![screenshot_08](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/screenshot_08.png)

_Note: This is a condensed version of the pictures I took with some added narrative. The rest of the pics can be viewed in the album [The Trip 2013 – Chicago](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3). Each picture can be clicked to see a larger version and comment / like_



May the 15th just 8 days after I had started I took a flight from Toronto to Chicago. I was flying into the windy city to see the sights and meet my good uni mate Mark. Mark was due to arrive the following day with a few other friends of his from back in England they were all over here visiting their friend Damien.

I arrived late afternoon and made my way to the hostel I was staying at downtown. This place was quite a change from the hostel in Toronto, it was HUGE. 6 floors of dorms with each dorm being about twice the size of the ones in Toronto. Apparently it is one of the biggest hostels in the world. It felt more like a hotel than a hotel.

That first night I headed north to meet Damien for the first time. We hung out is his local, drinking local beers and Jager (ughh). We went for some food around the corner and I managed to sample Chicago style pizza, which is odd with the tomato and cheese positioning reversed so the cheese is on the bottom with tomato on top. It tasted great still.

The following day I spent downtown doing some touristy things. I visited the flagship McDonalds:

[![macdonalds](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/macdonalds.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154236031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

I spent some time down by the waterfront updating my diary.

[![diarywater](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/diarywater.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154871031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

I saw some wierd mushroom buildings.

[![mushroom](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mushroom.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154281031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

The city was really beautiful, helped by the fact that there was tons of bushes in bloom:

[![bloom](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/bloom.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154891031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

That evening I met up with Mark and the lads and we went out for drinks downtown. I met some more of Damien's friends including a girl named Angee who is Venezuelan and informed me that if I go to Venezuela I am totally going to get mugged / raped, oh joy.

[![angee](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/angee.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154891031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

We went to some really cool bars. One called the Rooftop in the Wit had a violinist who riffed along to the house music that the DJ was spinning out, I was in heaven.

[![violin](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/violin.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656154891031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

Needless to say that was a tough night for the lads with jetag.

[![mark dead](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mark-dead.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3)

The following day we went to watch the Cubs loose to the Mets

[![cubs](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cubs.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656155876031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

It was fun tho I think I prefer ice hockey over baseball, far more action in hockey. It doesnt help that the wind was really cold making where we were sat in the shade even colder.

[![sat](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/sat.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656155921031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

Still, the beer and nachos helped. Mark and Damien even went for the \$18 helmet of them.. mental

[![helm](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/helm.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656156066031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

After the game we headed across the road to Sluggers, which is a bar with batting nets.

[![nets](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/nets.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656156261031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

That was really good fun, I have always enjoyed getting involved with sports more than watching them. The fastball nets however were really tough. The ball comes at you at about 60mph which is fairly slow compared to the real pitchers, but unlike the real thing you have no clue when the ball is about to leave the machine. Also unlike the real thing your belly is full of beer, making things trickier :P

The rest of the evening was spent getting messy. At one point we spotted a group of people who were taking their parrot for a walk. I dont think I have ever seen more emotional in an animal than this bird. Just by looking at its eyes you could tell what it was thinking, it was really fascinating.

[![parrot](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/parrot.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151656156401031&set=a.10151656151696031.1073741832.593661030&type=3&theater)

A fitting end to to a great stay in the windy city. I rose early the next day to catch a flight to my next destination; North Carolina!

chicago

chicago

chicago