The Windy City

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We got to Chicago after a non-eventful train journey (thank God). We arrived at the hostel, a bit out of town but there's 24 hour metro so was great, and promptly got chucked out! Only for a couple of hours though, lock out hostels suck, but they do make you get out of bed even with the most serverest hangover (poor Trev!).

We went into the city the next day, heading for the Library for free internet. Chicago is the city in the States we,ve been to so far that looks and feels like home. The architecture is very european and feels like theres a lot of history around. The Library building was beautiful itself, it was a shame that when we used the computers we all slowly noticed that over half of the people there were actually looking at porn!! Honestly, I know the country's apparently more liberated but in a Library!!! We were shocked! They were dirty old men though, what more can you expect!

Trev, Dan, and I had met Tomas, an Ozzy guy whos family came from Poland at the hostel. He wanted to go to the huge polish area and eat. As we were all hungry we went with him along with an American, Elliot. It took as ages on the train then we had to change to the bus but first went in the wrong direction. Eventually going the right way we asked a guy where a good polish resturant is. He told us about a "Big Red Apple" place and told us where to get off the bus and on another. We waited at the next bus stop for 20 mins in the freezing cold rain only to get on the bus and find that the reaturant was across the road!!! So two hours after deciding that Polish food was the way to go we eventually sat down to eat. But it was well worth it, eat all you want, cheap, hot and filling, perfect. Thanks tomas and as you say "its all about the journey"! We all went out that night to a couple of bars, one of which had peanut shells all over the floor and the other a very bad club that we soon left. We finished up at a cool local bar which I ended up having to walk back to as i thought i'd left my bag at (including cards and passport!). It wasn't there but it was ok as i found it up my sleeve!!! Don't ask but panic over!!

The next day Conan O'Brien (a big late night show host) was recording in Chicago so we decided to queue for it, see a bit of American culture. After 3 and a half hours (!) a guy came along and told all 2000 of us that the show was full, dam it, but a great way to get over a hangover. Dan, Trev, Tomas and I then went to Manifest, a big event at the Chicago Columbia Uni showing Art, Music and Dance. We saw a few music acts including Buddy Guy, who is a Legend in Chicago and usually costs a fortune to see. There was loads of free stuff including a radio and food. They also had a weird ceromony for the graduating students where they broke eggs filled with confetti over each others heads. We meet up with a couple of other people from the hostel and went to a free Jazz concert. It had a Japanese influence to it which was strange but really good. The Japanese drums were mesmorising. All in all a brilliant day.

We went to the Gold Coast area the next day with Dan and Hannah. The area was really nice, lots of designer shops and posh reaturants. We went to the famous Giordano's for authentic Chicago pizza which was amazing (see pic). We then went up the John Hancock Building to see the city from high up. Its actually the 2nd tallest building in Chicago, the Sears Tower being the tallest, but you can only go up to the same floor on both and the John Hannock was cheaper! The view was amazing and its was really strange looking at Lake Michigan and not seeing the other side even though its a lake!

As it was Saturday night we decided to go to a club which we havn't done for ages. After a couple of drinks in a cute full on American bar (free drinks for me and Hannah, love being a girl!) we headed off for the Holiday club that plays 80's music. We found out that Jen Anderson and Vince Vaughn had been there not long before! It was really cool and we all had a wicked night.

Next day we all headed our seperate ways, a very ill Hannah to a new hostel, Dan to Boston, Tomas to Miami and us to Washington D.C.........................

P.S. Trev rules and his blogs are better!!!

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