Chicago - the surprise packet so far

Maybe it's just me, but I've never really known Chicago to be a huge tourist destination. With that in mind, I  didn't really have huge expectations, and I also didn't have too many preconvieved notions of what it'd be like. Rolling into Chicago via a much more luxurious bus with inbuilt power supply and wifi (seriously, backpackers are like moths to a globe when it comes to free wifi), we lugged our bags about a mile or so up the road and were happy to get to the check in desk at our hostel.

After being unable to find our booking, the desk clerk asked to see the confirmation email I had received. By this stage we were getting slightly concerned that once more, we would be left without somewhere to stay as a result of a hostel not accepting our reservation. Well, that was partly the case, as it turned out I had erroneously booked for the 29th.... of next month.

A quick ring around by the hostel reception staff confirmed all but our worst fears, when every other hostel in the area was fully booked, and we were looking at having to pay considerably more and stay at a hotel. I decided to give Paul, our couchsurfing host a call, and luckily for us, he was able to have us stay a night early, and everything worked out swimmingly. Our time with Paul was an interesting experience, as Mike and myself shared a loungeroom with up to five other people, from places such as France, Switzerland and Estonia. Watching the Olympics in a loungeroom in Chicago with people from multiple countries is not something you experience every day.

Millenium Park and the waterfront of Lake Ontario was my first port of call the next morning (once more, the standard 'amble to the major body of water upon arrival'). It was during this intial walk along the Lake, through the cities parks and along the main avenues of the city that I first started to really appreciate the aesthetics of the city. It still had its elements of a grittier city, but an abundance of parklands, clean streets and impressive architecture (new and modern), made Chicago a very appealing city to look at. After consuming some amazing Chicago-style deep dish pizza from the famous Gino's East, we got on the Metro and headed to the northern end of the city.

Cloud Gate

Willis (Formerly Sears) Tower

As we arrived in Wriggleyville (what a name, eh?), it turned out the Cubs were mid-way through a three game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. As such, the streets were teeming with enthusiastic Cubs fans and street performers. I was instantly drawn into the Cubs hysteria (they had won a nailbiter game that day), and was set on seeing them the next day. We also encountered an extremely charismatic street vendor, equipped with a loud speaker, selling bottles of water. However, with his wit, articulation and dry sense of humour, it was hard not to appreciate his fervour for water selling. As we played along to his calls of "Now isn't that refreshing? That cold water against your lips. Let me hear an 'Ahhhh'", we walked away having thoroughly enjoyed his new take on such a simple process.

Wrigley Field Street Vendor

The next morning, after visiting the United Centre, the home of the Chicago Bulls, I set off back into downtown, checked out a museum or two, and explored parts of downtown that I hadn't had the chance to see the previous day, including Grant Park, home of the famous Lollapalooza festival that we were annoyingly missing by only a few days. Keeping my promise to myself from the previous day, I headed back up to Wrigley Field and purchased a $21 nose-bleed section ticket to game three of the Cubs vs Pirates. I'd been informed by every Chicago resident I came into contact with that, to put it simply, the Cubs are perennial underachievers, and that's putting it kindly.

United Centre

Grant Park

It was with a massive shock that upon getting on the bus towards the field, that I was greated with a 'Well, excuse me, what are your plans for today?". Unsure if I was being spoken to, I glanced back at the bus driver and lo and behold it was the gentleman selling water from the previous day. As it turns out, his name was Paul and his day job is driving city buses. He explained how he has two kids, and selling water is his 'on the side' job to help put them through college. As I arrived at my destination, we exchanged handshakes, wished each other a good day and were on our way.

Paul (apparently that hand signal is different over here, haha)

With no expectation of miracles, even against a weak Pirates side, I was extremely pleasantly surprised to witness a 14-4 landslide win to the Cubs including a season high nine run innings and three home runs, in addition to a big-screen marriage proposal (which was accepted to massive roars from the crowd). As if it couldn't become any more of a spectacle, Gloria Estefan made a cameo appearance to sing 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'.

After the game, I headed back through the subway and got off at a station I found out only minutes previously was "uh... a bit... rough". As I gazed out along the streets, and cop cars frequently circled, I decided my best option would be to take a cab back to Paul's house, as opposed to waiting around and being the only Caucasian person catching a midnight bus.

The bus rides through questionable suburbs continued the next day, as I was once clearly the odd one out, as I headed through Detroit and onto Toronto; all up the 14 hour bus ride was rather pleasant, bordering on a holiday within a holiday as I sat back, watched the first two Batman movies and indulged in some movie snacks. Bliss.