I apologize to everyone who still shows or has shown interest in my blogs. Unfortunately, I was very busy with my studies and couldn't find the time to sit down properly and write the continuation of my travels. Now, I finally have a little time for it. I hope there are still people here who are interested. I understand that this is a time when everyone is busy with visas and tickets, but you can relax a little, right? :) And a special thanks to Alexander Kozlov, who recently decided to remind me that it makes sense to write a continuation.
In the end, I finally managed to get to that very Austin. For reference: Austin is the capital of the state of Texas, which is located, so to speak, in the lower part of the country in the middle belt. The average age of the residents is only 31, which means it is a truly interesting city for young people. How so? Well, even while driving into this city, I learned that it is the capital of live music. You can hear up to 200 different bands and performers there every day! You can feel the atmosphere of live music right from the plane's stairs. Well, not exactly from the stairs... A little further. Or rather, from the baggage claim, where there are unique guitar structures like these:
Looking ahead, I want to note that in the USA, this is a very popular theme - to present, so to speak, one of the most important "values" of the city right at the airport. For example, in Vegas, a little later, I already encountered slot machines 5 meters from the plane gate. And these machines are located throughout the airport. But that's not what this is about now.
Let me remind you that I was going to Austin to see my old friend Weldon, with whom we worked in the kitchen in Glacier for a season and a half. He was the one who met me under the rainy Texas sky in his brand-new car. Here, after being fired from that job, he managed to settle down: find a new job, a house, and even get married. Not bad, right? At that moment, I thought about the fact that besides the fact that those who read the blogs from the very beginning learn not only about my travels, but also about the fates of some important characters of this mini Work and Travel "saga".
So, Weldon is just one of them. And he is doing well.
Day one.
After introducing me to my room, as well as his wife, he dragged me to try another major attraction. The fact is that Texas borders Mexico, so if you are too lazy to go to Mexico, you can drive to Texas, or to some nearby states, to try real Mexican food. I am a fan of this cuisine and have tried many dishes in different states: NY, Washington, Montana, but nothing compares to what was in Austin. Believe me. Weldon took me to a small cafe called Tamale House East, which looks like a typical cafe from a movie that would be somewhere in the middle of the desert, and you would probably be served by some Danny Trejo in a hat. Well, you get it, right? Well, see for yourself:
The menu was so diverse that I saw some things for the first time and simply didn't know what they were, even though I am quite familiar with Mexican cuisine. Weldon advised me on some things and it turned out to be truly incredibly delicious: nachos, cheese sauce, tamales, quesadilla. In general, go to Texas and try it!
After that, Weldon left, and I just started wandering around the neighborhood from that cafe, enjoying the city. I have always said that I prefer to travel alone. It is for such moments. At any moment, you can be left alone with yourself and do whatever you want, go wherever you want, etc. That is exactly what I did. Although the city is not a "high-rise" one, part of it is quite modern, but most of it is one- or two-story buildings, and with a very cool feature. What I really liked is that there are a lot of large-scale graffiti or arts (call it what you want). Where I walked, they were almost at every step and drawn very clearly and interestingly:
Going a little further, I came out to 6th Street - this is one of the main advantages of the city. The place that never sleeps. A kind of gathering of bars, clubs, cafes, restaurants, where live music is constantly playing - at night and during the day. That is, at almost any time of the day, you can find a place to sit with live music. And along this street, of course, there are souvenirs, shops with other junk, and again, cool arts:
After that, Weldon picked me up and took me to a small bar called Spider House, where he fed me nachos with cool spicy salsa again, as well as incredible beer. Another advantage of Texas is the local beer of different strength and taste, which is very decent. By the way, it is worth noting that in my 3 years in the USA, I have really come to love American beer, and probably more than European. Especially draft beer.
Weldon, apparently, decided to arrange a full entertainment program for me and dragged me to the movies to see The Avengers, where there was a cinema that was truly unique for me personally. In this cinema, you could order food and drinks directly while watching the movie. There was a special shelf along the entire row that functioned as a table for the viewer, and you could give the waiters special slips with orders. The food, of course, was not just popcorn, but hamburgers, sandwiches, etc. Unusual and really cool.
Day two.
On the second day, I decided to wander around the city on my own again and see as many places in the area as possible. So I just left Weldon's house and went wherever my eyes looked. I think I even googled something like places to visit in Austin, and then, using phone maps, I started walking to specific locations, exploring the surroundings. The city is really very interesting, where, to be honest, I could live. Small, quite youthful, and with such interesting features that I have already listed, like music and food. What else do you need? It's a bit hot, though. The sun is baking terribly, so if you go to Texas, keep this in mind. I personally got sunburned here, although this hasn't happened to me for several years (well, this is probably considering that I haven't lived in Tashkent for the third summer now. If there are residents of Central Asia here, they will understand.)
While walking, I stumbled upon the stadium of the local American football team.
Yes, I've been coming here for three years, but I'm seeing the stadium for the first time, by the way. And I haven't been to any games yet. I also met more arts, as well as one of the main attractions of the city - the Capitol. It consists of a huge territory where there is a giant building a la the White House, as well as several small ones and many monuments of various kinds, for example, in memory of those who died in the Battle of Pearl Harbor, veterans of the First World War, etc. All this is free and very entertaining. The Capitol itself, of course, is worth visiting, if only to just see what such beauty looks like from the inside.
In essence, this building is an "office" for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the state governor. Inside, there are many incredibly beautiful and large-scale paintings that take your breath away, as well as just different offices, each of which is intended for different purposes. For example, I arrived at the moment when one of the US Army soldiers was taking an oath before the country's flag right in the hall of the Capitol. His two partners unfolded the flag for him, he performed the "ritual", and they folded it back. It turned out unexpectedly, but entertaining. A small show, even.
After the Capitol, Weldon, his wife Michelle, and I stopped by a place that makes fantastic barbecue. Yes, this is another pride of the city. Meat in general, and barbecue even more so.
In the evening, we finally went to appreciate the live performance of some bands, or rather to some party where there were many groups at once. It was quite funny, as it turned out that one group was playing inside what looked like a one-story house, and another outside. And you could just go in and out if you wanted to listen to something else. Of course, such parties imply a 21+ age control, which is checked at the entrance, and a stamp is placed there with a small entrance fee of about $20. And inside, a sea of alcohol and other drinks is sold. It turned out to be a pretty fun evening, although some of the music was... hmm... ambiguous. In some way, even psychedelic. Well, as I said, the city is youthful here and the trends are accordingly modern and not monotonous.
But what, of course, I like in such places is the friendliness of the people around you, whom you usually see for the first time. I haven't had a chance to go to bars, clubs, or parties in big cities, but in the suburbs or small states, people treat each other like friends. And it's nice. Because of this, I was increasingly inspired by living not in New York, but somewhere, for example, in Montana, Oregon, or Texas, since people there treat you more simply. And in NY, it's somehow colder. Well, I didn't live there, but was only "passing through" for a few days, but when you find yourself there, you will definitely feel it, that only a few have a good attitude towards you, and the rest are just... Um... Neutral. In essence, that's how it should be, but with the first experience of living in the USA, it can break you. That's why it's difficult.
Day Three.
Weldon was perhaps the biggest fan of hiking in Apgar, as on any day off he would definitely go on any available hike, even without a car. He could go where he had already been and where he hadn't, and besides, he knew all the routes perfectly. In this regard, he was an ace. Let me remind you that he first came to Montana a year before me, so he already knew all the details of the hiking trails well, and when I was going somewhere, he gave me advice on where to go.
Therefore, on the last day of my stay, the offer came from him to go on a small and very easy hike right before my departure. We first stopped to buy a burger at a place called Top Notch - the simplest fast food, but, by the way, it was also very delicious, and then we drove further away from the city, where our, so to speak, hike was planned. We also took one of Weldon and Michelle's dogs with us. In general, it turned out to be quite fun.
Unfortunately, we didn't manage to walk the whole way, as time was running out and I already had to go to boarding, so we headed back to the car. We reached the house, I quickly packed my things, gave gifts, and then we headed to the airport, from where I was to head to Vegas. That very city of sin.
