little haiti BBQ/The Yard

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the BBQ on 2nd ave NE
finally the stylish looking woman that grills the chicken and the ribs
lets me take her photos -
she liked the couple of 4x6s prints of her storefront i gave her.

her son sells CDs and DVDs inside -
for 3 dollar i get a small plate of chicken spicy rice and beans and
spicy pickles.

haitians like italians like chicken legs more than the white meat.

i am surprised to see chinese green tea with low sugar for sale -
15 calories vs `150/180 calories of
sodas sweetened with corn syrup.

-- a cuban woman asks me if i am from argentina - she tells me i look
like i am from there -
she has a tattoo on the neck and a chihuahua in her arms -
i ask her what is she doing in the haitian neighborhood -
she says it is the only place where landlords let her keep her pets
without charging extra fees and deposit.
she pays 350 a month for a 1 BR apt.
---
a guy on probation asks me to make a call to the probation office -
it closed hours earlier - he seems not on top of it - i suggest him to call his lawyer and go the next day in person -
he has no money for the bus -
i give him a couple of bucks he did not ask for -
a soda and a RIDE.
he has the expression of someone with good intentions that made wrong choices in life.

---

at the yard hangout - that is how the place where people play dominos is
called
the chicken is getting marinated and kids are playing.

there are some free rooster -
african kind of chickens that are never eaten just kept as pets.

i drink a guinness and a couple of shots of these herbal haitian liquors
bois coshon [literally "wood pig"].

there is a 8 year old kid -
i met his 25 year old mother

he wants me to take pictures of him an d see them on the LCD of my camera -
i ask about his dad.
he tells me he passed years ago - he went to Haiti they chopped his head
off and never gave the body back.

--
riding back to south beach 8 miles away
it is very windy as usual
my legs spin a bit faster just a little tipsy and
still hungry
for pizza

temperature drop/surf waves

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---

"aren't you cold?"

a bunch of different surfers kept asking me as i was swimming with my
camera at 4 30 / 5 pm today jan 2nd.

the waves were nice -
the outside temperature was probably below 55 - the strong wind was a
bit chilly
25 degrees F less than yesterday.
in the water i felt fine - it was certainly warmer than outside -
and swimming against the current - fighting the waves constantly keeps
you warmer than standing on a table.
i wish i got in the water earlier as the sun was getting too low on the
horizon -
and those 3 towers they built in recent years block large portions of
the sun in the last hour of daylight

the spots in the shade felt cold and i wished that south pointe tower
would just be demolished as an insult to the skyline - an insult to
tasteful architecture - an insult to the right of people to enjoy the
beach at sunset.

--
my underwater 240 dollar camera
i wish i got the pentax optio W30 instead of the olympus stylus 790 SW.

some reviewer from a scuba website wrote me that the camera I got looks
sexier -
but i'd rather have an uglier camera that does not have movie limits in
movie lenght and that is waterproof for 2 hours instead of 1.
what you do with it, substance, features feel more sexy to me than just
looks-
and i feel strange when people refer to some gadget as "sexy" -
or to a friend as a "buddy".
--
the colors are not bad - but i need to watch for droplets on the lens -
actually the pentax has a special coating that prevents water drops to
stick on it-

usually i to research what i buy -
i read an articke about smart shoppers that was really interesting

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/business/yourmoney/22money.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

well I just got reminded that impulse buy is not smart.

with a little research i should have found out earlier that the pentax
optio x30 is the fave camera among whitewater kayakers and paddlers that
post on related websites.

anyway my DSLR is way better shoots faster and has so much more tonal depth - a richer histogram.

---

NYrs Evei was tired - rode 120 miles the 4 days before -
with my camera on my neck -
it is not so much of a distance -
but also had been swimming a lot
and i had heartburn for days from the energy drinks i drank to drive
down here - the indian food - and some stress in my mind -

now back on smoothies - oats and grains - some cuban sandwiches -
i love publix - half a gallon of organic vanilla soymilk is just 2.79
and they sell frozen ruhbarb that i love blended with bananas peaches
apples OJ ginger and soy milk.

i don't iunderstand how florida orange juice is more expensive in
florida than in new york city.
doesnt long distance shipping cost a lot?
isn't real estate more expensive in manhattan?

anyway i love publix and wild oats is good too- although not as good as
food bazaar in brooklyn and wholefoods on houston street -

i wonder if there is some cuban market that sells great exotic fruit
like the chinatown market on rutgers and henry streets

---
so i just rested -
i went to swim at dusk on new years day -
the water was calm as a lake -
there was a dark rainy cloud..

---
a surfer was asking about my camera -
he told me miami is no good for surfing - you gotta go to south america -
he was italian as well i could not hear it in his accent and he could
not hear it in mine -
he works at this place la locanda

which means "the inn"
in italian

little haiti markets -> jimbos

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map/route
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1521471


swam in the waves and in the early afternoon
rode my bike over the venetian way to downtown miami.

feels great having my own 2 wheels -
i see things in a different way and get to places faster.


and such a more accurate ride than a beach cruiser - the road bike goes
where i want to
and handlebar brakes feel a lot safer than pedal brakes.

--

downtown fancy hotels and fancy high rise condos -
with passed out homeless and crackheads just one block away.

so many here just drive to these gated dwellings.
just drop off their cars to the valet parking guys for a 15 dollar.
hard to see the poverty just around the corner.
--
On North Miami Ave there is a yard sale -
an older hatian guy and a younger Bahamian.
I ask him if I should go there with my free jetblue bonus ticket, but
mexico seems a more convenient option.
--
$erge, the artist, is painting a martin Luther King Mural on Martin
Luther King Boulevard which is 62nd st NW by the I95.


---

In the houses nearby some people just chill out drink beers and smoke
blunts on their porches

--

There is a market a few blocks down
some women sell vegetables out of their pickup trucks or tables.
pumpkins, turnips, macaroni is what they sell.
no fruit at all.

I switch to french when I kid asks me if i speak the language.
he lets me take his picture -
when i show some prints of the vodou ladies I took a few nights before
his mother and her friends let me photograph them.
it is always good to carry with me some 20 cent walgreens prints.

---
I love the architecture of downtown miami -
old buildings and new high rises blend and match
upscale and desolate -
empty lots
and sleek towers -

adjacent worlds apart.

---

on the causeway to key biscayne
it is already dark -
on Virginia key on my way to the dive bar Jimbo's
there are no street light but
the moon is bright and I can see the road ahead of me.

people are playing bocce on the most uneven field [?]

a south beach girl is getting drunk with her apparently german fling.

some latino photographer is shooting a semi naked latina girl wearing a
furcoat in the backseat of a convertible car.

---

my odometer says 28 miles - i get some 2 dollar bud lite can and 2
dollar smoked fish.
8pm ride back to south beach
36 miles total
my feet and my butt are sore -
my legs are ok.
need better cycling shoes and maybe padded shorts rather than swim trunks

cape florida-jimbos

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miami resolution.
20/30 daily miles on my bike.

here it is easy to ride a long time without stopping - there are some
climbs on the causeways
and the sweat on the back dries fast rather than turning into chilly
dampness like in nyc now.

yesterday there were too many jellies in the water to swim carefree.
i did touch a couple and i think i got stung on once on my foot.

last night rode to 77NW at the end of little haiti - looking for more
places to shoot - what has changed.
they opened and independent/hipster record store next to churchill's pub
http://churchillspub.com/
on NE 2nd av.
i get some Malta drink at the bodega -
there is a mass on the lot outside -
a young preacher talking in the PA about Jesus Christ's suffering to
save humanity.

---
today after a swim -
craving for larger waves i rode to Key Biscayne -
south of Miami Beach.

about 15 miles away.
such a different scene,
sailboats, kayaks
people riding nice road bikes,

in south beach i see mostly heavy and slow beach cruisers with rusty chains.

--
crandon park on
http://www.key-biscayne.com/kb/beaches/crandonbeach/beach1.shtml

http://www.key-biscayne.com/about/light.html

thick vegetation mangroves sailboats and quiet beaches.

ran into a curious raccoon and some turkey sized vultures.
some elder guys with telescopes -
they let me look at the sun.
just a fuzzy red dot in the telescope.
--
found that dive bar Jimbos on Virginia Key
had a Bud Lite and some smoked fish for 2 bucks -
they told me to come back sunday -
they have music and people start drinking in the morning.

it is on the waterfront surrounded by ficus trees
--
my odometer says 39.5 miles - gmaps says 37.88...
i think the odometer might be more accurate.

it was nice to get off the bike seat...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1515903

brighton beach - russian snack/turkish coffee

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----
i biked on a rainy night and drove on a sunny day

i wanted to see the ocean and buy cheap fruit in Brighton beach

under the elevated train there is always a dim shade -
and intermittent noise

tin Brighton beach
mostly Russian and Caucasian [from the Caucasus] people
Turkish-like food
kosher yogurts
a lot of fruit and vegetable stores.

one starbucks
and no bars at all in sight,
--
from a food stand on the street
for 2 dollars
i buy a baked bun
filled with ground lamb meat and spices.
it tastes amazing but i eat it too fast.
i wonder if it is Russian or Turkish food -
it might as well be just from Uzbekistan,
--
i get an apple pastry and Turkish coffee at some old bakery.
one woman is wearing bright fuchsia lipstick and flashy watch and jewelry.

she speaks little English and she lets me take her picture...
another woman translates for me her question "do you like Russian girls?".

it is hard to give diplomatic answers to blunt questions sometimes.

---

on the boardwalk
it feels way windier and colder -
i wish i had a warmer sweater and gloves.

2 old Russian guys are playing chess on a bench

they speak almost no English

the larger guy seems to be going to win easily -
but he loses his queen -
i cant understand why he did that move-
and his game is over in a few minutes.

---
prospect park a few days earlier -


Chinatown markets

Baxter street bail bonds -

the usual intimidating angry signs you always see in nyc

hurricane noel / swim

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hurricane noel off the florida coast
40 mph winds

the weather changes every 15 minutes sunny and windy then gloomy cloudy rainy downpour.
on the beach red flag and no one allowed in the water flag.

the only few people are surfers and bums.

the homeless of miami beach don't want to send their nights in the shelters in downtown miami.
"full with crazy crackheads"

i drive from the beach to the city -
some streets are flooded -
i help my friend download her travel photos to her iMac G5.
so slow - just because Apple for years sold computer with insufficient RAM to do anything but write letters and emails.
60 dollars in memory would compensate for years of slowness and frustration -
the view from the high rise is stunning - the bay and the fog moving in fast.

at 6 30 i go to the beach
some very big waves - but the whole ocean is tumbling and rolling.

it is hard to swim - the wind just pushes me south.

very few surfers try hard - but too many waves one after another -
there are no lifeguards -
this time
it is too much of a challenge and too little fun.
i could stay longer and try harder -
but the blisters on my toes turned into woulds -
the fins rub on those.

hurricane swells/miami beach

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2.5 days


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Tuesday morning

there is an hurricane not far from here - somewhere near the island of
Hispaniola.
i went to the beach in the morning -
big or huge waves one after another -
not many surfers in the water.
too windy.

it looked more scary today -
like no gap no peace between the swells

the current felt strong and violent
like a river
if i stopped swimming i would find myself 100 yards south just in a few
instants

i saw a small Portuguese man of war -
i decided to swim back
the wind was very strong
a couple of big waves crashed on me violently -
and i knew i just have to let go
and wait until i can see and feel where the bubbles go
---
Sunday/before


life guards bugged me
wouldn't let me swim past the surf
so i swam in the surf
sand and salt in my eyes

cool couple with kids
i am sure they don't watch TV
the kids are happy
the mama wears a ramones cap

many women with silicon in their chest
just laying on the beach
i don't know how looking so artificial can be attractive.

24 block swim in the riptide
the lifeguards threatened me not to go past the surf
dehydrated salty mouth and face and bloodshot eyes and blisters on my toes
too much sand in the water.
past the breaking point is so much easier and nicer to swim.

my eyes burn for 2 days - i need drops
and iodine tincture on my toes.

--
in the park by the beach
some bums
collect ripe coconuts with a pole and a bin
it will pay for the cheap
beers they drink out of cans
morning day evening

1333 miles - nyc->miami drive 1

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brooklyn to miami
1340 miles door to door

gas station in NJ.
toilet is broken -
attendant tells me to “pee pee” on the corner.

motel on exit 97 Goldsboro NC.
40 bucks incl tax discounted sat nite price.
got a coupon booklet at some gas station
VA MD NC SC
and sleep at half price.

no starbuckses on I95 anywhere south of Virginia.
only energy drinks
found a gonji berry one that tastes good

florida oranges sold at gas station -
a bag of fruit advertised for a dollar is just 3 oranges in a plastic bag.
i try a sample - too many seeds.

NY miami 19 hours actual drive - just some stops to fill the tank - pee
- and coffee.



by driving i saw a lot more - places i considered to visit -
and all without having to rush to the airport with the stress of missing
the plane.

no need to book a ticket find a place to park the car -
get a cab or get the subway to the airport
security
cab from destination airport
--


on the beach
surfers waiting for swells that come not very often -
just choppy waves - just strong wind waves.

in miami
went swimming
it was very warm -
you do not have to think it twice to jump in the water -
i went to the boat-limit buoy
it was very windy -
many waves and currents - high tide as well

a couple of ecuadorenans had to be rescued by the life guard -
she told me 15 people had to be rescued -

---
spencer tunick shot a bunch of naked people at the sagamore hotel.
he left my name at the door - but i did not make it on time

i needed beach massage swim rest my back from the 19 hour drive.

italian restaurant - authentic upscale food.

some friends took me to the sagamore hotel
spencer tunick shoot after party -
i asked my friends if the fake blondes with short dresses were hotel
hookers -
but it was just the miami style - apparently.
there was free champagne -
it was nice to drink.
but after 2 days swimming and under the strong sun -
at night i feel like observing and being quiet.

at the sagamore there is so much cool art.
a wall of elliot erwitts - another wall of winogrands -
old school photographers printed smaller size than today -
i saw a tony oursler piece as well.

i wonder who is the clientele -
the music from the PA is very boring and generic
across the street an old store with handwritten prices.
uniforms and other outfits