The name, Check Mate, appears to be a very randomly selected one. Possibly the only one left after all other names were taken in New Orleans. It's however pretty much the only bar near campus. Hence, it's the natural student hangout on Thursdays. Not big, not fancy, not very clean, nothing special really. But, cheap drinks, and the gathering of equals. No sound system, only the jukebox playing the same music over and over. Creed, Guns'n'Roses, Bob Dylan, etc. Usually the same crowd - i.e. international students and underaged American, mainly gothic, kids. The two categories don't really in [View Full Entry]

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MG2K. Mardi Gras 2000. The show is over for this year, and it’s time to go home. Me and roomie Michalis decide to support the public transportation and take the bus home from the French Quarters. Closest bus stop for our bus #55 is on Decatur St. right in front of Planet Hollywood. Hence, the natural turn of events for Mike and me is to simply stand in front of Planet Hollywood and wait for the bus. As simple as that. One might be lead to think that people would make the connection two guys + bus stop = two guys [View Full Entry]

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The Rock in the Bay. The one Clint Eastwood escaped from and the one Ed Harris/Nicolas Cage/Sean Connery fought over. Once the home of Al Capone. It is beautifully located in the San Francisco Bay. Much has been left untouched since this high-security facility was closed down in the 1960’s or so. Comfort and pleasure aren’t the first things that comes to mind here. Not exactly Hotel California. You couldn’t check out any time you like… [View Full Entry]

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Greyhound Bus. Low budget travelling at its very worst. All across America in cold, uncomfortable buses. People who can’t afford going by plane or train. Or people who enjoy the ride on the roads. Or people who want to experience the adventure. The bus between San Antonio and Houston is packed, as usual with about 90% African-Americans. Doesn’t bother the 300 pound white man with the large cowboy hat. Has ”White Power” and a swastika tattooed on his neck, fully visible. Takes the isle seat next to a young black man. The cute couple don’t exchange any words, but tr [View Full Entry]

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It is somewhere in Arizona. I think. Could be New Mexico. In the middle of the desert. A few worn down houses on the slope of a hill. No people are to be seen anywhere. It's a little depressing. Why would people choose to live here? But then again, the people residing are probably thinking "why would people care to live in a city?"... The town is small, very very small, and very very remotely located. I wonder if it's big enough to have a name. But I guess it does, since the Greyhound bus stops there. It would be a [View Full Entry]

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A day-trip to San Francisco from Los Angeles is not to recommend. It's a 6 hr drive on the interstate, one way. Sort of a hit-n-run experience. You step on it to make the most out of your day in SF, but still the time just isn't enough. Our Ford Mercury is big and comfortable, more than enough for the three of us. The coastal highway would have been much more scenic, but we just don't have the time, so I-5 it is. It's really not too bad. The valleys leading out to the inland of California are nice. Dry, not [View Full Entry]

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TJ. Tijuana. Good old Mexico. Mexico is a very interesting country. Massive in size, very intriguing culture and history, various climates with desert as well as tropical forests, big cities and small villages, friendly people. The contrast from neighboring San Diego and California is indeed gigantic. You have clearly entered a country that is not the US. It doesn’t feel very exotic though. More like sleepy, touristy, and not at all interesting from a traveling point of view. This is where Californian college kids go partying because the drinking age more generous than in the US. This is [View Full Entry]

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Ok, I admit it, I was caught by the hype of making the turn of the millennium one to remember. No fear of the Y2K bug, no fear of lunatics sending a missile into a crowd in a high profile location. SO, Vegas here we come! Cruising into the Strip for the first time is a mighty experience, even for an experienced traveler like myself. The eyes are all over the place, there is so much to see, everywhere you look. The insanely grand hotels/casinos, all of them a theme park in themselves, leave a lasting impression for the first-timer. Appears [View Full Entry]

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A car ride in the desert is about as exciting as it sounds. Even the four hour ride between Los Angeles and Las Vegas would be a rather dull transport, had circumstances been ordinary. However, the occasion is a bit special. Six friends in a party mood, travelling in a big white rental car to celebrate Y2K in Vegas. The ride is some four hours, meaning that random pit stops are a must. One takes place right after having crossed the border to Nevada. Stretching the legs, taking a leak, getting a drink, or what have you. And, looking up. The [View Full Entry]

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The bus between Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA isn’t full, not even close. She’s sitting in the back of the bus, mixing her soda with vodka. Alcohol is prohibited on Greyhound buses, and she has to hide it. She hasn’t seen her child in many years, the father took it away. She is an exotic dancer. She is going to New Orleans to visit her mother, not to try her luck like many other dancers. She knows how to make that extra buck. Smile, and they will give you money. Even if you’re having a bad day, smile. Extended customer [View Full Entry]

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