A pain-free although sleepless journey to the USA and straight into Chicago. Grappling with 48 hours of no sleep wreaks havoc with one’s sanity, and what better remedy than this wonderful city! The advantage of jet lag means you can get up early and ‘pap the bean’ when nobody’s around.
Clearly lucked out on the digs (I’d done zero research, just booked something close to the city centre) Upon arrival there was a jazz band playing in the bar, a soothing welcome while sipping my first beer in the Windy City.
The hostel has a cool cocktail bar frequented by many locals - The Broken Shaker. They have a vast selection of their own bitters and rooftop-grown herbs.
The staff are great; friendly, welcoming, and really know their stuff when it comes to mixing flavours. Not sure what I had exactly, but it tasted fantastic - Bourbon, Bitters, and one huge chunky ice cube.
Chicago's chilled vibe was a refreshing start to this trip. Although 35 celsius every day with high humidity to match was thirsty work - good job it’s been hot in the UK, it wasn't too much of a shock. For such a large city, the people are friendly and upbeat. I later learned that they’re celebrating their 3 month summer, before everyone goes back inside for 9 months of freezing.
Chicago is on Lake Michigan, the Navy Pier was a nice stroll....
Vegandale, a vegan festival looked great upon entering. In reality it was a bit of a letdown. $20 to get in, and then paying for over-priced pasta, and soy products trying to be meat. So much great food can be made with some creativity and good ingredients, it doesn't need to emulate meat ALL the time - I've tasted much better vegan food.
The Museum Of Contemporary Art was fantastic. Some of the pieces I really just didn't ‘get’ at all - raising the well worn question of whether it’s art or not. Thankfully there were many pieces which make you think.
Below: Anamnesis - representing trade, imports, and economic activity in Chicago. Interactively representing a marketplace, moving from smell to smell: Peat, Coffee, Tea, Cacao, Cloves, Pepper and other spices. The shape reflects transportation via the meandering bodies of water as well as a stock market performance graph.
I arrived late so only had an hour to look around, it would have been great to spend longer here. There are some interesting interactive pieces relating to the internet age. It really made me think about our increasingly connected world and what it means to be human.
It’s funny when travelling on your own, the people you encounter; I had some raucous evenings with other backpackers, people working there for a week or two, and a bachelor party (sans donkey). On another night I ended up going clubbing with a good group of people. On the way there I was accosted by two shady dudes, aggressively offering me wraps of white powder and bags of dried herbs, I declined their generous offer. When hearing my accent they were curious about where I was from. I enlightened them, and then told them a very British salacious joke about legumes - I left them doubled up with laughter as I hastily made my escape.
