Chicago Lovin'

It's awesome here. There's nothing else I can say.

This is my first time here in the Windy City and so far so good. For the first three nights here, I got to stay in the hotel in downtown Chicago right in the heart of the city. It's an odd feeling where on the first day itself I was hurled right into the fast-paced side walks. You see, the main street, Michigan Avenue is what 5th Avenue would be to New York. And throngs of people walk the walk everyday. Even more now that it's summer.

I think I could really learn to love Chicago. It's not as busy and domineering as New York, It's got an electic mix of people and the architecture is just marvelous. It's got good bus systems, railway, beautiful well equipped parks, nice beaches, and scenic roads. The one thing bothering most people would probably be the traffic jam (Imagine Federal Highway during rush hour). But what city doesn't face this problem?

I love how the city has a well organized grid system with generous sidewalks. I think I have a thing for sidewalks...and boulevards. Pathways, in general. They are like the arteries of the city, conveying people in and around the city on foot. I find walking around the city is so much better than being in a vehicle because you just tuned in all of your senses when you're exposed to the environment. Vehicles create a buffer between you and the outside.

I have so many things to say but I can't seem to find the words. Here are a fraction of the pictures I snapped up in the city that I will be calling home for the next few weeks.

- my first glimpse of downtown Chicago.

- John Hancock Building on the left with the Water Tower Place beside it (Oprah once lived here).

- At the foot of the Hancock Building.

- Well spaced side walks.

- Chicago

- On a bridge overlooking the Chicago river.

- downtown.

- at Navy Pier, where alot of activities take place. The cityscape in the background.

- Navy Pier 'board walk'.

- I think this is called Wacker Drive. An underground road where Batman: The Dark Knight was supposedly filmed.

- Enjoying the famous Chicago Deep Dish pizza. Let's just hope it wasn't beef.

- The smooth steel surface.

- The Cloud Gate Sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Millenium park,

- It drizzled.

- Threading water.

- The Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa, also at Millenium Park. It's comprised of translucent glass blocks and a high tech LED video system and every few minutes, the random Chicagoan faces pucker up and water jets out from the lips as though they're spitting!

- Tickets to the Taste of Chicago (kinda like a big food fair).

- Gelato.

- Turkey Leg. And yes, eating it was a challenge.

I've since moved out from the Avenue Hotel in downtown Chicago and moved up north to stay with my sister's friend who will be putting us up for the rest mf my stay. It's still close to the city and I can still take a bus ride to get there. I just did it today to go for some shopping and it wasn't that bad!

I'm planning to explore more in the city as well as this neighbourhood I'm in.

Where am I?

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Stay tuned for much MUCH more.