Day 24-South Beach & The Ritz Carlton

Today I decided to sleep late and then head down to South Beach to read a book on the beach and relax. The day did not go exactly as I would have intended it, and I ended up walking around South Beach for about an hour, without sitting down to read. I had to drive around for a long time to find a spot to park (it is Saturday after all), and then I didn't know where I was going, so long story short...I only walked around and got used to my surroundings. Plus, there was a $20 fee for an umbrella/chair and I didn't think it was worth it. I only had a thin hotel towel, so sitting on that was not the best option. I spent a few hours in South Beach and then came back to my hotel. I made dinner, relaxed for a bit, and then headed over to the Ritz Carlton on Key Biscayne to hear the Cuban band one more time before I head back to Philadelphia. This particular evening was much more crowded than Thursday night (for obvious reasons), and I was lucky to find a seat. I stayed for the entire evening (all 4 hours), and found it quite funny to watch some of the hotel guests throughout the night. By 10PM, many people were dancing to the music and very involved with the band (they complained and yelled when the band stopped for a break). Some of the guests were getting drunker and drunker and seeing them dance at 8PM versus 11PM was VERY different and VERY funny. Luckily, I sat next to some very nice people from Tampa, FL who were on vacation. They told me about the strong Cuban population in Tampa and Ybor City (part of Tampa), and advised me that I should check that "scene" out at some point. Overall, I had a very enjoyable time listening to the music and "people-watching." I heard a lot of my favorite Cuban "standards" and I started to form some conclusions about the different Cuban musical styles and the different roles of some of the instruments in these particular styles. Yes...I've heard this group a few time before...and yes...it was a somewhat noisy venue where they were playing...but immersing myself in this music in all different settings and at EVERY opportunity has allowed me to start to understand it at a very different level than when I arrived in Miami at the beginning of July. Of course, I still have a long way to go, but I'm on my way!