chica-go! pt. 2

the journey into the center of chicago's concrete heart began with a trip on L train's blue line. as a native angelino, i couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. with clear skies and temperature in the low 80's, a nice cold flat beer was definitely in the near future.


choosing the L train is probably the cheapest and most amazing way to see chicago and its suburbs(but don't be surprised if your train breaks down for a bit while getting there). on our way to the center, breean had found a place called sultan's market where we were going to meet one of our real good friends bryson, who had just recently moved.

we took the damen stop and got off in wicker park/chicago's hipster mecca. my first impression of this skinny jean walkway was, "wow, how in the hell do they fit in those jeans." on top of that, i was attracted to the laid back and relaxed atmosphere that people, including those who ran the restaurants had.

prior to this trip, i had been on a tortilla/flour/rice/anything containing bread diet. but being that this was my first time in chicago, it would have been disrespectful not to eat what the natives ate. i bull-dozed my "diet" with a hearty lamb schwerma paired with rice and humus, my halal socks were blown off!

the afternoon gave way to a brisky evening, but nothing uncomfortable. after our lunch, bryson took us to his new neighborhood, which was a block away from a local pub. his apartment was about a ten minute walk from the blue line. we witnessed a friendly game of corn-hole while we walked past the local pub, which is also the place where bryson's neighbor works.

bryson scored on his new place, he gave us a quick tour of his abode but what was truly breathtaking was his rooftop view. from it, one can truly see the splendor of chicago's skyline.
since we were too cheap to pay 20 dollars, we decide to visit the next best thing, john hancock tower. it was free to go up the top floor-a whopping 96 stories- if you bought a beverage: we were sold.
the view was truly amazing. it took 50 seconds to reach the top, and once there, the view had us. we had about 30 minutes left of sunlight, which was perfect. for that next half-hour, we joked and spoke lightly of our jobs and lives and then the sun began to wane into the horizon. halfway down, our sun began to taper from the bottom and mushroom from the top like an atomic flash; it truly was a magnificent. 96 stories down, we headed to millennium park to see the highly coveted, facebook default pic seeking, "bean."

we found it and, of course, could not resist the urge to take a picture next to it. i scoured the big group surrounding the metallic bean. and, just my luck, happened to choose the one person, in all of chicago with the crippled hand. i didn't notice it at first and actually got a little frustrated at the fact that the lady took a long time to take the picture. bryson was the one who noticed first and could not keep his laughter. it took me a second to put things together as i saw the lady struggling to keep the camera straight and level...i was not the biggest fan of myself at this moment, so pizza was going to play the perfect distraction.

giordano's, known for their deep dish pizza, was only a few blocks away. and when the pizza did finally reach the 4 corners of my mouth, the sweet taste of tomato sauce accompanied with the thick mozzarella cheese made my knees a bit weak. the sausage, mushrooms and garlic only magnified everything else. this pizza was a beast, one that i was only able to conquer 2 slices of. the night ended in a slow pace, me walking a bit sluggish, with a frown overdosed in deep dish. we hopped on the blue line and parted ways with bryson. 30 minutes later we were back in the hotel, comatose.
my short stay in chicago was incredible. if i could sum this city up it would be this: people are friendly, tip-top public transportation and great food! this city is totally worth visiting, which is why i will return, soon. cheers!   

chica-go!

this trip didn't have the smoothest beginning but all of that's been forgotten; the fact is that i'm in chicago! this is my first visit to the windy city and i've heard nothing but great things, all but the weather. speaking of weather, it's not so bad out here. the forecast called for scattered thunderstorms but stepping outside the terminal all i saw were scattered rain drops falling from metal rafters. good weather follows me, and for that, i am very fortunate.

so, it's noon and i am still inside the hotel. it's probably not the best place to be which is why in a few moments i will get ready, hop on the L train with my friend breean and bryson and head towards the center of this city where i'll be a fat kid all day long. results will quickly follow

consolidating

this will now house the future stories, if any, in which i'll more than likely find myself lost in different countries around strange people and distant tongues. some may also be from the past, while some may not make sense whatsoever. i will try my best to sound coherent as much possible, but i make no promises.