An unforgettable adventure in the land of dreams.
About a month ago, my husband and I finally decided to fly to a country that for a long time was something like a “taboo” for Russians, to the USA. Having judged sensibly, we decided to start with Miami, the city that is on everyone's lips these days, and enjoyed our mini-vacation to the fullest. But first things first. In mid-May 2012, we, the happy owners of a US tourist visa, began to think about how to use this visa wisely. My husband's sister, originally from St. Petersburg, told us that one of her acquaintances recently went to Miami, and is going there again this summer. We, like real Russian Homo sapiens, decided to ask for advice from my husband's sister (oh how! ; -). Natasha, that's her name, told us about the guys from the Rost Travel agency, they say they are smart, talented, and beautiful. . . almost saints. Sounds tempting, right? ; -) So we thought it was worth listening to an experienced person. On the advice of Natasha, we contacted, for a start, with the representative of the agency in Moscow (the sweetest girl named Irina). She listened to all our whims and whims (of which there were few, but still thanks to her for her patience). We discussed with her all the details of the trip, but she told us how and when it is better to purchase tickets, told about the services that will be provided to us beyond the cordon. Our budget for the trip was quite modest, so we asked Ira to help us with a hotel that would fit into the wallet. The very next morning, a representative of the agency's branch in Miami (Regina) contacted us. We were offered 3 hotel options: something cheaper, something more expensive. We chose the middle one, so as not to completely lose face ; -) We did not order a car, we thought we would walk around the city for 10 days. From the services of the agency, we ordered a transfer from the airport to the hotel, concierge services (something like information support during the stay) and a transfer from the hotel to the airport. Regina talked about the different excursion tours they offer, but we decided to wait and figure it out on the spot. Here's a Delta plane landing at Miami International Airport. After a 15-hour flight (with a transfer), I only want to go to the shower and go to bed. Instead, we were hounded for 2.5 hours at passport control. To be honest, we already thought that no one was meeting us anymore. Who can stand 2.5 hours of waiting for strangers from Ulyanovsk? And the girl with high heels survived!!!! , even if not high, with a flower for me and a balloon with the inscription "Welcome" for her husband. This was Regina (a certain agency policy: one agent works completely with the client). It is worth noting that neither the time spent by Ira on us, nor the search for a hotel has yet been paid in any way. Everything had to happen immediately upon arrival in the STATES. Regina walked us to the car, took us to the hotel, checked us in and left to give us time to clean up. This pleasure cost us only $ 130, which is quite inexpensive, given the fact that she did not leave anywhere without waiting, smiling affably for 45 minutes (that's how much the road to the hotel took), she told funny stories and asked about the flight. After 4 hours, Regina offered to meet for a cup of coffee in a coffee shop and discuss the details of the concierge service (what kind of animal is this? ) During the discussion, we found out that if you order services for a certain amount, then the concierge is provided free of charge (it cost $ 300). in Week). We were interested in: a sightseeing tour of Miami, a trip to an alligator farm and a trip to Key West. I will not talk about the details of the excursions for a long time (it is better to see once than hear a hundred times). I'll just say that Regina was very polite, helpful and made all the excursions very interesting. Miami really turned out to be a paradise. During the sightseeing tour, we saw the city, the house of Gianni Versace, the Holocaust Memorial and much more. Impressions and photos - a lot. 2 days later we went to an alligator farm. There we were taken on a boat ride through the swamps, where crocodiles and alligators live in freedom, we were shown a show "taming a crocodile" (or an alligator, I still didn’t figure out how to distinguish them), a show with snakes. It was interesting. The day before departure, the same Regina took us to Key West. The road itself is worth it! Wow, beautiful ; -))) We were taken to the Hemingway house, they also offered to visit the house of President Truman, but we refused. We decided to walk along the beach, from there it is only 90 miles to Cuba. With binoculars, maybe they could see the Cubans ; -) We went to the airport satisfied and very tanned. Thanks to Regina, Irina, Natasha (husband's sister's friend) and husband's sister. We had a great time, the guys from ROst Travel did their best. Why only 9 points? Three traffic jams, which we got into during this time, slightly overshadowed the overall impression. My husband and I decided to come here again next year (do not lose a 2-year visa). We'll go to Disneyland and somewhere else. These are the Miami holidays turned out.