'm proud too)... it seems to me that it's clear that I'm not going to stay there 🙂 not for more than 6 months, according to the law 😀 Not really.

2. Tickets and accommodation - As I said above, they were bought with the possibility of being changed to another destination, in case we don't get the visa, or I bought the tickets much earlier and sat and waited with emotions until the interview. I flew on the Berlin-Istanbul-Miami routes.

And the accommodation can be chosen with partial payment/reservation/with the possibility of returning the payment, in order not to lose money, in case, again, the visa is not…

3. Why Miami? Keeping the beautiful tradition of going warm during the winter holidays, Miami was the optimal destination to combine skyscrapers with beaches, ocean, and sun. And let it be an absolutely new destination, for me even a country, a new direction, a new continent.

4. The Istanbul-Miami flight was my longest flight so far – 11 hours and 45 minutes. I managed to watch 4 movies and sleep for about an hour. Back it was an hour less.

5. Miami is the capital of Miami-Dade County, in the US state of Florida.

6. At the 2000 census, the population of the city itself was 362,470 inhabitants, and the entire metropolitan area, which includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, of 5.5 million people - according to wikipedia.org.

7. Miami is the economic capital of the state of Florida and a world-renowned tourist resort.

8. Miami in 2010 was ranked as the seventh largest city in the United States for finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It was ranked 33rd on the list of cities in the world.

9. In 2008, Forbes magazine named Miami the "Cleanest City in America" due to its year-round air quality, abundant green spaces, safe drinking water, clean streets, and widespread recycling program.

10. Miami ranked first for wealthiest US cities and fifth for purchasing power, according to a 2009 study by UBS.

11. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America". It is the second largest city in the US (after El Paso) with a Spanish-speaking majority and the largest city in terms of the Cuban-American community. On the streets of Miami Beach, you will most likely hear more Spanish than English, or at least equally.

12. Miami and Florida, in general, is a mix of Americans, Mexicans, and Cubans (considering several historical events), so even from the airport I saw more locals, and employees, speaking Spanish and with typical physiques of these countries.

At first impression, you would say that - you are either a few hundred kilometers away in Cuba or a few thousand kilometers away in Mexico. Florida was originally a colony of Spain in the area known as La Florida, which was ceded to the United States as part of the 1819 treaty known as the Adams-Onís Treaty.

It is said that the Spanish gave Florida 5 million dollars (a guide there told us))), but “the historical reality is that no amount of money was paid or received. In reality, new spheres of influence were redefined, the United States received the areas of Florida and Oregon, respectively Spain claimed and obtained control over Texas" - according to wikipedia.org.

This mixture of peoples and cultures is felt in everything - in the spoken language, in the dishes, in the behavior, in the restaurants…

13. Downtown Miami and South Florida are home to the largest concentrations of international banks in the United States and are home to many large national and international companies.

14. For more than twenty years the Port of Miami, also known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been number one in terms of cruise ships and is currently the busiest port in the world in terms of passenger and ship traffic. cruise. It was here that I saw cruise ships of impressive sizes, the likes of which I had only seen in films and photographs.

15. Miami is third on the list of cities with the tallest skyscrapers in the USA, after New York and Chicago. I admired them and the mix of skyscrapers and azure waters is something special, as if from the wallpaper 🙂 Now it remains to get to the other two, to see even more.

16. There was my first encounter with the Atlantic Ocean, with big-big waves and cold water. It's not comparable to the Indian one (which is hot, very hot), but it has its own characteristics and looks/is quite strong, imposing, and with intense colors - so I didn't use filters on the photos, I said to let nature see it the objective.

17. On the beaches of Miami Beach, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited, as also the use of glass products, and sharp objects... And there is no "business" either, except one day someone came with coconuts - 5 USD, the rest are just some caravans selling snacks and lemonades, juices, coffee…

18. Every three, maybe every two restaurants is specifically Cuban or Mexican.

19. Margarita, Mojito, and Corona beer are the most popular drinks, and burritos, tacos, and Cuban bowls – are the most popular dishes. Obviously, American burgers too, although I didn't see them everywhere.

20. The prices. This is the most painful subject in this destination. It's expensive in Miami. And I think it was the destination with the highest prices for food and entrances in certain places. It probably surpasses Dubai in this chapter.

But there are prices and prices, it all depends. And as for food, you can buy products or ready meals from supermarkets and then the budget will not suffer much. For example, in restaurants, small beer is at least $6, a cocktail - is $8-17, a burger - from $13, and a salad - from $8.

If we're talking about meat, you can't spend less than 13 USD per portion. In some cases and the portions are large, but not in all... There is a lot of public transport, including a special free trolley bus that you can travel with. So the solutions are different.

21. Miami is also equivalent to Ocean Drive. Who hasn't heard of the famous street in Miami Beach? Several cinema productions have been filmed and have been sung by different artists in their songs. It's where the fun is, the opulence, the Art Deco buildings, and the Versace villa... so it's the street to go if you end up in Miami.

Miami has its specifics, demands, and prices, but it was and is a dream destination for me. And I think it's nice to get there at least once in your life.

Vacation in Miami also means some personal bests:

  • First trip, first time – in the USA. Dream come true 🙂
  • The first vacation where the time zone was "reverse" and the flight was "reverse" :), not like in Asia and Africa 🙂
  • The longest flight – almost 12 hours
  • The first time I bathed in the Atlantic Ocean

That's all.

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City Guide United States