Friday 7 September

Woke up 6:30, checked email and LJ then down to breakfast 7:25 where all food was available. After cleaning up read some. Just after 9 (3BST) got a skype call from D. Voice quality was good and he apparently got good video of me.

Raining so put on my coat to walk to the Cultural Center, for a 10:00 a 15 minute wait ( I got there early) our guide Joe took us round the center then of most of the same stops I'd done on my two previous tours. However we got nuggets of history and I got to use the camera on my iPod. Of the five people who started I was the only one who stayed to the end at Daley Plaza.

Back to cultural enter to discover a lunchtime concert started at 12:10.
So stayed to listen, for 45 min.

Walked north on Michigan along the agnificent Mile! Stopped at 444 for a Garden Gate Scrambler with potato side and soda for $9.72 finished at 2:00. Continued up Michigan to the John Hancock Center, and discovered Best Buys had a store there. They even had the iPod Touch for sale at $10 less, and a charger for $5 less than I paid at Radio Shack, but it looks much less cool.

As recommended by guide Joe I went to the Signature Lounge at the 96th floor. (This was two floors higher than the observatory), bought a Bud Lite for $8.31 (less than the observatory price) and since it was misty you couldn't see too far. Millennium Park was hidden by intervening skyscrapers.

Back to hostel via the Red Line (Chicago to Jackson) by 3:45.
My CTA card needs a top up as I only have two trips ($4.50) left and I have a minimum of 3 train journeys to do.

Slept and read in bed for a couple of hours then went back to Al's for a Maxwell Polish hot dog, with frys which cost $4.98 on the way back a number of streets were being blocked off including Wabash.

Went to DQ for desert, had a mini blizzard with oreo cookies, very tasty. Decided to go south to 700 Wabash a jazz / blues club, but the cover at the weekend is $20 Mon-Thu it's only $10 so I hope to return later.

Wandered east to discover that the Chicago SummerDance in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park was still on (due to start at 6:00). Live music by the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International and people gyrating on the dance floor. Left just after eight and returned to the hostel. Even more streets had been cordoned off.

Read and updated blog. Checked credit card and so far have charged:

Hostel - £343.63 (for 15 nights)
iPod charger - £16.44
Book - £7.15 (cheaper at Amazon)
Science Museum- £15.00

I could have ordered a charger from Amazon for less than £10 Inc postage, but didn't think far enough ahead.

Burst my blister and trimmed dead skin. Watched / listened to the mcah livestream from 9:15 to 10:15. Had a shower then bed around 11.00

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