Miami Beach and the 24oz Steak

So it’s nearly 10pm local time, and we’ve just got back from the Palm restaurant which is adjoined to our hotel. For dinner I had the most amazing steak I’ve ever eaten – a 24oz rib eye (680 grammes – take a look at the photos!). It literally melted in my mouth! Actually, I probably only ate about 12 oz after giving Aimi some, and allowing for the bone, but it was certainly delicious. The waiter, who was Spanish but had lived in the US since 1978, told us that American steaks are the best in the world, better even than in Spain. Sorry Carlos! Apparently the Palm also has a restaurant in London near Harrods, so if you are in the area maybe you can see for yourself.

Earlier today, Aimi and I took the bus from our hotel in the Bay Harbour Islands, down the coast to South Beach. Travelling by bus is definitely the cheapest way to get around in the states (and probably the rest of the world!), but it’s a bit of a new experience for us. It turns out the bus drivers don’t carry any cash, so you have to pay with the exact change – $2 each. We only had a $5 bill, but the bus driver kindly gave us back a dollar from the next customer who paid.

We then spent half an hour or so looking for a US SIM card so that we could get a cheap data plan for Google maps while we drive around the Gulf coast. It’s amazing how much you begin to take mobile internet for granted. At first we tried the AT&T shop, but the shop assistant advised us that they block data access on the PAYG plans for smart phones. I’m not totally sure if this is correct, but we took his word for it and so opted for a Simple Mobile (T-mobile) SIM instead. This gives us unlimited data for the next month, albeit at the slower edge speeds rather than 3G.

After sorting out the phone, we then walked over to Miami beach, where we relaxed on the sand for a few hours on our towel under an umbrella. We did look at getting some sun beds, but they wanted $18 each, so we settled for the umbrella at $10.