I have arrived! Chicago traffic is not fun, but the city is lovely (what I've seen of it) and well worth the wait to get in.
I left Indy Hostel at around 10am, heading for Planet Fitness to get in a 2mile run and some weightlifting. Exercise always makes me feel better, and it was nice to be in a place I'm familiar with. I showered, packed, and went to get something to eat. Fortunately there were restaurants in the same plaza, although the Greek restaurant I went into first was disappointing, and I left quickly after. Nobody greeted me, and I got the feeling I'd be waiting on my food for a while. Instead I went to the nearby coffee and bake shop, which was AWESOME. I got ham and swiss quiche and two giant scones that were soft, bread-y, and full of nuts and craisins. Yum!
Next I went to CVS and got my passport/visa photos taken. One less thing to do!My next stop was the Children's Museum, which was recommended to me by a girl at the Indy Hostel. It was pretty cool! I was only there for an hour, but I got to see some neat stuff.
I went through the dinosaur exhibit first, and watched a bit of a presentation for kids on different kinds of dinosaurs and how to identify what they ate by their teeth. It was so cute, the kids were very excited!
Next was an exhibit about lost treasures of the world, like the Chinese Terracotta soldiers and Egyptian mummies. My favorite by far was the part about Captain Kidd's lost ship, which was apparently discovered only recently in 2007. There were real sunken ship finds displayed in fresh-water aquariums, which were being preserved in water because they were so saturated with salt and minerals that drying them out would damage them. There was also an actual cannon from the ship that's supposedly that of Captain Kidd. It was being treated to fresh water and electricity to break down the mineral and salt damage.
They also had on display the real whip and hat used in the Indiana Jones movies. I also went to a display of glass by Chihuly, for which they had a central sitting place that slowly rotated so you could look at the designs sitting behind glass on the ceiling. It was really cool. There was also a Chihuly display that reached (I kid you not) from the bottom floor to the third story.
Pictures of these will be included when I get to some internet that works better. :(
After that I got on the road to Chicago. Here's where roadtrips get tricky for me: I am not a huge fan of driving for long distances. Two hours is my limit for enjoying a drive, at which point I get bored and start worrying about things like how much gas I'm burning into the atmosphere, or whether I'm going to get there before my leg starts hurting pushing the gas peddle. (I have no cruise control, which means I get muscle cramps in the unlucky leg doing the driving.)
By the time I got into Chicago, I was starving, so before I even got to the hostel I stopped at the first restaurant I could make a right turn into, the Olive Greek restaurant. I got some eggplant hummus stuff that is now my most favorite thing in the world.
Chicago Getaway Hostel is very different from Indy Hostel in Indianapolis, but both are pretty nice, although the internet at Indy was decidedly better. I'm in the bottom bunk of one of four bunk beds in my women's dorm room as I type. There's air conditioning, clean sheets, and lockers in the room to store anything valuable.
There is, however, only one bathroom. We'll see how this plays out.
Day 1, Saturday June 23
Indy Hostel and interior.
I left Indy Hostel at around 10am, heading for Planet Fitness to get in a 2mile run and some weightlifting. Exercise always makes me feel better, and it was nice to be in a place I'm familiar with. I showered, packed, and went to get something to eat. Fortunately there were restaurants in the same plaza, although the Greek restaurant I went into first was disappointing, and I left quickly after. Nobody greeted me, and I got the feeling I'd be waiting on my food for a while. Instead I went to the nearby coffee and bake shop, which was AWESOME. I got ham and swiss quiche and two giant scones that were soft, bread-y, and full of nuts and craisins. Yum!
Next I went to CVS and got my passport/visa photos taken. One less thing to do!My next stop was the Children's Museum, which was recommended to me by a girl at the Indy Hostel. It was pretty cool! I was only there for an hour, but I got to see some neat stuff.
I went through the dinosaur exhibit first, and watched a bit of a presentation for kids on different kinds of dinosaurs and how to identify what they ate by their teeth. It was so cute, the kids were very excited!
Dinosaurs under a dome sky with realistic clouds.
Next was an exhibit about lost treasures of the world, like the Chinese Terracotta soldiers and Egyptian mummies. My favorite by far was the part about Captain Kidd's lost ship, which was apparently discovered only recently in 2007. There were real sunken ship finds displayed in fresh-water aquariums, which were being preserved in water because they were so saturated with salt and minerals that drying them out would damage them. There was also an actual cannon from the ship that's supposedly that of Captain Kidd. It was being treated to fresh water and electricity to break down the mineral and salt damage.
They also had on display the real whip and hat used in the Indiana Jones movies. I also went to a display of glass by Chihuly, for which they had a central sitting place that slowly rotated so you could look at the designs sitting behind glass on the ceiling. It was really cool. There was also a Chihuly display that reached (I kid you not) from the bottom floor to the third story.
Pictures of these will be included when I get to some internet that works better. :(
After that I got on the road to Chicago. Here's where roadtrips get tricky for me: I am not a huge fan of driving for long distances. Two hours is my limit for enjoying a drive, at which point I get bored and start worrying about things like how much gas I'm burning into the atmosphere, or whether I'm going to get there before my leg starts hurting pushing the gas peddle. (I have no cruise control, which means I get muscle cramps in the unlucky leg doing the driving.)
By the time I got into Chicago, I was starving, so before I even got to the hostel I stopped at the first restaurant I could make a right turn into, the Olive Greek restaurant. I got some eggplant hummus stuff that is now my most favorite thing in the world.
Chicago Getaway Hostel is very different from Indy Hostel in Indianapolis, but both are pretty nice, although the internet at Indy was decidedly better. I'm in the bottom bunk of one of four bunk beds in my women's dorm room as I type. There's air conditioning, clean sheets, and lockers in the room to store anything valuable.
There is, however, only one bathroom. We'll see how this plays out.
Day 1, Saturday June 23
Drive to Indianapolis. (Check!)
Day 2, Sunday June 24
Play "tourist" in Indianapolis. (Check!)
Drive to Chicago, arrive that evening. (Check!)
Day 3, Monday June 25
Submit visa application at Taipei Representative Office that morning.
Play "tourist" the rest of the day.
Day 4, Tuesday June 26
Pick up visa (hopefully!).
Drive home.
PS. I may or may not go out to do something tonight. I'm a bit too tired to go out into a strange city, although I may resort to doing so out of hunger. I require FOOD.
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