Day 14 - TORONTO CONTINUED
Recovered from night before. We went to a cool bar called hideout. Great band although spent most of the time trying to convince some girls that we were actually British!I guess its pretty bizarre for two Brits to turn up in a small bar in Toronto in sub-zero temperatures.
So big lay in and then off in to the middle of toronto. Main event was ice skating - fantastic location - right in the middle of some skyscrapers and a concert going on by the side. I didn't fall over once luckily - poetically Guy fell over once and it was right infront of my very eyes - it was a brutal fall for the steak-thighed Malvernite which most probably kicked off a tsunami in Asia.
The fella we stayed with is a top bloke. He seems to have done everything - plays guitar, skuber diving, well-travelled and he's only 19!Definatley encouraged me to get more skills under my belt when I get back home - particularly the guitar - it would be a torturously hard job to become good but well worth an attempt.
Day 15
Spent hours sledding. When Canadian friend told us the venue was 'sucide hill' - my face turned the dame shade as the whitest snow. Sure enough my pelvis was obliterated within minutes - Im okay ofcourse but boy were there some bumpy jumps. Guy was fine ofcourse - unlike him I dont have the luxury of having two natural shock absorbers in the form of a pair of significantly large buttocks. Was good alround childish fun.
Superbowl (biggest sporying vent on US calendar) happened this night. Although in Cnada it was a very American experience - loads of beers and loads of chrisps, chicken wings and hotdogs as we watched the game on the tv. we made some hash brownies and some normal brownies - Guy was a chump and polished off the hash brownies assuming they were the ordinary ones. Amusing angle arised when our hosts parents arised and we had to try and act significantly more concious than we actually were. His parents were cool though - they both work in tv and film production and had lots of interesting things to say about that experiences.
Day 16 - CHICAGO
Today we left Toronto and headed off to Chicago. We were pretty tired but headed out to a traditional jazz bar once settled into hostel. Awqward but amusing that a hostel guest came with us. She claimed to be half iraqi, a descendant of Shakespeare and had a nazi spy for a grandad - she looked like meatloaf with a wig and was fully dressed out in army gear from head to toe. Never had the phrase 'only in America' seemed more appropriate than right now. We got on well withthe hostel guide Lindsey and organised to meet up with her again. Oh and the Jazz was cracking - the kind where it was impossible not to pull off a number of air guitar gesticulations.
Day 17
Soon relised our hostel was in abrilliant location. Right next to lots of tourist hot spots. All the museums were free because there are hardl any tourists at this time of year - so we soon cashed in on the planetarium and the aquarium. Guy was on phone to Emily so I took the time to have a snooze in the moon exhibit - great sleep until the disgruntled security guy moved me on. Im making a habit of doing this. Me and guy have agreed that im a bit like a phone charger - just ten minutes sleep will provide me with a few hours of energy to stand on my feet. Because we are walking so much, I;ve even taken to sitting on the pavement whilst we wait for th e lights to turn green - every second spent resting is a second well spent in my book.
Went up Hancock tower - huge skyscraper - on eof biggest in US. Good opportunity to get to grips iwth teh character of Chicago - a fantastic skyscraper city which is beautifully tamed by a truly massive lake (lake Michigan) which looks like the ocean. Instantly like this angle to the city - there is a real hustle and bustle but lots of open spaces to escape from it, which was not the case with NYC.
Met up with Jesse in the evening. Jesse is the nephew of my American neighbour back home. Never met him before now but he was a top guy - we hung out at a series of bars in a livley part of town. As always its great to talk to a local and make a connection - really cuts through the stereotypical traveller who might just socialise with fellow travellers the whole trip. Lots of taco's and beers. Jesse works for a successful software company and told us about his girlfriend in Thailand - was cool to see him and Guy relate to teh difficulties of a long distance relationship. Realising that me and Guy probably get on best when we go out with poeple othe than just oursleves - it provides Guy with a more receptive audience to talk to and takes the pressure off me to be talkative (which im not great at)...also allows me to revel in teh absolutw twoddle he comes out with, with other people.
DAY 18
Bit of a lie in an dthen off into Chicago downtown. Went to conteporary art museum - was pretty shoddy and pretentious stuff - apparently american art is a wheelbarrow full of popcorn. Amusing to hear Guy continuously take on some of teh big heavyweights of the art world by saying 'that is bollocks, I could to do that. Don't laugh, Im serious, I could do it'. Later found the Chicago Art institute -this was much better - one of teh biggest cllections of Monet, Van gogh collections in the world - really cool seeing some of the pictures i had studied for art at GCSE. While I observed the incredible masterpieces, Guy commented once more on the 'tiny penis's' the statues. I love the fact that an artist can slave away for years on an incredible sculpture only to have Guy comment on their cock and balls.
Hooked up with Lindsey - the hostel guide we met a few days before. We met up out of town and she intoduced us to her best mates. Once again - really cool to meet some locals who are our age and go through the usual but always enetertaining array of questions 'Do you have this i England?' 'How do you say this?' etc. As usual Guy kindly offered them all to stay with me in London - my house will be like a bloody hilton hotel by the end of the year. Oh well.
Day 19
Last day in Chicago. Went to the free zoo. Fantastic because it literally was just me and Guy there - not another tourist in sight. Some say we have come to America at the wrong time of year but I love the fact we can waltz in to everywhere for free without queues. Hadn't been to zoo for ten years so great to see Zebras, Giraffes, pigmy hippo's and tigers. Not as unique to see the huge silverback gorilla being intensely enthusiastic as I have been friends with Guy for three years now.
Me and Guy spent half our time laying in to the polar bear Lee as he was withdrawn from the zoo because it was too cold!The phrase, 'are you having a laugh' seemed particularly appropriate - don't these fellas cruise around the Antarctic all day, the soft git.
Spent the rest of the rest of the day prepping for our stay in Colorado and concincing the zoo staff that Guy was not an escaped chimp on the loose.
Off to the airport at 7 am in the morning!
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