Chicago!! Day 1

Jamila and I are back from a fabulous weekend in Chicago, with pictures to follow!

We began and ended the trip with an eight-hour Megabus ride. Although the ride did not feel too long or too unbearable, I must say I felt some nostalgia for the buses in South America. Megabus might have WiFi (sporadically) but the fully reclining seats, the service, the food, the wine and the movies of my South American bus rides were definitely missed.

We arrived late at night to my cousin Joe's apartment, a gracious host. Joe lives in the trendy neighborhood of Wicker Park, right near Bucktown. He lives on top of a Middle Eastern Restaurant, a block from the El Train and from the "Six Corners," where North Avenue intersects with Milwaukee and Damen.

We slept in a bit and then Joe took us for a walk around the neighborhood to see the people, the shops, the architecture. We wandered into The Bongo Room, a delicious breakfast/brunch place on Milwaukee. I ordered Red Velvet Hotcakes (Yes!!!) and they literally tasted like a yummy cupcake. Perhaps a little too decadent for breakfast, but it was a vacation. Joe ordered lemon and blueberry ricotta pancakes, where were delicious and buttery. And Jamila got a more savory red pepper and chicken sausage and mozzarella omelet with some awesome dill potatoes on the side. It was super delicious, and we continued to wander through the neighborhood. There were fancy boutiques, thrift stores, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and large bars. Many people were on bicycles (though I didn't see many helmets). For dinner we grabbed Vietnamese sandwiches at a store nearby, which were delicious. It was only four when we ate them, and I asked Joe whether these sandwiches were a snack or a meal. He wisely replied: "I don't like to put time labels on my food."

Later that evening, Joe took us to a local art show nearby, where artists open up their studios and sell their work. It was very trendy and we saw some great art work, and Joe even bought me a little piece for my birthday! It was so sweet but I was having trouble deciding between two different pieces, and the artist generously let me take both. I'm a lucky duck.

We then decompressed at Joe's place and watched "Kung Fu Hustle," a Stephen Chow film. I'd never seen a Kung Fu movie before and I was very enthralled. Afterwards, we headed out to Danny's, a local bar right off Damen, and one of Joe's favorite hot spots.

It was a very chill day, filled with yummy food and excitement in a new area. I immediately fell asleep.