Bienvenido a Miami!

I couldn't really get a feel for Miami in the days I've been here. What I have seen was first a rather rough area, then a pretty nice one, and, as seems typical for American cities, I went from the one to the other just by crossing one single street. Then I strolled through the typically shining-but-lifeless financial district, and the bustling and very touristy area of Miami Beach / South Beach. Lots going on there at night. And like any other big city, Miami also seems to have a big homelessness problem. In fact I walked through several of what almost could be called settlements of homeless people.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Probably the mold for London's Gherkin.

Dancing in Miami Beach.
Right by the sidewalk!

Oh, and one should definitely never let bored engineering students design vending machines. They're having way too much fun with it! I guess everybody has seen the one dispensing drinks with some kind of elevator bar going up and down, on which a movable little holder is installed that catches the thrown-out drink and delivers it to the opening in the machine, all accompanied by a dramatic robotic-sounding whirr. Well, here's an ice cream dispenser that was new to me. Inside is what looks like a drink cooler. Its lid is opened, then a vacuum cleaner-like tube comes down, sucks the ice cream and delivers it to the dropping point. I always expected it to drop it too early, like those machines for kids to grab toys. But it works!

Eureka!