Hope and I shot through Texas to Austin on I-10. The drive took about 9 or so hours. On our way we stopped at a Chevron to fill up and grab some lunch. Hope got out and did a few sun salutations while I filled up the car in the baking sun. Then I pulled the car around to the side of the gas station and popped open my cooler. I fixed myself a warm bologna and cheese sandwich at a picnic table covered in chewing gum and permanent- markered profanity. Just as I sat down to eat, two guys burst out of the front door of the Chevron and began punching each other. The Arab store owner, was going after the point and shoot camera in his customer's left hand. They were arguing and swearing about something. I poked my head around the corner of the store for a quick look. People were shopping at their relaxed convenience as if nothing was happening. I walked by the two men and did the same. I paid for the gas and left with Hope - the two men still fighting in my rear view mirror. Welcome to Texas, I thought. After a few more hours of driving Hope and I made it to McKinney Falls State Park. The site was in a great location being only 30 minutes away from downtown Austin. When I originally called the park to make the camping reservation I guess I was thinking clear blue waters and rushing falls. It was a bit off the mark.We arrived to some almost dried up ponds filled with trash and green algae. Apparently Austin is experiencing its worst drought in a long time. The next morning we woke and headed into downtown Austin. We drove along perpendicular streets lined with tall skyscrapers on each side of us. Hope and I split up and agreed to meet up later.

My first stop was to the Austin State House for a guided tour. You know, now that I think of it, I never figured out exactly why is the Texas State House was in Austin and not Houston, the state capitol. I did learn a few things on the tour though. Every time there is a new governor, a portrait is done and hung up in the center corridor of the building. To do this, all of the other 400 or so paintings have to be moved one space to the left all the way up to the top of the building. Unfortunately there are only seven spots left on the wall. Texas government officials are currently having hearings and working on legislation to decide what to do. I wish them the best of luck on this most serious circumstance. I would suggest maybe taking down a portrait of one of their more recent governors. It could save them years of frustration.

It was about noon when I left the State House and stepped into the hot Texas air. I thought to myself that this would be an unbearable place to live because of the endless heat. Heading down Sixth Street is the location of the first Wholefoods ever in history. I used to work at a Wholefoods in Boston so it was a rather novel experience for me. The place was enormous. It had a three floor parking garage and shelves that went on for what seemed like miles. Hope compared it to Charlie and Chocolate Factory, with hippies in place of the Umpalumpas.

The next day I went to a Starbucks to visit an old friend from Boston. We spent a little time catching up and she served me some free coffee. Laura introduced me to the other girl working at the counter with her Julie. I had mentioned that I was in town for a a day or two and she invited me out for a beer later that night. I gladly accepted. While I waited for her to finish her shift, I stepped outside for a bit of air. It was relaxing to just sit and think for a bit, watching people coming and going.

In my haze of introspection I noticed a tall girl with dark skin acting sorta peculiar. She was sitting at a table outside on the patio. She got up and looked as if she was doing an interpretive dance. She sat, and then got up and did another strange dance. I got up to take a closer look. I walked over cautiously and asked her what was wrong. She said that there was a bee stuck inside her gram cracker package. She wanted the cracker badly, but was allergic to bees. I offered to help and was successfully able to get the bee out of the package. We sat and talked for a while and traded some stories. Kiki was studying to be an archeologist and then switched majors to engineering. Before I knew it a few hours had rolled by. The sun began to sink and Austin cooled off to bearable temperature. Julie came out in her dirty black uniform and grabbed a seat next to us. She lit a cigarette and sank into her chair. She said that her friends would be by soon and that they all wanted to show me Sixth Street. They assured me that this was the place to be in Austin. Kiki said she would come too.

We left and headed downtown. We drove over a bridge on South Congress Road and saw a mass of people looking over the right hand side at the water. I slowed down and saw the silhouettes of 2 million bats over the water. Julie told me that there is a bat colony there and they come out every night. A few people honked and swore at me so I hurried along down Congress to Sixth Street. We,found parking and stepped out into a sea of drunken idiocy. Sixth Street was completely blocked off with cops and road barriers. They actually block the street off after dark every Thursday to Saturday. There were bars in sight every where you looked. Music pulsed through the open windows into the street as we walked. The sounds from the different bars and people on the street blended together in a way where you couldn't really hear anything clearly. Women paraded the streets half dressed and drenched in perfume. Guys walked looking like they just stepped out of a frat house at Texas A and M.. We stopped into the Coyote Ugly and grabbed a drink. The more time we spent here the more I felt like I was back in college.

Julie let Hope and I stay at her one room apartement that night and we gladly accepted. We were not really picky about where we slept that night because we had to leave for Arizona the next morning and just needed a good night's sleep. Grabbing a spot on the floor for myself, Hope slept on the floor next to Julie's bed. Though I appreciated the place to crash, it was probably the worst night of sleep I ever had. Julie has a kitten that needs constant attention and loves to play. The cat also doesn't sleep. All night she thought my head and limbs was a mouse or something. At one point, around 4 a.m., I actually tried pleading with the cat, as if it would understand me. I think I even attempted being polite. My attempt was unsuccessful though. Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore and left the apartment. I found a spot on the second floor of the complex, in the community laundry room for what was left of the night.

Hope and I said goodbye to Julie and hobbled to the car in the morning exasuted. We stopped at a health store and grabbed handfuls of powerbars for energy on the drive. The next 18 hours on interstate 10 to Arizona were not going to be fun.

Hassan