Take me out to the ball game……

A couple of Beans!

Well the windy city turned out not to be so windy after all - more like unpredictable - lovely, hot t-shirt weather one day and freezing cold the next day - shades of Melbourne. Apart from the unreliable weather Chicago was a very elegant city. We took a fantastic architectural boat cruise - lasted just over an hour and gave us a great overview of the really impressive buildings. Apparently Chicago burnt down (around about the 1920's - okay so I didn't listen to the commentary that closely plus there was a bar on the boat!) anyway most of the city was designed and rebuilt after this time - and Chicago became the first city with skyscrapers. Amazing buildings (Perth take note - he who dares wins), my personal favourite was a green coloured skyscraper with a gold section on the roof - it was built during prohibition and was designed to resemble a champagne bottle. - sort of an "up yours!" to the prohibitionists.

Elegant Chicago

We spent about 9 days in Chicago (broken up by our visit to Lafayette). The first stay was at a BnB in Belmont - just near Boys Town - yes another gay area - we like gay areas - they are funky and happening but also pretty safe with the added bonus of great people watching. 

Had the worlds best hot dog on Halsted Avenue (didn't get a photo sadly as ate it too fast). Bought some really great retro clothes in Wicker Park, went to a local comedy show, went up the Willis (used to be Sears) Tower, visited the Chicago Institute of Art - huge not as interesting as I remember US Art Gallery's - suspect that might be a change in me - not the galleries.

The second visit to Chicago we stayed out by the airport - all the local places that didn't cost and arm and leg were booked out. Initially we were thinking "what have we done or more precisely "where the f%$^ are we?". But the hotel had a great shuttle to the train station so we were in and out of central downtown in about 40 mins and the shuttle drivers were very cool. Hotel was a bargain in the end - only $60 per night - including breakfast, tea and coffee and cookies all day and a free porn channel. Not that we watched it of course!

We caught an overnight greyhound from Chicago to Toronto via Detroit. The bus to Toronto went from downtown station. It looked like a scene from Dawn of the Dead when we first arrived at the station - but after about 20 minutes of checking out the freaks and crack fiends and general weirdos - I realised that really only about 15 to 20% of the people were odd - the majority were just ordinary joe blows - like us - I guess its just that weirdos tend to draw more attention. 

Anyway the ride from Chicago to Detroit took about 5 hours and was completely painless - thanks to the Tamazapan! We changed buses in Detroit and two minutes after boarding the bus in Detroit, we were at the Canadian border - who knew? Visa was a piece of cake (still hoping will be the same to get back into US). 

Does my butt look big in this?

We stayed at another BnB in Toronto - turns out it was right behind Queens St West - another funky retro area. We had a shared bathroom this time - don't think Richie enjoyed that too much. Toronto was pleasant few days - went to another comedy club - not so good this time - the main comic was very old school; watched the planes fly over the harbour and right into the city airport; visited the Royal Toronto Museum - finally got our act together to go when it was the free evening; had a fantastic, fantastic best ever, Thai meal at the Thai Elephant (note to self put note on Trip Advisor). But the best thing we did was go to a Ball Game - take me out to the ball game……… it was really enjoyable. I took a book with me as I thought it might be like the cricket and I would die of boredom - but it was great fun - pretty easy to work out the scoring system and not too long - my kind of  game - now if they could just get those players in some little shorts (like the Aussie football players) it would really be a game worth watching - except maybe the catchers - they tend to be on the fatty boom-bah side!

We had started to collect a large amount of luggage - due to so much shopping in the vintage/retro shops in Chicago so decided it would be a good time to post some gear home. We got a box from the post office and packed and wrapped it carefully, filled in the customs form and lugged the 6 kilo package a couple of blocks to the nearest post office. Only to find bloody Canada Post was on strike for about 12 days!!!! What a pain in the tukus! Anyway after much discussion we decided the best way to go was to leave the package with our BnB host and give him the money to send the package when the strike is over. We expect he is now drinking champagne with our hundred dollars postage fee whilst wearing one of my new dresses and Richards cap - and laughing insanely!!!

A few days in Niagara…

Spent two lovely days at Niagara Falls. Arrived by trusty greyhound from Toronto- only about 1.5 hours and we stayed at a pretty decent hotel about five minutes walk from the falls. We arrived on a Friday and took the Maid of the MIst boat tour - enormously good fun.  We had a long debate about whether Iguazu, Victoria or Niagara falls are the more spectacular falls - the outcome was:

1. Iguazu for size and ability to get so close

2. Niagara for beauty and the fact its right in town so very accessible and not expensive as it a public non profit - god bless Canada!

Honeymoon 10.0

3. Victoria Falls - Zambia side is really natural - none of the Vegas type stuff that goes on at the other two falls

Had a great long lunch (well it was actually 5.30 pm - it was a late lunch for us but an early dinner for most of the other patrons. 3 courses $17 - fantastic food- really made with love - followed by a bottle of red…..God bless Canada!!!

Now back in the US - border crossing was a delight - very pleasant and on our way to Boston - oh but the flight is delayed - again…. oh well it is what it is.