Exiting NY through JFK proved to be alot easier than entering! Flight was delayed due to the massive snowfall overnight. Frustrated people everywhere but I have always enjoyed the airport so watched the snow plows clear the runway.
The train from the airport to Chicago dropped me 3 blocks from the hostel I intended to stay at which was convenient. I booked in for 3 nights after being told not to book for longer and that there wouldnt be any problems anyway. Despite my love for music I'd never really appreciated jazz until I arrived in Chicago. Saw a an old guy named Ari Brown who has been nominated for a number of grammies who was more than happy to have chat about his travels through out the world. It turns out that he was a pianist until he was told that his fingers were more suited to the sax... well so he says I reckon its more likely that his older brother, Kirk was beter than him at it so he picked another instrument. He was unbelievable!
The Chicago locals unparamounted pride of their unique archetecture was particularly evident and designs by Stevens and Wright were pointed out regularly. There was an architecture college (uni) class staying at the hostel so I jumped on the end of their tour which was really interesting, then went out with them to an open mic night... For some reason I was picturing a scene out of coyote ugly, but unfortunately most of the musicians should have contained their performances to their own 4 walls. Entertaining all the same and played some pool with some locals and an Irish illegal immigrant who crossed the border from Canada 10 years ago and never left! He doesn't have a driver's license etc and still requires his well out of date passport to enter pubs. Have nearly worked out the different nations pool rules!
Keen to stay on another couple of nights, I was told at the hostel that they had overbooked. Went out that night and crashed on a couch in the rec room of the hostel and the following night kicked on at a house party and tried on the white shorts so worked out well and saved on 2 nights accommodation.
Caught an overnight train from CHicago to Buffalo which was reasonably comfortable, offering more leg-room than your average flight. Pin-ups detailing each person's destination hung above our heads to indicate when we were to be woken up, however lucky I set my alarm as this was far from enforced. Arrived to find that the station was a 4mile walk to a shopping centre that I could catch a bus into town or join the cab que - not a chance!
The hostel was closed 11am-5pm so had a long wait. Nothing good to say about Buffalo so I'll leave it at that. Caught a bus the next morning to Niagara falls. At $4US is was still the best way to get there. The falls were sentional and was lucky enough for the sun to come out as I walked through the mist resulting in a rainbow reflection. Missed seeing only the 2nd person to survive falling down the falls by less than 30mins but it was still the talk of the much commercialised little town. I can only imagine how it explodes in summer once the ice around the falls has melted and the maid of the mist cruises under the falls. The Canadians were great and crossing the border didn't even require a bag scan. I guess they figure US security covers them. I'd have to agree!
