By Cheryl Blackerby
Palm Beach Post Travel Editor
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I know Miami Beach’s South Beach like I know my own neighborhood, but on this visit I had a guide, Claudia Verela, a bikini model by day and bartender by night, half El Salvadoran, half Haitian, and as she describes herself, “100 percent crazy.”
I was seeing South Beach through the eyes of Claudia, who lives here and knows every bartender and bouncer on Ocean Drive, and every torrid tidbit in this glamorous, scandalous city.
Claudia’s not going to tell me how old a building is, but she will point out where the chain saw scene in Scarface was shot and where TV’s Miami Ink is filmed. And, by the way, don’t ask for a little butterfly tattoo at the base of the back, or you’ll be loudly ridiculed.
She tells me which salsa dancer to say hello to, and where to turn left toward Washington Avenue. And she mentions right away that you have to be 21 to take this tour. Cool.
But Claudia wasn’t actually there with me, walking down Ocean, although her words were guiding me every step of the way.
Claudia was in my iPod, and I was taking her one-hour iPod Miami Beach tour. I didn’t have to stop every 100 feet to read a guidebook and check out a map. I had Claudia. Her enthusiasm on the recorded tour was contagious, and I was soon checking out the beach scene as if I were with Claudia herself:
“Bienvenidos, chicos! Welcome to South Beach, the American Riviera. You see the turquoise benches over there, the three seats to the right of the public shower? Walk over to the benches. Sit down, let’s take a minute to get to know each other.”
Three guys selling coconuts with straws were sitting on Claudia’s benches, but I found another turquoise bench across the sidewalk.
“South Beach is really my back yard, it’s my home, my playground. I’ll give you the inside scoop and introduce you to some of my friends. Believe me, to be part of the scene around here, you’ll need some connections,” she says, then adds, “I need you to look really good, not all touristy.”
Good idea, and I pressed pause on the iPod to put on more lip gloss. Who knew when Matt Damon and Ben Affleck might show up as they did the last time I was here.
“Put on your sunglasses and loosen up.” Check.
“Lean back.” Check.
“Don’t be so uptight, and people will notice you.” Always good advice.
