没有什么事情能与破晓前必须打点好行装一事相比，而且不到四点就要去费城机场赶乘早起头班飞机。一路上我极度疲倦，刚到机场，双目便累得重如百磅，眼皮再也睁不开来。 

      Nothing was better to start my trip than waking up at the break of dawn and driving to the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) at 4:000 am. On the road, I was extremely tired, sleepy and stressed. By the time we arrived at PHL, my eyes felt as if they weighed over 100 pounds/45 kilograms.

      Just after I sat in our plane seat, I comfortably propped myself against mom and fell asleep. I was awoken by sound of landing 3 hours later. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the huge Miami International Airport (MIA), the No. 1 largest airport in US. Mom and I were making a connection to Quito, the capital city of Ecuador in South America.

      登机后我稍微坐定，立刻倚靠在妈妈身边昏睡过去，直到三个钟头后飞机着陆时所发出的剧烈噪音才被吵醒。即刻，偌大的迈阿密国际机场映入眼帘，这是迄今为止全美最大的客运机场。我们要在此转机，前往南美洲厄瓜多尔共和国首都基多。

      Two plane flights were separated by 6 hours of nothing in Miami. I tried to brainstorm what to do and how to kill time. But all I could think of was videogames. Mom, on the other hand, could only come out with sightseeing. Since mom didn't approve videogames, I set out along with her to find some places where we could explore its outskirt with a private guide even though we visited the downtown a little more than 4 years ago.

      问题在于如何打发六个小时候机时间。我绞尽脑汁，除了上便携机玩游戏别无它求；而妈妈当然不会轻易放过任何异地观光机会。既然妈妈反对靠游戏消磨功夫，我只好跟她一起寻找私人导游，试图游览迈阿密周边地区。其实四年前，我们曾访问过市中心。

      As continued to walk in the endless terminals, I spotted the MIA Hotel and suggested if it might host some city tours. Fortunately, the hotel arranged a tour guide to pick us up. At 10:30 am, we walked through the door and hit on the road in a minivan. The tour guide introduced himself as Oscar.

      我们沿着一眼望不到尽头的候机大厅徒步行走，过了好半天才看到一家“迈阿密国际机场酒店”，并决定进去碰碰运气。侥幸的是，酒店设有旅游业务，很快安排一位名叫奥斯卡的导游，于上午十点卅分准时带我们上路。

      Our 1^st stop was Coral Gables of the "city beautiful". It was famous for trees, gardens, waterfront mansions, canals and consulates. Coral Gables cost a lot for people to live there not only because almost the entire designs were characteristic of Mediterranean Revival Style, but because the houses was situated close to the canals which ran through Miami into the Atlantic Ocean. A gorgeous public Venetian Pool resembled a natural lagoon in a Venetian setting of bridges, towers, a casino and lush landscaping. The unique Indian banyan trees canopied the streets so largely that I seemed to be microscopic. Every branch looked as if it was bigger than my size.

      我们率先走访美轮美奂的珊瑚墙城，又名科勒尔•盖布尔斯。这里树木造型独特，花园设计优雅，豪宅临水观海，运河集流汇溪，领馆富丽堂皇，纵横洋洋大观。珊瑚墙城房地产走势甚高，除了地中海式建筑设计别致之外，运河两岸的房舍飘逸姿韵，占据观赏溪流汇入大西洋的最佳位置。威尼斯游泳池为自然泻湖，集栈桥、楼塔、赌场、绿化于一体，成为当地民众沐浴阳光的公共场所。街道上形貌奇特的印度榕树成林，枝叶繁茂，我站在树冠遮天的马路中央，深感置身天地之间如同沧海一粟，自己渺小得微乎其微。

      Next Oscar drove us to a district called Coconut Grove, where a village-within-a-city was inherited from Spanish culture. Wild peacocks strutted around the neighborhoods. Ritz-Carlton luxury condominiums, sailing, yachting and marinas were bound to the beauteous Biscayne Bay. Across Rickenbacker Causeway, the Cuban-descent pop superstar Gloria Estefan's mega-mansion occupied the best view on the celebrity Star Island as Oscar pointed it to us. On the other side, Miami Beach made of natural and man-made barrier islands. Tourists had flocked to such getaway resort during Spring Break.

      接着，奥斯卡带我们来到孔雀遍野的椰林区，素有“城市里的村落”之称，到处充满西班牙风情。丽思•卡尔顿豪华公寓大厦、航海俱乐部、游艇码头深入浅出，成为比斯坎湾一道亮丽的风景线。穿过里肯巴克铜锣湾，古巴后裔、著名流行歌手凯莱•斯特芬巨型豪宅在名流荟萃的“星岛”抢尽了风头。隔湾相望，迈阿密海滩由大大小小的自然及人工堤礁组成，前来喜度春假的游客络绎不绝。

      Little Havana district was a home to the Cuban immigrates. We started to stroll from El Pub on 8th Street where two 6-foot/1.8-meter roosters stood. A few of popular gift shops, an art gallery and a Community Park were alluring for us. As we passed inside the cigar factory, I didn't hear much of what Oscar said because I was too busy at holding my nose so that I didn't smell the smoke from the exhibition room.

      小哈瓦那区算得上古巴移民大本营及革命根据地，我们从八街萨尔瓦多酒吧门前两只高达6英尺／1.8米的公鸡塑像出发，一边溜达一边闲逛街头礼品店、工艺品屋和社区公园。当经过雪茄作坊直销部时，因为烟味太冲，我不得不捂紧鼻子屏住呼吸，结果根本顾不上奥斯卡解说的要点。

     After the walk, my stomach gurgled, which only meant one thing. Before I could complain, we were told that lunch was next.

      游览结束时，我肚子咕噜叫个不停，未容我开始抱怨，得知下面直奔餐馆而去，准备大战午餐饮食。

      Lunch was NOT next! Just after we ordered some Cuban cuisines from the famous "Latin American" in Bayside Marketplace, it was time to go back to the airport. Mom and I packed the entire food into 3 huge boxes and ran all the way to the minivan where Oscar was waiting.

    可是心急吃不了热汤面，午餐并非紧随其后！我们刚刚从碧沙市场著名的“拉美”餐厅点好几道古巴菜肴，不料已经临近返程时刻。妈妈和我来不及吃上一口，二话不说急忙打包，装满整整三大盒子，然后撒腿飞速冲回面包车内。这时，奥斯卡早已静候其中。

      By the time we arrived at MIA, we had less than an hour to check in. Mom and I devoured the steaming platter and gulped down the water. Just in time, we were boarding onto the plane which took us to Quito.

      等赶回迈阿密国际机场，距离登机仅剩下不足个把钟头，我们狼吞虎咽，火速消灭仍然热气腾腾的“杂烩拼盘”，随即飞往基多。

      Miami was always proud of the "Capital of Latin America". We would discover everything cross-culturally but Chinatown!

    迈阿密一向以“拉美首府”自居。我们可以随时随地发掘其它多元素民族文化，但唯独探寻不到“中国城”的痕迹！

(二O一三年三月廿八日)