Miami: Reality Show
(Published in November 2001 in Vogue, International Edition)


     Miami is that city in which the glamour of the stars is mixed with the dollars of the coke dealers. The city with more silicone and fortune hunters by the square inch. The rich are very, very rich and the famous, really famous. Miami is the great art deco set of a 1920’s movie with Barbies and pansies all over that make this city snobby. 

     Unfortunately, here they only rise above the news of sharks, hurricanes, crocodiles and reactionary Cubans. Yes, "all that can exist, exists," but they pass unnoticed.  

     As soon as you land, you get the following impressions: First: the impact of 96 degrees. Second: just try to find your luggage and get a taxi (your wallet is already beginning to suffer). Third: I-95. (This is an interstate that is called the Endless Line. The highway goes to New York. I sincerely believe that the torture goes all the way to the Statue of the Liberty). 

     Relaxation, finally. Miami Beach. A Caribbean with dollars, skyscrapers and palm trees, more dollars than palm trees. The glamour of glamour. Stars without makeup on terraces, gyms all over as well as Playboy bunnies. If you arrive in the evening on the isthmus of Miami Beach, one shivers contemplating the reflection in the sea of the neon skyscrapers and the Metro Rail that crosses them, as if it was a flying train that travels on a rainbow.  

     A permanent exhibit of magnificent restaurants and stores of the most prestigious designers in the world offer the public a selective option, among others things, in having a good vacation.  

     To visit Miami is to travel along Ocean Drive, where the renowned Italian designer, Gianni Versace, lived. Here one can enjoy the beach all day, every day of the year, and at the same time visit elegant stores of top brands such as GAP, GUESS, ARMANI EXCHANGE, HUGO BOSS, BENETTON, KENNETH COLE and, of course, the store of GIANNI VERSACE. Avenues like Collins, Washington, Lincoln Road or Alton Road invite you to enjoy good international food in exclusive restaurants like Larios, Van Dike Café, and Café Milano. Evening is ugly and bold in Miami Beach. No one swims nor are they abnormal or different since everyone different. In the Space, you can dance in a large futuristic record store and, in just a few seconds, move your bones to the rhythm of Celia Cruz. 

     In Miami, the hotels are tourist attractions, like the Hotel Delano where Madonna lived and where recognized artists like Ricky Martin record his videos. One can also find the recently-opened Mandarin Hotel and Hotel Clevelander that adjusted their prices for wallets of all types, or the Biltmore, located in the area of Coral Gables, where Al Capone relaxed.

     And since fun is not counter to culture, it is recommended that you visit gallery exhibits of prestigious artists like Romero Britto, and the Jackie Gleason Theater. Logically, we should not lose the opportunity to be spectators at the Metrozoo, the Miami Seaquarium or the Parrot Jungle.

     In spite of being surrounded by some eccentricities, Miami is the capital of famous McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other fast food joints considered an important part of the consumption of tourists, inhabitants of Florida, and the U.S. in general. Some of the more exclusive malls (shopping centers) are the Bal Harbor Shops and Bayside, where many artists sell souvenirs that light up at concerts and galas. At Bayside, besides restaurants and stores, they offer you the opportunity to sail to all the areas of Start Island, the famous island where figures like Glory Estefan, Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias, and Thalía, among others, live.  

     Adventurers should not forget a boat trip surrounded by crocodiles in the Everglades in the native reservation area of the Mikosuki Indians. This tribe holds the monopoly gambling in the state of Florida. It is unusual to see these Indians running the poker or roulette tables. The fundamental thing is to visit Miami, the great home of the stars, to have money, and much more.


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