Inspeckted Earth: Chicago going going gone

Well we had our time in the Windy City. Spent a good 24 hours in the hotel as our bodies didn't really have a clue what was going on after a 9 hour flight which wasn't overnight but had us arrive in time for a new day and 7 hours before we could check in. Our biggest ordeal, after struggling round the warm sanctuary of Borders and other Downtown shops, was waking from our afternoon sleep and not knowing if it was morning or afternoon. The street scene and clocks suggested both. We waited to see if it got darker for conclusive proof. It did. So fortunately we had a whole evening ahead of us to... watch TV and groom ourselves! We did manage to get to the 7/11 and run the gauntlet of muggers, thieves and beggars but we knew our Mummies would be far too worried for us to explore the streets and alleyways. But alas we did and not through choice.

The fire alarm went off at approximately 1:10am. It felt good to kick open the fire door and scramble down the metal staircase from the 11th floor, ending on something out of Starsky and Hutch as we jumped from a flight that had just see-sawed us down to the ground.

Fire alarm on the 11th floor - all the British out!

Returning to the entrance, it felt a bit weird to find people drinking and chatting as normal in the lobby and no sirens going off whatsoever. Maybe only English people could hear the alarm. Apparently so since nobody had moved on our floor either. Oh well, someone must've heard the alarm we set off by going down the fire escape because it wasn't still going in the morning!

Not a bad place though, Chicago. Nice buildings downtown - Gothic 1920s mixed in with modern towers. It has an open feel to it too - it's not easy to build on a lake and river!