Trip to Ames Iowa

This winter break has 3 weeks long.
No idea where else to visit so visited Ames, Iowa.
Ames is a small city that has some people and a university by the name Iowa State University.

Part 1: Greyhound patah kaki
patah kaki means leg broken. explanation follows.
Greyhound is a bus company serving USA Canada Mexico and some say Alaska but actually no Alaska service.

So on Dec 23. At Ann Arbor eagerly waiting for bus; it finally arrived after 2 hours late.
The road was so icy many cars skidded off the highway. So the bus driver drove slowly and I thought we can arrive Chicago safely. But suddenly at somewhere the bus tire hit something and blurrrrp blurrrp blurrrp...tire puncture.
Oh very good, after 128th time I as a bus passenger finally I encountered this situation.
So we waited 1+ hour for next bus.

Then Finally arrived at Chicago at 1:30 am for transfer. As expected, I missed my scheduled bus so was told to wait for next available bus at 6:30am. Couldn't sleep and all TVs were showing boring Weather Channel.

Then 6:30am in line almost got into bus then told that not allowed to take the bus!? tried to talk to different customer service people also to no avail and the one told me to board the 6:30am bus already off duty...ok lo, now had to wait for the 11:45am bus. Wait again.

At 11:45am, bus still not arrived. Then at 12:01pm bus arrived but the driver just took his time and finally bus left at 12:45pm. After so many times riding Greyhound, I can say their service is totally unsatisfied.

and I saw something: a christmas tree grows on building and beautiful farmland covered by snow.

And then arrived at Des Moines, Iowa for another transfer and finally arrived at Ames at 1:30am November 25, Christmas day.

Scheduled time was leaving at 3:45pm Dec 23 arrive at 6:10am Dec 24.

Part 2: Visiting Frozen River
At Ames was staying at King Hong's place. 1st day met with Sheng kai and visited a park and stepped on a frozen river. And we were not alone in the park! don't know what other 4 people do in the park on Christmas day?! Then had dinner together and enjoyed movie in cinema setting.
Then visited Sheng Kai's Kumdo's friends and I won a Monopoly game.

Then 2nd day took a short walk in ISU and went to Walmart to buy stuffs to cookfor dinner and then and then...the curry chicken is done.

Oh saw some horses on the first day.

3rd day went to a Grand mall and also did some shopping and then and then...porridge was done.

And 3rd day was the last day to stay and finally bid goodbye at 6:00pm

Part 3: To Ann Arbor
At least the journey back was hassle-free and lucky enough to come home ealier than expected :)
As usual a litle bit late here and there, but once I arrived at Chicago at 7:30am, there was a bus to Ann Arbor which was late for its schedule. I just pop into the bus and once I sit down, the bus left in no time. Surprising. And I gained 3 hours advance.

And the great journey ended with a BK Joe Hot coffee...hmm

so how's Ames? It's basically a smaller Ann Arbor, with horse minus Diag.

Chicago!

Spring break was coming and is going....

And my very first travel destination in US > Chicago!

An exciting trip!

Going by Greyhound Bus...Malaysian buses much more better...even a very kampung Jebat Ekspres better than this narrow seated Greyhound.

After 6 hours and many stops...finally Chicago!

First...saw SEARS Tower! Then Union Station, went inside bought a 3 day Chicago Transport Authority (CTA) pass for $12. And saw 1 wanderer sleeping in the station...

Then we keep on walking to Caffe Baci










Then done with meal...to Millenium Park, where there's the biggest bean










Oh yeah...forget to mention we're walking in Chicago with our luggages!

After eaten the bean, we went to Oglivie Station to take a double decker Metra train to Malaysian Student Department officer's house to eat nasi lemak but no roti canai...wah, also got pulut hitam and ice cream as dessert.

Then go to another MSD officer's house to stay.

Next morning! A new day! After having breakfast at MSD office...Shedd Aquarium! Cute penguins. Then Field Museum! Mummies and dinasours!










Darwin's words are colorful!










Then it was snow storm. And we're lost in the Chicago streets before we had our dinner at Giordano's: deep dish pizzas...penuh until terbalik!

Then take train back to Evanston (The place we stay). called taxi and called again and again the taxi never appear...so had to call MSD officer at 12am to fetch us...paiseh.

Third day! Breakfast with french Vanilla Nescafe and Nasi goreng+ayam kicap. Then went to train station and wait for another group of friends...waited and waited and they not yet appear; and after almost 1 hour they came...when travelling in a big group, this is extraordinary normal.














We went to Museum of Science and Industry and saw the submarine stolen from Germany!!
U505










Then Chinatown! Not that Chinese actually...went to Penang Restaurant to have a salty Hookien Mee, a extremely salty wanton noodle, with really cacat's wantons...I miss authentic Malaysian foods! Oh yeah...the new F word discovered in the trip is Food! WTF = what the food!

After Penang was Hancock! Great night view of Chicago!










After Hancock was sleep...

Oh wait...before that was cheese cake! @Cheesecake Factory














It was Kahlua-ly coffee taste! Nice!

Then sleep.

Last day! Adler Planetarium. Really sunny day! Even the frozen lake melted!










Then all done! We've visited 5 major attractions in Chicago. 1Shedd Aquarium2Field Museum3Museumof Scienceand Industry4Hancock Observatory5Adler Planetarium!

And the excitement just began! Our 3 day pass= 72 hours pass. We managed to got in our second last bus ride just 1 minute before expiration! And our last ride was thrilling!

The pass couldn't be used...so we kelam kabut searching for small note and coins...then while half of us in bus...the other 3 were left at the bus stop...the driver just drove away before they got into the bus! Luckily they got the next bus which just minute after. After all safe...we walked/run/rushed to Greyhound station

When we got into the express bus, suddenly the driver ask us to tag our luggages! Oh! we have to put a digital tag on our luggages! Cacat Greyhound...while going to Chicago from Ann Arbor we only required hand written tag...here different way pula...so we were like mad people running in the bus station to get the tagging done...

But at least there's one good thing about the bus service...it's like taking a flight...the driver will make announcement through speakers...and the biggest anouncement was "The bus has air pressure (hydraulic) problem...and we'll continue our journey to Detroit ...hopefully it won't happen after Ann Arbor..."

And we finall arived safe and sound to Ann Arbor!