Great successes were had in Austin and in Houston! While in Austin I got to check out Mellow Johnny's (Lance Armstrong's bike shop) and the Liberty Bar (the most American place in Austin) with Liz and got to hang out with lots of friends, old and new - and many honorable Hendrix alum, Elias, Katherine, Wendell, and Ben. We also checked out Barton Springs, a giant spring-filled swimming pool that is unbelievably cold, even on sweltering hot days. I had a great time, but being hosted by a friend in Austin was much different than the experience I had just come from in Houston. I didn't have to learn bus routes or the city layout for myself and generally had less independence with the restrictions of staying in the UT dorms. It was certainly a gift to be taken care of, but when I returned to Houston and set out across the city to pick up the Russian visa I was invigorated by the sudden sweep of freedom. Navigating the Metro and trekking across the cement landscape in 100F heat was surprisingly refreshing and provided a sense of confidence concerning my ability to navigate the year that is to come. Oh yes, the Russian tourist visa came through just fine and the lady assisting me at the visa office was exceptionally nice! Before hopping on the Greyhound back to Arkansas I got some Tex Mex at El Real, a movie theater-turned restaurant. There, I ate "Puffy Tacos" and watched Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and the rest of the Magnificent Seven defend a Mexican village from a gang of bandits.
 |
| "Queso is Great!" - Indeed, it is. |
After returning home and saying final goodbyes to friends and family, I embarked on a twenty-seven hour Greyhound trip to Charleston, South Carolina where I have been waiting for the past five days for the MSC Flaminia to arrive in port. I think the highlight of the trip was the section between Atlanta and Columbia because I sat next to a very old black man with deep roots in the south - I could barely understand most of what he said because his accent was so thick. As we sat waiting for the state line he told me many stories, all of which ended with "but Georgia's a big damn state." Also when we reached Augusta, Georgia I noticed he was especially interested in stretching his legs. When he saw that I was not accompanying him off the bus he said "don't you want to get off here? This was James Brown's hometown." At hearing such news and seeing my traveling partner's obvious excitement I was happy to oblige. He had lived in GA and SC for over seventy years, but it was his first visit to Augusta. I told him it was about time and was happy to share it with him.
In Charleston I have been staying at the Not So Hostel, which is a nice-enough place and I have been very impressed by how cool Charleston is. I spent the fourth with a few friends from the hostel, two of which were from England, who noted that (1) Independence Day is really not a good holiday for them and (2) that the fireworks show over Riverfront Park in North Charleston was the largest display they had ever seen - surely not helping America's growing national debt.
Since then, I have mostly been finishing up my packing and plotting the trip for once I arrive in Britain. Nonetheless, there has still been plenty of time to adventure. Deciding not to waste any time away from the honey trail, I visited the Savannah Bee Company in the downtown area where two honey experts let me sample at least ten different kinds of honey, from Appalachian Sourwood to Georgia Tupelo to the local Charleston stuff. I have never been in any place like it, but the Bee Company was full of great bee products (beeswax candles, honey laden soaps, comb honey, and so much more). It is one of four stores (the other three being in Savannah) and seems to be a nice family-owned business.
 |
| Savannah Bee Company, downtown Charleston |
 |
| Bee veils and empty bee packages make for nice lamp shades. |
 |
| Savannah Bee Company - the honey tasting table. The legs are made of boxes from Langstroth hives. |
 |
| Savannah Bee Company - a nicely organized shelf of exotic honeys. |
I board the MSC Flaminia in approximately two hours from the Wando
Terminal in Mount Pleasant, SC and I want to let everyone know
that I'll be on the Atlantic for the next 13 days.
I'll try to upload another post about leaving the U.S. when I get to Felixstowe, England.
No comments:
Post a Comment