On Tuesday around 4 p.m., Jean Baptiste parked his car across the street from the school. At the time witnesses said three young men appeared to be drunk and urinating in the street. One of those men opened the passenger side door of Baptiste’s car and said “What up?”

Baptiste said he thought it was a case of mistaken identity. So he got out of his car and ignored the men. But two of the men followed him inside.

[worldnow id=7835105 width=385 height=288 type=video]

“Then when I’m walking across the street to go inside the school, they attacked me,” he recalled. “They start swinging at me throwing a punch at me.”

Baptiste said he tried to fight back.

“The one would try to hold me and the other two was throwing the punch,” he said.

He yelled at more than a dozen parents on the sidewalk to call 911. Many did and Baptist tried to run away from his attackers and seek shelter inside the school.

“When I looked they were fighting and the man fell on the ground and they were dragging him, trying to drag him out of the school,” said Deanna Barnett, a parent who witnessed the attack. “He was bleeding at this point, I don’t think he could see out of this left eye cause there was blood and the blood was spouting. I moved away. I didn’t want blood to get on me.”

The three men eventually ran and paramedics rushed Baptiste to the hospital. Police tracked down and arrested two of the attackers, one juvenile and 18 year old Armando Garcia. Investigators are still searching for the third person.

Meanwhile the incident created an uproar among parents. Hundreds of parents met Friday morning with police and school administrators demanding tighter security in and out of the high performing magnet school.

“If you look at the track record history of that school that’s a very safe school,” said Sgt. Ivan Silva. “There’s not that many incidents in that school.”

Silva said police are increasing patrols at Ada Merritt.

“At this time our department does have a security plan in place,” he said. “But we don’t want to disclose that at this time because it might compromise the plan itself.”

2012 marked a historic year for the Miami Marlins. Twenty-twelve was the birth of a whole new team. New uniforms, new players, and a new name were all part of a new start in their brand new home. Located in the heart of Little Havana sits Marlins Park. A majestic state of the art ballpark the Marlins now call home, paid for by your tax dollars. The inaugural year of Marlins Park was an absolute disaster. The team fished up with an embarrassing 69-93 mark. Rounding out the season dead last in the division doesn’t seem like a great way to thank the fans for sponsoring the move from Miami Gardens to Little Havana. Bad seasons happen, it’s part of baseball. Just because the Marlins finally opened their wallets and spent a little cash on the open market didn’t entitle them to anything. They learned that the hard way with the comedy of errors they called a season this year.

The Good

Similar to an abstract painting, you really have to look hard to find the good within the Marlins. Believe it or not, there was some. Jose Reyes was Miami’s prized offseason acquisition. Jose brought exactly what was expected, minus the dreadlocks as they were against team policy. Reyes batted .287 with 11 HR and 57 RBI. He also stole 40 bags. Most importantly, Jose managed to stay healthy throughout the season which was a concern coming in. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton was terrific this year and generated the only buzz the team received. Perhaps the most memorable moment this year for involved Stanton belting a Grand Slam off of the left field scoreboard, actually damaging it temporarily. The player formerly known as Mike batted .290 with 37 HR and 86 RBI. The only obstacle he faced this season was himself. Stanton missed 30 games due to injuries. He was also selected to the National League Home Run Derby team but was unable to participate due to an ailing knee. Another bright spot for Miami was reliever turned closer, Steve Cishek. Cishek was a nice surprise. He relieved Heath Bell of his closing duties and did a pretty bang up job. Cishek pitched 63.2 innings on the year and sported a 2.69 ERA. He also had 15 saves to go along with a 5-2 record. The final positive this year for the Marlins was Marlins Park itself. The stadium in an absolute gem. The park is extremely user-friendly, and the atmosphere really made-up for a lackluster product on the field.

The Bad

The bad is an easy one to identify: The Miami Marlins. The Marlins were just awful this year. The 69-93 record the team posted is a franchise worst in the last 10 years [2011: (72-90), 2010: (80-82), 2009: (87-75), 2008: (84-77), 2007: (71-91), 2006: (78-84), 2005: (83-79), 2004: (83-79), 2003, (91-71), 2002: (79-83)]. As far as specific aspects of the team that were bad, Ace Josh Johnson was fits the bill. This was the year he was expected to return to form. It just never happened for JJ. Johnson struggled through an 8-14 season with a 3.81 ERA. Another guy that was expected to step up was Logan Morrison, he never did. Lomo only appeared in 93 games this year because of injuries. Even when he was in the lineup, he really didn’t make a difference. His .250 batting average, 11 HR, and 36 RBI were not enough to offset the fact that he’s a complete liability in left field. Especially at Marlins Park, where the outfield is extremely specious, Lomo hurt the Marlins much more than he helped them. Now onto Hanley Ramirez. Even while the Marlins were publicly courting Jose Reyes, they were adamant that the team was still “Hanley’s team”. This backfired on the team; Hanley’s attitude was apathetic about making the move to third base and set the tone for his play throughout the first half of the season here in Miami. He would eventually be traded and rediscover his form in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. While not getting production out of third base, Miami received very little production out of first and second. Most of all they got absolutely nothing from behind the plate. The Marlins catchers this season were absolutely terrible. John Buck and Brett Hayes couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. The front office shares in the blame for this shameful season as well. The fire sale at the trade deadline murdered any excitement the team had generated and killed any hopes of getting this thing turned around.

The Ugly

The 2012 campaign got off to a tumultuous start when Manager Ozzie Guillen made some very controversial comments about Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro. There are certain things you steer away from when conversing in Miami, that particular topic is probably the worst of them all. Guillen voiced his respect for Castro and as a result sent the Cuban community into a frenzy. With the season just days old, fans were already calling for Guillen’s job, some, his head. Ozzie would apologize fervently but it would fall on deaf ears. He also came out and said he was bored as manager recently. This has to be the worst display of disrespect to the fan base from a coach in professional sports in recent memory. Not only did he completely insult the culture of the majority of the team’s fan base, his nonchalant attitude towards the team’s performance made it clear how little he cared. Sharing in the Guillen ugliness is none other than Heath Bell. Marlin fans have been thirsty for Heath’s blood since the start of the season. Bell’s blown saves became routine as did the Marlins losing. His blown saves were extremely detrimental to the team as they were ultimately the catalyst for the team giving up. Last but not least, the ugliest of them all is without a doubt the Home Run Sculpture in center field. Whose idea was that? It’s a 73 foot tall eye sore. It’s said to represent Miami. That makes one thing clear; whoever designed it must have been from Idaho.

The offseason will be a busy one for the Miami Marlins; they have much work to do. First and foremost, they must fire Ozzie Guillen quickly and find a replacement. Names to be a top the list include former Marlins Mike Lowell, Jeff Conine, and Mike Redman. Next, they need to reevaluate the talent on the team and cut payroll wherever possible. This means that Heath Bell, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle, might not be in a Marlin uniform next season. By freeing up some cash, they can once again attack the free agent market, though not as star-studded as last year, the market still has players that can contribute. Lastly, it would behoove the Marlins to make a change in the front office as far as the general manager goes. They’ve experienced 10 years of bad drafts and trades and have suffered miserably because of it. Now is the perfect time do clean house. The new stadium is keeping fans interested so attendance is almost guaranteed. Getting rid of the manager and gm will give the Fish the fresh start they need.

Next stop I will take you to a European country which is famous for its soccer, bullfight, royalty…and also delicious food. Have you gotten the answer? Right, it is Spain!

Today I will introduce a very famous Spanish restaurant in Miami called “Casa Juancho”, in which it’s also the best Spanish restaurant I have been to. Casa Juancho has been bestowed numerous awards and proclaimed by various national magazines as a “must” when dining out in South Florida.

A very striking Spanish flag at the entrance.

Casa Juancho is located in the district of little Havana. The building is very characteristic; you may think it is an old Spanish house at first glance when you walk by it. Actually, that was my feeling when I walked into the restaurant. I felt I was invited to a big home party in Spain. The atmosphere was very nice, warm, and welcoming.I was greeted by an enthusiasm Spanish lady. Besides, the wonderful classic décor, dressed in traditional Spanish costume servers, and the striking Spanish flag…everything comes to my eyes was telling me I was in Spain.

I can’t wait for eating the delicious Dorada a la Sal.

I went to Casa Juancho with my friend Shaoyong. It was the first time to eat there for both of us. The menu selection is huge. We were very confused about what appetizer to start with. So we asked the recommendation from our waiter Juan. He was very patient and explained every dish for us. As we known that Spanish cuisine is famous for the seafood, so we finally ordered Almejas a la Marinera which is littleneck clams in a marinara sauce. You can’t imagine how amazing Marinara sauce was taste like; I even ate my bread with it. Juan was shocked when he saw us finish everything including the sauce. We were a little bit embarrassed, but it was really delicious.

My waiter was interested in my new iPhone5, I showed it to him after he served water.

For the entrée, we were unanimous. You can never go wrong with Paella Valenciana which is the most famous Spanish dish. Sure, it takes 45 minutes to prepare, but it is really worthy. The taste was beyond my expectation.

Our waiter Juan was serving Paella Valenciana for us. 

Another entrée we ordered is Dorada a la Sal which is gilthead sea bream baked to perfection in a crust of sea salt. It is also a very typical Spanish dish. It’s kind of chewy but it helps me to get a better taste of its flavor.

Dorada a la Sal

Also, the service process that Juan took the fillet out of the crust of sea salt was wonderful.

When we were enjoying our food, a Spanish musical group came to every table to play the tradition Spanish music. The atmosphere was very warm and cozy from the dim lighting. I enjoyed in that ambiance.

They also have a bar which offers different kinds of liquor. I saw a group of people were sitting on the bar and chatting with each other. They were enjoying themselves in a very relax way.

People are relax on the bar.

Various dessert are waiting for you.

At last, I really recommend Casa Juancho for you who love Spanish cuisine, and want to experience Spanish culture. You will be sure to taste authentic Spanish cuisine without crossing the Atlantic. It is also a good choice to go eat there with a group of your closest family and friends. Because it just like a sweet home that you can be very relax to enjoy your time. I will definitely go back again! What are you waiting for? Come with me!

Have you had a good experience in Casa Juancho? What is your favorite food there? Or you can share your favorite Spanish restaurant with us. I’m looking forward to listen to your story.

By Sheng Jin

Miami demonstrated why.

Sofitel Miami

It began in the hotel. I am normally not impressed with anything hotel related. One star or four it is still just a bed, TV, and normally a small desk and chair. Sometimes small variances but Salt Lake City or Siam, still the same old bed, TV, and maybe some stock art in a frame bolted to the wall.

My room at the Sofitel Miami had a zebra print desk chair and a the lounge chair set at an angle facing the window, not the TV. It got my attention.

Then the city.

Art deco in cinder block and pastel colors may not be my top choice in architecture but when it is everywhere, when it is a theme repeated in everything, it creates atmosphere. It creates what is my biggest answer to those who question city living and wonder why I cringe at strip malls. I like a feeling of place. I like to feel that wherever I am is somewhere.

Miami did that. It felt like somewhere.

Tamiami Trail, Little Havana

A friend of mine learned of my travel plans and suggested, adamantly, that I go visit Tamiami Trail aka Little Havana. He said I would like it. He is a smart guy.

City living

I’m not sure why a place with chickens roaming free appeals to me, but it does. I do not want chickens myself, but I like being where others do. Miami had chickens.

Miami also has cigars. Now realize that not only do I not smoke but my religion forbids it. That being said I found watching people roll cigars by hand fascinating.

Little Havana

Perhaps the crudest blade I have ever seen.

Some places that claim an ethnicity feel forced or fake, normally this happens when history has passed by and lame efforts of retrospective celebration are made. My neighborhood sports many more shamrocks than it does Irishmen, but little Havana worked.

Celia Cruz and Lincoln, a natural pair.

Driving down the Dolphin expressway holding back the urge to curse how everyone was driving ten mph slower than the limit, looking at decor that looked like my 1984 Traper Keeper, and listening to the Miami Vice theme in my head, I decided I like Miami. It feels like somewhere. It is not my style. It is not my favorite. But I would like to go back. I would like to spend more time in a place that is not a Target, not an Olive Garden, not a Wal Mart.

University of Miami

Rest in peace Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia.

CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald reports DePorter and his dental professionals work at Community Smiles, a non-profit clinic and training institution in Miami. They were shocked by the work an unlicensed dentist in Little Havana performed on a young girl earlier this year.

Last week, City of Miami police officers arrested Humberto Francisco Pérez for providing dental care without a license and causing permanent damage to the girl, who is now 15, from his home clinic in February.

The young victim is now in the hands of dentists at Community Smiles who say the repair work will take years, and there’s no guarantee of success due to the damage. The brutality of the case also resonated with leaders of the organization, which houses one of three post-doctoral residency programs in South Florida that train foreign dentists.

“The reason this case bothered me so much is because our own residents are working so hard to do things the right way, the legal way,” DePorter said. “Some were professionals in their home countries for more than a decade, but when they got to the U.S. they decided to do everything that’s necessary in order to become licensed to practice here.”

Claribel Agramonte, the victim’s mother, has said she believed that Pérez was a licensed dentist. According to her, Pérez said he’d been a dentist in Cuba for decades and offered to repair her daughter’s broken tooth for $500.

Agramonte, an immigrant herself from the Dominican Republic, said it didn’t seem so strange that Perez’s clinic was in a back room in his house.

“That’s something that you see pretty often in the Dominican Republic,” she said.

Instead of simply repairing the fractured edge of her front tooth, Pérez decided to do more without her mother’s permission or knowledge. He saw that the girl needed orthodontics and came up with a quick and painful fix. He drilled down her four front teeth until there was very little left, damaging the nerves in her teeth. Finally, he created a sort of dental bridge out of a metal compound he had melted himself.

The result: Four metal crowns with some type of porcelain or porcelain substitute, a cartoonish bridge that Agramonte described as looking like rectangular pieces of gum. It had been a painful process for her daughter, both during the visit and in the weeks that followed. Finally, when her daughter’s gums began to blacken, Agramonte sought help at a licensed dental clinic. The dentist there is also a volunteer at Community Smiles, and he referred her to the program.

The experience traumatized the young girl, said Dr. Peggy Alvarez-Panabad, chief resident at the advanced education in general dentistry program at Community Smiles.

“You barely put your hand near her mouth, and she begins to cry,” said Alvarez-Panabad, who is handling the case under the supervision of faculty. “Treating her is difficult not only for her, but for the dentist who is treating her. We try to make the environment as safe and comfortable as we can for her.”

At first, Agramonte reported that the shoddy dental work had been done in the Dominican Republic. Later, the dentists at Community Smiles learned she was afraid to report Pérez to authorities.

Alvarez-Panabad said other patients have come into the clinic with dental work that doesn’t quite meet U.S. standards. In those cases, patients say they received dental care in their home countries, often in the Caribbean, or Central or South America.

“But even then, we’d never seen anything so severe from another country,” she said. “This was simply brutal, the way you might treat an animal. And you don’t even do this to animals.”

Pérez isn’t the only unlicensed dentist arrested recently by local authorities. Last week, for example, police arrested John Collazos, who they say operated a clandestine clinic in a Davie warehouse district.

In both cases, Florida Department of Health (DOH) investigators worked with local police. Ashley Carr, a DOH spokeswoman, asked that those who know of or suspect that somebody is offering dental or other health care services without a license report the cases to her agency.

In this current fiscal year, DOH investigators have looked into 37 cases of unlicensed dentistry. In the past five years, the agency has investigated between 42 and 142 cases each year.

It’s unclear what kind of dental training Pérez, 81, received in his home country, Cuba. He now faces nine felony charges ranging from child abuse to practicing without a license, and is out on bond while he awaits trial.

DePorter said this case highlights the need for the public to know there are affordable alternatives to unlicensed care. This year, Community Smiles will provide approximately 8,000 patient visits to low-income individuals who receive care at little to no cost, depending on their dental needs and financial means. The clinic is handling Agramonte’s daughter’s case pro bono.

“Our mission is to serve the underserved and everyone associated with Community Smiles is committed passionately to this cause,” he said. “We are here to help those who don’t have the financial means to seek dental care in private practice.”

Alvarez-Panabad recognized that it isn’t easy for foreign professionals to obtain the certification they need in order to practice in this country. But she said it’s unacceptable to do the work without a license.

In her own case, Alvarez-Panabad emigrated from Venezuela 15 years ago to marry. In the process, she left behind a burgeoning career as a dentist.

As the years passed in Miami, she took English courses and trained to be a dental assistant and hygienist. There were some personal interruptions – like having and raising her young daughter – that also delayed her dream. But finally last year, Alvarez-Panabad entered the post-doctoral residency program at Community Smiles.

“It’s taken me several years to get to this point but I think you end up putting more value into what’s been a challenge,” said Alvarez-Panabad, who next year will qualify to take the state board exams to practice dentistry in Florida. “My experience here has been incredible. I wake up each morning happy to come in.”

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)

We took in a little Cuban culture and visited Azucar Ice Cream Company on the “main street” (8th Street) in Little Havana, less than 10 minutes from my  house.

Azucar is an artisanal ice cream and sorbet boutique.  Normally I would not indulge an ice cream parlor by repeating their marketing material’s fluffy words, but the creator of Azucar went to Penn State’s Ice Cream University and has her  abuela’s (grandmother’s) passion for creating tropical ice cream flavors “tattooed on her soul”, y’all. These Latino sabores are for real!

The Cafe Con Leche (coffee and Oreo) was to die for and the Elvis(peanut butter and banana) looked fabulous too. My little niños did not venture too far from chocolate and vanilla and honestly, I think both flavors could have received a gold medal for best in their class they were both just perfect (oh the fruity sorbet looked wonderful, but even so I always go for the chocolate, it’s just who I am).

So fellow Miamians if you haven’t been to Little Havana since last July (when they opened), run! Azucar is the ice cream bomb.

And to all the others, when you find yourself in this corner of paradise, Azucar is the sp0t where you can get a little taste of Heaven!

Find all of the information that you need on Azucar here on their website.

And now the victim’s mother is speaking out, urging others to use licensed dentists and never trust anyone who is performing dentistry out of their home.

“The message is that people have to be careful with what they do,” said Claribel Agramonte, the victim’s mother. She told CBS4′s Peter D’Oench, “I was just trying to help my daughter and look what happened.”

Miami police on Wednesday busted a couple and their daughter at a home-operated dental office at 1039 SW 11^th Street in Little Havana, according to Miami police spokeswoman Officer Kenia Reyes.

Humberto Perez, 81; Maria Perez, 69; and Odalis Hernandez-Perez, 41, were arrested and were charged with performing dental services without a license and two charges of child abuse, said a statement from Officer Reyes. Maria Perez and Odalis Hernandez-Perez bonded out of jail late Wednesday night.

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The child abuse charges came after the 14-year-old’s mother reported her daughter’s teeth were permanently disfigured following work at the clinic.

“My daughter was crying all the time and they didn’t stop,” said Agramonte. “They just gave her more anesthesia. I feel really bad because my daughter is suffering and she’s going to stay suffering.”

“Because I heard my daughter crying and crying, I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said. “I had to go outside so I couldn’t hear it anymore. I hope no other family goes through what we went through.”

“We are from the Dominican Republic where it is common for dentistry work to be done in a home,” said Agramonte. “We thought we could trust this person.”

When the girl’s mother and grandmother took her inside the home-based dental clinic, they saw a fully operational dentist office, the police statement said.

The girl described the room as being small, with pots, medical instruments and teeth, according to the arrest affidavit for Humberto Perez.

Major David Magnusson of Miami Police described the room as “everything a dentist’s office should not be.”

As Humberto Perez conducted dental work on the girl, the young girl said she felt weak and sick.

According to Humberto Perez’s arrest affidavit, he injected a syringe of prescription medication into her mouth to help, then immediately started filing down her teeth.

That’s when, according to the affidavit, the girl told Perez she felt uncontrollable pain.

According to the statement, Perez continued with the dental procedure anyway.

Agramonte told D’Oench the painful procedure went from 10:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

The arrest affidavit for Perez’s daughter claims the 41-year-old told her dad, “Dad, I hate when you work on children. They always put on a show with the crying.”

The girl lost four teeth during two visits to the office and left with an infection that caused her teeth to separate from her gums, leaving them permanently disfigured.

“That’s what happens when someone practices medicine without a license,” Magnusson said.

Agramonte’s daughter, who is now 15, is being treated by a qualified doctor.

“The licensed dentist said that in his 30 years of experience, he has never seen anything as horrible as what they have done to this girl,” Magnusson said.

Detectives believe there may be additional victims that have yet to come forward. It’s not known how long the illegal clinic had been operating.

To report unlicensed activities, contact the Florida Department of Health at 1-800-HALT ULA (425-8852).

Casa Juancho is the best Cuban restaurant that I have ever been to. Every time I walk along the SW 8^th, I was attracted by the mysterious building because I can’t see or hear anything about what’s going on inside. On this Saturday night, my boyfriend and I decided to explore the mystery inside and experience the Cuban food and art behind. It is really an unforgettable dining experience there and we had a lot of fun enjoying the food as well as live music and talking with Carlos who served us delicious food.

 From the moment I entered, I was attracted by the Spanish flag. I felt as if I were in Spain. The authentic brick, red tiles, fabrics, and pottery from Spain create a hospitable atmosphere to enjoy Spain’s cuisine. Everything come to my eyes is like saying “welcome and enjoy”.

Since Casa Juancho is famous for its freshest seafood from Spain and South Florida, we started with a jumbo shrimp cocktail, followed with two entrees—big Florida lobster for me and roast suckling pig for my boyfriend, and a special dessert called Pera al Vino, which is pear poached in the red wine sauce, decorated by fresh strawberry and mulberry. I always believe that food is art not only due to its cooking technique, but also how it is presented to us as well as the history or culture behind.

Carlos is a very nice person. He enjoys working in this pure traditional Spain restaurant. “I love food and would like to see the smiles on customers’ faces when I serve them food.  I’d love to share their happiness” he said when asked about his work. I love their unique uniforms– red for waiters and green for food runners,  that make them professional and light up the restaurant. Since it is Saturday busy night, everyone was busy walking around but enjoying their work and lively music there.

See, this is one shoot of the dining environment. Families or old friends were getting together, talking, smiling, and singing to the live music featuring top Latin hits as well as Spanish Flamenco. The table with a lovely girl under the light were celebrating birthday with wine, beer and beautiful birthday cake. They cannot be happier. In the link below, I took a video of people enjoying dining over the live Latin music given by Lino and his accordion. You want share with me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHOk1TMAN8&feature=youtu.be

I. Little Havana, Miami

“I spent my evening watching the coverage and knitting a pair of socks. I’m going to tell the person to whom I give the socks that they aren’t just any socks; they are historic socks. And also 10% cashmere.”

posted by orange swan at 9:07 PM on November 4

It’s midnight. He is talking.

We’re squeezed into a red Toyota. Either a Corolla or a Camry. Bodies are twisted up out of sunroofs and rear windows, tiptoe on benches and fire hydrants. You don’t see their faces. Just limbs that flail with hand-painted signs about the fate of the world. VOTE.

    HOPE.

       AMERICA.

One says PLEASE. Not McCain or Obama, not God hates fags, not save the whales or lower taxes. Just PLEASE. The woman holding it does not flail. She’s on her knees in front of the curb, head jacked up to the heavens, eyes closed. I remember a coldness creeping into the humid air. Then horns, bells, screams, whistles, curses, chants, weeping. The passage of time, which had accelerated with such certainty for 52 weeks, towards this single day that had itself unfolded simultaneously in past and present tense—all of it finally just snaps. The red Toyota pulls up. The guy inside screams, “let’s go!” Five strangers push in. A gay lawyer from California. A black engineering student from down the street. A middle-aged woman from Peru who only knows Spanish. A steely-eyed man, who I think is her son. And a Canadian who just wanted to be close to it.

The woman wears a stained janitorial uniform. I wish I could remember, right now, the logo on her breast pocket—what make the Toyota was—as we drifted through Little Havana in slow motion, and you could just barely hear him talking on the car radio.

I remember the air conditioning. I remember an old Cuban man in a McCain t-shirt slinging a rock across Calle Ocho at a young Cuban man in an Obama t-shirt. I remember continuing to shiver. I remember the student burying his head in his hands. “I don’t have words,” he said, voice cracking, then falling apart completely. Everyone, all night long: there are no words. I remember the driver turning off the air conditioning. I remember my pocket vibrating again and and again and again with text messages. And it only occurred to me as I began writing a long letter about it in a motel room looking out at a complicated US1 interchange, that we kept shivering in that humid South Florida night because every human being around us was in physical shock.

Like everyone else in the world, I’d given up on America. I hadn’t realized how deeply America had given up on itself as well

II. South Central Los Angeles

“This is what makes history…

it’s people who are historically challenged…

they don’t even know it can’t be done.”

—A stranger that night in Miami

I remember LA, exactly twelve months before, caught at midnight in a neighbourhood my guidebook suggested to “exercise extra caution.” I had been walking all night in one of those giddy Los Angeles trances. When I realized it was close to midnight and I was in the middle of that neighbourhood, I boarded a passing bus—to go wherever less caution ought to be exorcised. As I scrounged in my pocket for change, the bus driver, who was an enormous bearded white man, told me: “Put your damn money away.” I thought he was kicking me off the bus, but instead he erupted in laughter. “Everybody rides free tonight!”

He yelled this at everybody who got on the bus. When they realized he meant it, the day’s tension would melt from their face. I asked the lady beside me: “Where does this bus go?”

“Where are you from?”

“Further north.”

“How far?”

“Canada.”

She cackled. (This gag always works on Californians.)

Because it’s the beginning of November and I don’t know what Canadians who end up in Compton at close to one in the morning are supposed to say to black women who tell you they have just been evicted from their apartments, all I can think to say is: “so this Obama guy…”

She doesn’t think much of this Obama guy, though. And she actually looks at me with pity. That I have been sheltered from some very obvious truth.

“I don’t understand,” I say.

She shakes her head again. Because there are no words for when you’ve lost the knack to simply wonder: what if?

At a New York City storefront a year before the 2008 election, I began collecting photos of Obama art—t-shirts, folk art and misc propaganda—which culminated in a visit to Art Basel in Miami.

III. Harlem, New York City

“There is a country out there where tens of millions of white Christians, voting freely, select as their leader a black man of modest origin, the son of a Muslim. There is a place on Earth—call it America—where such a thing happens.”

-A New York Times correspondent writing from Gaza on November 5

When you climb up out of the subway into Harlem on the 4th of July, you remember the way the sun suddenly blinds you, the dude doing chin ups off the steel scaffolding along 125th street. The sidewalk is packed with history books and men selling incense, and because this is July 2008, every kind of version of his face is on a shirt. Only available in XXL.

And before you can even get out the ma in his last name, you’re told, “I’m not voting for him because he’s black.” A Haitian tells you: “When I come to America, a policeman tell me that Republican work hard and Democrat go on welfare. So I say, ‘I want to be Republican.’” You’re actually told, as you return to Harlem again and again that month that 200,000 people went to see him talk in Berlin: “I haven’t voted in eighteen years.” And at the end of every one of these conversations, you are also told, “but this is different.”

IV. I5, Seattle

After polls close, should I: (1) head for the official rally, (2) watch results at some anonymous Miami dive, (3) grind it out until all hours at one of the field offices?

Nov 4, 2008 4:53:07 pm

Roll to big party.

-Gordy Hoffman

Nov 4, 2008 5:27:13 PM 

I remember dipping down into the state of Washington for the long weekend, just to feel it. The star spangled banner before the Seahawks game. Lesbians joking about the Palin VP announcement in coffee houses on Capital Hill. We pass a McCain sign on the I5. A look is exchanged. Then this screeching sound of breaks. We leave the car idling, the doors ajar. We climb a barbed wire fence and sprint 250 feet back towards where we have just come, back to where a six-by-four foot McCain sign is attached by stiff plastic brackets—which we cannot pry apart. Physically touching a glossy piece of cardboard, our hands cut from the barbed wire fence, it’s so deeply satisfying.

You think that because I have an exaggerated sense of awe that this is about Obama. But it’s not about Obama. Before arriving in Miami I remember typing emails to field offices from both campaigns, asking how I could help. McCain didn’t return any of my messages. Not one. Obama gave me directions to a Democrat outpost in South Beach. Nobody there asked where I was from or what I thought it was all about. I was given a clipboard with a dozen pages of addresses. Glossy fliers with early voting locations. Stickers to hand out. A button that said CHANGE. And a t-shirt, which I folded carefully and began to put in my backpack—to save for the next fifty years.

“Aren’t you going to put it on?” the office manager, who was from Texas, asked.

It never occurred to me that I’d have to wear the t-shirt. That I’d have to pint the button on my backpack. That in order to be a part of it, I’d have to physically knock on doors, with this clipboard, and say, I’m with him. I remember people staring uneasily as I hiked up Washington Avenue, wearing the t-shirt. A small black lady nodded with more approval than I’d ever been nodded at by anyone anywhere. One block later, another small black lady frowned. From an SUV, someone yelled “Obama guy.” I pretended to ignore it, waiting for the lights to change. “Hey Obama guy!” There was this goading Phillip Seymour Hoffman inflection, and this similar kind of concentration in his face. He had flown in from LA because Southern Florida—the battleground—was what he wanted to remember fifty years from now. He spoke about watching on TV in 2000, about the fact that he and I simply being here was enough to break the karmic loop. He taught film at USC, and had written and directed some features, including one starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He had an acute sense of the week’s mounting drama. It dawned on me that I had become a character in it myself: cynical Canadian, who travels three thousand miles to get one symbolic vote and locate lost sense of idealism along the way. He thanked me on behalf of—I don’t know who, exactly—that version of America that was still possible. He dropped me off on Michigan Avenue, where the demographic of South Beach drastically shifts, and I had to knock on my first door. I had a script, which I’d forgotten by the time I got to the first door. I knocked on a whole block of apartments, but nobody answered. It was raining now. The wind blew my umbrella inside out. Every paged on my clipboard was drenched—as was my new tshirt. At 1455 Michigan Avenue, I knocked on a door which was already ajar. A white man with tattoos up his neck appeared in the frame. I imagined him holding a sawed off shotgun behind his back. I was supposed to say: “I’m here because I support Barack Obama,” but immediately became tongue-tied. He watched me with patience. I stuttered: “Sorry to bother you…have you…ummm…voted yet?”

“I can’t,” he replied. A hint of southern accent.

“Sure you can!” I said. “We can go right now.”

“I’m a felon,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been in prison.”

They didn’t give you a script for this.

He nodded sadly.

I turned to go, and he said: “Thanks for doing this.” Then: “I’d vote for him if I could.”

I remember wanting to tell him that I wish I could have too, but could’t because I was Canadian. (I had intentionally spoiled my ballot in our election a month earlier.) I remember, drenched and uncertain, as the rain poured more forcefully, vowing to deliver two votes to a voting station.

I knocked on 200 more doors that morning.

I did not get those two votes.

V. The Fifth Corner

“I’m also a bit miffed that the writer chose to kill off the grandmother on the eve of the election! Needlessly dramatic. Still, I guess it did make the following day’s outcome that much more meaningful: ‘Win one for the grandma.’ Who could ever forget the candidate’s tears of joy that mingled with his tears of sorrow.”

-posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:05 PM on November 3

There are two versions of America. It’s not the cherry picked CNN version you tell your grandkids about. Somewhere between the two, is the panic of Halloween in Miami—four nights before the night. The governor issuing an emergency order to extend early voting. People waiting in line hour after hour, day after day, to vote. The mantra: “don’t forget Gore lost by 537.” The mélange of Obama masks and Palin beehives that night on Lincoln Road. And that damn CNN clock counting seconds to the point of no return.

What I remember is dialing a 1-877 number every morning. No matter what zip code I entered, I’d get connected to an office in Little Havana, where the same voice would say, “thanks for helping hon.” She’d send me out with hand fliers to a mall in North Miami or let me know who was hosting a phone bank downtown that night or a guerilla group of canvassers in the part of Coconut Grove that’s 99% black. In the Miami Beach field office, I saw Gordy the LA guy again. I knew instantly, looking at him, that we hadn’t cracked the karmic loop with our door knocking. All we’d managed to do was update some incorrect addresses in the office’s database. In a couple of hours, he had to fly back to LA. We combed nervously through the sundry of Obama souvenirs. It was at that moment when the whole future of the world seemed lost, a phone call came in from a retirement home on Collins Avenue. “Could someone there get Fanny Guiterrez and Mary Seigel over to City Hall before the polls closed?”

We’d been waiting our whole lives to get Fanny and Mary to that poll (“We vote for chocolate!” they said when we arrived—and we talked Mary’s nurse into coming to vote for chocolate as well.)

I know the thing that I ought to remember was that my Obama t-shirt was made in Nicaragua. Probably in a sweatshop. I ought to remember the fast food on styrofoam plates I ate in the field offices, the cases of bottled water were piled high in every office, the billion glossy pieces of junk mail I helped distribute. And the hundreds of millions of dollars driving this endeavor that could have changed real lives over the world—none of us mentioned any of this as we repeated “be the change you seek.” It was in many respects the most hypocritical endeavor I had ever taken part of in my life. What I imagined instead was, win or lose, this unprecedented machine of people who wanted change the world would become more than a database that the Democrats could pull out 36 months from later when the next election began—but the greatest instrument of goodness that had ever been assembled. I mean, why not? I was driving grandmothers to vote for chocolate with Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s older brother in the bottom right corner of America. I will remember the fleeting possibility of it.

—CHRIS KOENTGES

(all photos by Chris Koentges)

POSTSCRIPT: One last thing I remember was being sent to a voting station at ten minutes before seven to make sure nobody was turned away. The station was inside the Flagler Dog Track. Not off to the side, but upstairs in the clubhouse, surrounded by hundreds of people making bets. At exactly seven, the Presidential race in Florida ended and the name Blue Ice Time Lady flashed on screens around the clubhouse. I don’t know if she was a dog or a horse, but she paid $240 for the win. You couldn’t help but dig the symbolism of her name.

While most of my fears about those euphoric weeks have been realized, there is an attempt right now to restart the fire. And while it feels like we’re going through the motions this time around, I know where I’ll be travelling at the end of October.

Please leave any suggestions for this November’s most thrilling election tourism destinations.

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The Miami-Dade County Elections Department canvassing board started meeting at 9 a.m. to count provisional ballots from Tuesday’s election and make the election results official.

Voters fill out provisional ballots when they cannot produce photo identification and are denied the chance to cast a regular ballot. Canvassing board members have final say on whether the signatures on provisional ballots match the ones the elections department has on file.

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Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro was just eleven votes shy of winning Tuesday’s election outright against Luis Garcia. That would avoid the need for Garcia and Barreiro to meet again in a November runoff election.

“Why fight the battle here today rather than take it to a runoff in November?” CBS4′s David Sutta asked Commissioner Barreiro. “Well, it would be unfortunate that votes aren’t counted,” Barreiro told Sutta.

Barreiro’s attorneys presented the board with a case to make more than 75 additional votes be counted. If the votes were allowed in and Barreiro captured enough of them, he would become the outright winner.

But regardless, Barriero said he isn’t concerned about the possibility of a runoff.

“No, no. I feel very confident,” Barreiro said of his chances in a runoff.

But, Barreiro came up short in his quest to win outright. According to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald, there will be a runoff between the two with the official results from Tuesday’s election standing at 49.95 percent for Barreiro and 33.05 percent for Garcia.

At the same time Barreiro was trying to get his election settled, John Patrick Julien and Barbara Watson are fighting over a handful of votes as well in their battle for the District 107 state house seat.

“I think we will maintain our lead,” Watson said. “Currently, we have a 26 vote lead. I think we will be able to sustain any challenge.”

It’s not the first time Watson has been in a similar position. She lost her last election by 18 votes, but won the recount by 16.

“It’s extremely unusual, but unfortunately, I’ve been here before in this kind of dilemma and I expect in the future it will not happen again.”

Julien has hitched his campaign’s wagon to roughly 600 ballots that were ruled invalid, which could save his campaign. State rules state that a race as close as this one may need a manual recount.

“A computer cannot determine a person’s intent,” Julien said. “A person could put a check through a circle and the computer is not going to pick that up.”

Two other runoffs are certain for the November election: District 3 Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, who represents communities from Miami Shores to Overtown, will face Keon Hardemon, an assistant public defender, and former state Rep. Juan C. Zapata will vie for the open District 11 seat in West Miami-Dade against county police officer Manny Machado.

• Visit the Campaign 2012 section for more stories and full elections coverage, including Tuesday’s results.

The 55-year-old bilingual CPA and small business owner from Miami Beach earned 33 percent of the vote, defeating three other Democrats in Tuesday’s primary and will run unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election.

Richardson said Wednesday that he didn’t run as a one-issue candidate and that he intends to represent all of his constituents in House District 113 (parts of Miami Beach, Downtown Miami and Little Havana) regardless of sexual orientation.

“I did not run as a gay candidate and I’m not going to serve as the gay legislator,” Richardson said in a telephone interview.

His election is significant for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community because LGBT issues seldom advance in state legislatures until they have openly gay members.

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He plans to push for legislation that would outlaw employment discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation but also wants to put his accounting background to use on the state budget.

Richardson grew up in Orlando and began his career as a contract auditor for the Department of Defense in Tampa.

He said he’s realistic about the chances of passing LGBT legislation in the Republican-controlled Legislature but believes his auditing background and experience in conflict resolution will help him work across the aisle.

“I know how to bring people together,” Richardson said.

He said he knocked on thousands of doors during the campaign and never had a negative reaction to his sexual orientation although it had been well publicized in the community.

“Not one person closed their door to me because I’m gay,” Richardson said. “Not one person brought it up.”

Richardson could be joined by at least two other openly gay lawmakers.

“I’m proud of him,” said Ian Whitley, a gay Democrat from Key West who will face Key Largo Republican Holly Raschein for the District 120 House seat in November.

Whitley, who did not have primary opposition, noted a number of local public officials in the Florida Keys are openly gay and said his sexual orientation has not been an issue in the campaign.

“People may have adjusted to it,” he said. “It’s something that doesn’t come up.”

Another openly gay candidate, Joe Saunders of Orlando, won the Democratic nomination in House District 49. He’ll face Orlando Republican Marco Pena in the general election.

According to a Huffington Post article, gay legislators are now active in at least 37 other states.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Juvenile court Judge Rosa Figarola ultimately ordered the kids paternal grandmother to become the temporary guardian as their parents face allegations from police that the kids were prostituted by mom and dad.

Department of Children and Family Services took the children away from their parents Wednesday night.

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Miami police say their investigation began when they received a tip that a man standing outside of his business in the 900 block of West Flagler Street was hitting his youngest daughter.

“We obviously set up a quick undercover operation because we received another tip that perhaps he was prostituting his daughter,” said Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes.

The department sent in an undercover detective to go meet the man later identified as 35-year old Gabriel de Jesus Orellana. According to the arrest affidavit, while de Jesus Orellana did not produce the girl he gave the detective her mother’s phone number. When the detective called woman, 31-year old Renee Marie Garcia, agreed to meet him in front of de Jesus Orellana business.

“She met up with the officer and she first asked that he take her to buy drugs,” said Reyes. “They later went inside her home. Once inside that home she told the undercover officer that she was willing to commit the sexual activity in exchange for $150.”

According to the arrest report, they drove to Overtown and bought a bag of marijuana.

They then drove back to the couple’s apartment where she was arrested. The four children in the apartment were turned over to DCF.

In juvenille court Friday the judge gave the grandmother a stern warning to make sure the children were shielded from their parents.

“I have concerns about you as the proper custodian to take care of the children,” said Judge Rosa Figarola. “If and when the parents are released from jail, I want absolutely, absolutely no contact by these parents with these children.”

The grandmother agreed and promised to call police if the father attempted to see his kids.

Meanwhile in bond court Friday. Both Orellana and Garcia appeared before a judge. Orellana told the judge he suffered from drug addiction. Garcia said she suffered from mental illness.

Neighbors back at their Little Havana apartment complex were shocked.

“It’s horrible because you know I seen those kids all the time, I’m the one who tell them all the time go back to the house and put shoes on,” said neighbor Felipe Godoy.

Police said inside the apartment there was, in plain view on the dining room table, a shoe box lid with drug paraphernalia including used syringes, a broken glass pipe and baggies with drug residue. There was garbage all over the floor and the mildew refrigerator was empty; there was no food in the house.

“Its disturbing to find that inside that home detectives clearly stated on their arrest affidavit that there was rubbish practically from inch to inch on that floor,” said Reyes.

As for the call about de Jesus Orellano possibly offering his daughter for sex, Reyes said detectives believe Garcia and de Jesus Orellano may have offered them to men.

“At some point detectives believe that they may have been prostituted or perhaps they have been offered to commit prostitution,” said Reyes.

Garcia has been charged with prostitution, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and four counts of child neglect. De Jesus Orellano was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and four counts of child neglect.

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I have two younger sisters (we are each about 2 years apart).  The “middle” sister and her husband stayed for three nights and my youngest sister and her husband and children met up with us for a nice long day on Friday.

The “middle” sister is expecting.  We had a 14 month old Mac to keep amused.  And my youngest sister’s children are 11 and 6.  Plus, it was like 110 degrees outside on Friday.  And my Brothers-in-law are keen on lots of cold beer and good food.

How the hell do you possibly find an activity that will appeal to such diverse interests?

I’ll give you a hint, it’s much more enjoyable for you if you don’t have a headache from hell. 

I gave this considerable (and by that I mean, unselfish and mostly not self-serving) consideration.  When I have company, I want them to have an awesome visit.  I want them to know what a fun place Baltimore is.  I want them to believe I do not lead a life of quiet desperation where a day without an excrement disaster plus a 3 minute shower is the BEST DAY EVER!

So I reached deep into my Baltimore Tourism bag of tricks and I pulled out the Trifecta:  Lunch at Little Havana, a visit to the American Visionary Arts Museum (AVAM), and Happy Hour at Leinenkugel’s Beer Garden.

Brother in Law:  ”I’d rather pull out my eyelashes with a pair of rusty needle nosed pliers than visit an art museum.”

He relented after a 3 beer lunch and some wings with a panoramic view of the water at Little Havana.

My sister’s kids loved the food.  And so did Mac.

(whew).

After everyone had a chance to mellow out a tad, we headed to the AVAM.

I was nervous as hell.

But the AVAM NEVER disappoints.

There’s always something for everyone.

And we spent an enjoyable couple of air-conditioned hours expanding our imaginative horizons.

(at least that’s what I thought was happening). . .

Middle Sister RE: her Husband: “I can’t believe he’s actually interested in something.  Look at him.”

We watch him examining a sculpture of some rusty machinery or farm implements.

Me:  ”Oh, this was a good idea!  Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

Sister approaches her Husband to hear his thoughts.

Sister returns to me and whispers, “I spoke too soon.  He just asked me ‘How the fuck this was art?’”

The other Brother-in-Law after examining an exhibit that involves the roundness of eggs. . .and features some nudes, loudly proclaims,  ”Check out the detail on that one.  There’s a slit and everything.”

This is starting to feel like a colossal FAIL.

But then we head to the lower level of the main AVAM building. . .

And there it was:  The Magic Farting Post and exhibit curated by Bob Benson.

Um. Yeah.

And we laughed and laughed and laughed.

This is a family that apparently appreciates fART.

Sigh.  

Police detectives on the scene tell CBS4’s Summer Knowles that the victim entered an apartment on the 900 block of Southwest 2^nd Street just before 7 p.m. Wednesday. He was let in by residents inside the unit.

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Moments later, witnesses report hearing several gunshots. When police entered the unit they found the unidentified victim dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

Everyone inside the apartment at the time was detained for questioning. The motive for the shooting is unknown.

Detectives say they are looking for one additional person who may have accompanied the victim into the apartment and may have fled the scene after the shooting.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Miami Police Department’s Homicide Unit at (305) 603-6350. Those with information that wish to remain anonymous can contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471- TIPS (4877), visit www.crimestoppersmiami.com and select “Give a Tip” or Send a text message to 274637. Enter CSMD followed by the tip information and press send.

I know I said I will post on a more regular basis, but homework and work have taken over my life this past few weeks. These pictures were taken randomly the last Friday of June 2012. Little Havana organizes a gallery walk down “la calle ocho”. It has been a few years since I visited Noches Culturales and I can see why. I recalled when the streets used to be closed down for pedestrian traffic, not anymore. The crowded sidewalks overflow. We sat down for dinner at Casa Panza and after a mediocre lobster ravioli and flamenco show, we were surprised with a $10 cover fee on our bill per person. The highlight was the ice cream at Azucar and company of good friends. Enjoy the pictures…

The family was walking on the sidewalk on NW 7th Street between NW 17th and NW 18th Avenues around 7:30 p.m. when 67-year old Raul Herberto Ortega Arias, who was driving a red Dodge Caravan, suddenly veered off the road and slammed into them. Ortega, three children and their grandmother, were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center.  Two of the children, a 14-year old boy and a 13-year old girl died, as did their grandmother and Arias.

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“It appears that the gentleman who was driving, who has since passed away, was suffering from some sort of medical ailment,” said Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes. “We don’t know exactly if that was the cause of, the reason why he died.”

Sunday, the surviving girl was listed in extremely critical condition.

A man who was with the grandmother and children but was not hit was also taken to the hospital after he was overcome by emotion.

“The father was hysterical when all he would scream was my son, my son, and they took his son right away and I guess the other two people were left on the sidewalk,” said Ivislissette Campos.

Leonel Lazo said the mini-van narrowly missed him too.

“I see this van like speeding like 60, 70 miles per hour,” said Lazo. “When I jumped out of the way, I was like right there in between them. They flew from here and hit the wall.”

Lazo said seeing the injured children broke his heart.

“I see the little girl on the floor screaming. I have a daughter as well.  I couldn’t, I just couldn’t do anything because her knee was twisted, I couldn’t do anything,” said Lazo.

The family was visiting from Georgia and had just left the Marlins game when they were hit.

Police said a man in his 60’s might have suffered a medical condition and when he veered off of the road in the 1700 block of NW 7^th Street and ran over three children and a grandmother.

“I was sick to my stomach,” said Ivislissette Campos, a neighbor who witnessed the aftermath. “I was like I don’t care if I ever have seen them it still hurts me so much because it’s a human being especially if it’s a child.”

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Investigators said the driver of the red mini van died and so did the grandmother, a 14 year old boy and thirteen year old girl. A ten year old girl survived with multiple injuries. The family was visiting from Georgia and had just left the Marlins game when they were hit.

Leonel Lazo said the minivan narrowly missed him too.

“I jumped out the way, recalled Lazo. “I jumped out the way and I was telling the police officer tomorrow is my birthday. I got lucky I guess.”

A man who was with the grandmother and children also was not hit by the mini-van. But medics rushed him to the hospital after they said he was overcome by emotion.

“The father was hysterical when all he would scream was my son, my son, and they took his son right away and I guess the other two people were left on the sidewalk,” said Campos.

The scene left behind told the story of the tragic crash. The Mini van was crashed into a wall and its path of destruction was evident by the pieces of mangled metal from fencing and concrete thrown about.

Note: children are not allowed on this tour.

Note: you will be dancing, drinking and staying out late!

This tour is fun for: couples.

What to bring: a camera and money (if you want to buy cigars); dress nicely and try not to bring much (valuables can be left on the bus; do not bring items such as cell phones/ purses into the nightclub).

Dragonfly Expeditions is currently offering an evening tour called “Habana Nights.” Below is the post I wrote for DE’s blog entitled “Thoughts on Developing a Tour: Habana Nights.” This post outlines the tour and the reasons why it was created. I would highly recommend this tour, but be aware that it lasts for several hours.

—–

Come with us as we journey back in time to a night in 1950s Havana, Cuba …

Dragonfly Expeditions strives to provide tours that give guests a sense of place. “Habana Nights” – taking place in and around Miami’s “Little Havana” – not only gives guests a sense of place, but also a sense of time. That time just so happens to be in the past. “Habana Nights” is a journey through time to 1950s Havana, Cuba.

Although the island of present-day Cuba continues to struggle beneath the heavy weight of political oppression, there was a time not so long ago when the area was a veritable paradise. These days were the 1950s; days when Americans would travel to Cuba for a romp through an island playground.  And nowhere was the spirit and lifestyle of 1950s Cuba better represented than in its capital and largest city: Havana. The purpose of this unique evening tour is to allow guests to take a step backwards through time into 1950s Havana and immerse them in the exotic sights, smells, and sounds of that time – all in all providing the experience of a typical night out for Cubans and Afro-Cubans in 1950s Havana.

Our evening starts out with a visit to the famous Cuban shrine “La Ermita” in Coconut Grove. Perhaps guests would like to join those kneeling in the church to confess a few sins before their night of partying!  The circular shrine represents more than just religion to its members – it represents their homeland and their devotion to the Virgin Mary. The beautiful sanctuary features a statuette of the Virgin Mary, whom the congregation refers to as “Our Lady of Charity;” it was smuggled here from Cuba in a suitcase in 1961. Non-Cubans often forget that many Cubans share an African descent. This shrine, which is home to a religious population that practices a unique combination of traditional Afro-Cuban religion and Catholicism referred to as syncretism, brings the aforementioned African heritage to the fore.

An elegant and peaceful seawall can be found directly behind the building.  This wall is a replica of a popular seawall in Cuba. The waves that lap against the Floridian seawall also touch the coast of Cuba; therefore, it has become an area of reflection and reminiscence for those Cubans who are here in Florida. It is a place for them to spend time with their families or gaze out at the sea remembering and missing those family members who did not make the journey across the sea to America. The 228 miles that separate Havana from Miami represent an entire ocean to the Cubans who have immigrated to Miami.

The energy level rises dramatically with the next stop: Casa Panza. Here, guests learn the dance central to Cuban culture: salsa. Guests are treated to a salsa class by professional dance instructors. The basics of salsa are surprisingly easy and the location is festive and welcoming. After about an hour of moving to the rhythms of up-beat salsa music and enjoying the enthusiasm of the dance instructors, we head to dinner at Casa Juancho. Just as Americans don’t eat American food when they are out for a nice evening, 1950s Cubans did not eat traditional Cuban food when out for a night of partying. Instead, they dressed in their nicest finery and dined in Spanish restaurants. Casa Juancho is a great example of a traditional Spanish restaurant and offers excellent cuisine and a unique atmosphere. The restaurant makes guests feel as if they have walked deep into a wine cellar. Wooden walls surround the tables and the ceilings are low. I would recommend the authentic and delicious sangría that, by the end of the visit, tends to flow as freely as the water in the beautiful fountain that marks the entrance to the building. Later in the evening, a small Spanish band roams from table to table, playing traditional music from places like Puerto Rico and Cuba. They will even play the occasional German or Jewish tune. Warning: the restaurant will become very festive!

After the revelry at Casa Juancho, the group travels to the Cuban Tobacco Trading Cigar Company. Located right on Calle Ocho, there could not be a better location in Miami for an authentic Cuban cigar company. It is common knowledge among both laymen and cigar-favoring gentlemen that nobody knows the secrets of growing and rolling tobacco better than the Cubans. This quaint shop is owned by a family who brought their knowledge of tobacco from Cuba to Miami and has been rolling cigars for five generations. Surrounded by the heavy scent of freshly rolled tobacco, you will be treated to a brief presentation by a member of the Bello Family about the history of the company, the family’s traditions, and the particulars of growing tobacco/rolling cigars. This shop offers the rare opportunity to legally purchase authentic Cuban cigars.

The final stop of the evening is a Cuban nightclub called “La Bodeguita del Medio.” This nightclub was built as a throwback to the original club bearing the same name that still exists in Havana today.  That original nightclub boasts the invention of the Mojito. Guests will be treated to an open bar, live Cuban music, and ample opportunity to practice their new salsa moves! Some guests might just choose to stay at this lively venue all night long!

Instead of waiting around for someone to invent a time machine, let Dragonfly Expeditions take you on an incredible journey of cultural exploration and enjoyment as we journey back in time to exotic and sexy 1950s Havana, Cuba.

I took this tour on: June 2nd, 2012.

Pinolandia is in Little Hanana and has super authentic Nicaraguan food. The line stretching out the door validates that for sure. There are only a couple tables inside so it’s usually best to plan on grabbing it to go. For a really long time it only took cash, but the woman in front of paid with a card. I’d still bring cash just in case. It’s also one of the places in Miami where I’d definitely recommend knowing Spanish or going with someone who does. Jess understands Spanish well enough and also has been there before so it wasn’t an issue really to order.

There are a number of meat dishes available to choose from including carne asada and chicken, as well some other beef dishes. Beyond knowing they was beef I didn’t know much else about the other dishes. I’d like to go with a Nicaraguan friend of mine and get more of a rundown. The main sides are arroz con frijoles (rice and beans together) and white rice. There are a lot of other different kinds of small sides to get. Jess and I both got the carne asada with the arroz con frijoles, maduros (plaintains), and queso frito. The queso frito is fried cheese and I would guess is made with flour so I wouldn’t recommend gluten-frees trying that.

The carne asada was tender and juicy and was just good steak flavor. There wasn’t really any spice on it besides perhaps some pepper and no sauce, but I really enjoyed it. Dishes like this have really made steak grow on me (always was more of a burger kind of kid). The arroz con frijoles was good (rice and beans really are one of my favorite dishes ever) and the maduros were sweet and filling as always. A friend of ours have gotten the chicken before and said it was really good so that’s probably something I will try next. Everything else looks good but I’d want to go with someone who knows Nicaraguan food well (since I do not speak Spanish well and that’s a must for asking questions at this restaurant).

Inside the restaurant but separate is a little store that serves drinks, including some really awesome juices. Jess and I both got passionfruit juice and it was delicious by itself and a great way to wash down the food.

I was very content after eating our food back in Brickell and will be a place I go again and take people if we want a really authentic Nicaraguan/Latin meal. To experience that authentic-ness and really good Nicaraguan food you need to try Pinolandia in Little Havana. It’s open 24 hours which could really come in handy for some late night food! A great thing recently added to the Bucket List and then quickly checked off!

The exterior of Pinolandia. Kind of squeezed in between some other buildings.

You get tons of food. Carne asada, arroz con frijoles (rice and beans), queso frito (fried cheese), and maduros (plaintains + slightly hidden in the upper corner).

The passionfruit juice you can grab at the little store inside

Pinolandia (119 12th Ave Miami, FL)