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After the bumpy ride out of NYC, we finally arrived in Cambridge, MA at 1130pm, just out of town and were super down for a late night feed. We headed to the hostel in Everett, north of Boston and hit one of the only places open at 1am - Mike's Roast Beef.
Everett proved to be an empty, simple neighbourhood with a few stores and restaurants, quiet by day and even more of a ghost town by night (we spent 6 nights there in total). I was feeling slighlty apprehensive about walking around in unfamiliar territory, in the early hours of the morning. However, roast beef rolls in our bellies, we returned to the hostel for a well earned rest.
It was awesome to have met an Australian the next day - Steve from Perth had been on the road for a while and we decided to follow him on the Samuel Adams Brewery Tour, south of the City. This turned out to be a great time, not like any tour I've been on before. The company originated in Boston, and this brewery was the first Samuel Adams brewery to open, also the guide was hilarious, BUT FREE BEER! We sampled a few of the brewerys finest (oh yeah we also learnt about beer ingredients and the brewing process which was cool). After having our fair share of the liquid gold we went and explored Downtown for the first time. The transport system is real easy to use, $18 bought you a weekly pass for unlimited travel on bus or train and saved us loads of money on tickets.
Boston is an amazing place, the air is crisp and clean, the people are super friendly (they stop to let you cross the street) and the city is not all that busy. I never quite got a grasp on how big the city really was, it seemed to sprawl over several districts, but the heart was definitely easy to navigate and explore. Basically on the coast there is a historic North End filled with older pubs, piers and buildings. The South End is newer and more 'hip' and touristy with shops and places to eat. There is an awesome food market (Fanueil Hall) with a tasty selection of treats like gelato, seafood and classic American fare.
We parted ways with Steve and set off to visit my old friend Adam, who I studied at uni with for a semester. He wanted to show us a 'classic American dinnerparty' and we certainly got it. By the time we had caught up, reminised and powered through the meatloaf, mac n cheese, apple pie, pumpkin ale etc etc I was almost ready to explode. I also bought a 40oz (just because 'murica), then the apple moonshine came out which nearly destroyed me. I was almost a mess by the end of the night.
The sold out Balance & Composure/Title Fight show ruled. Something we had been looking forward to ever since we arrived in the US. The venue (in Chinatown) is this huge ballroom nightclub with chandeliers and lights everywhere - not exactly the place for kids to be losing their minds at. Lets just say the stage was constantly occupied by adrenaline filled teens (including myself, slightly older), jumping into the crowd in every possible way, by any means necessary. Oh yeah AND JULIET DID A FRONTFLIP OFF THE STAGE. I couldn't believe it, one of the best things (and shows) I've ever seen.
My hardcore stage antics, hangover and resultant large bruise from the previous night meant that I was incapable of walking very far the next day. This rendered me inactive for the majority of the morning although we did get out eventually for a lovely stroll around the Boston Common: a scenic park with ponds, graveyards, squirrels and lots of grass. We also took another trip to the South End for more coastal walking before dining at the famous restaurant Cheers! (don't go there, it was average). Nearby to this was a cool, 'hip' club known as Sissy K's, which was on the water. My recollections of this night became quite blurred in a hurry once the beers started flowing, however I can never forget the African-American, Delta flight attendant grinding up on me like there was no tomorrow. I definitely have never felt more white in my life, but still, it was fantastic.
Despite hearing that we would be sleeping in the hostel basement for our last night, this news, together with the horrendous hangover we were both nursing, could not wipe the smile off my face remembering the previous night's outrageous events. Fortunately, the weather was gloomy which made for a perfect day in resting our beaten bodies (and egos). Our 'day' started later that afternoon, when we made it out to Fenway Park to catch the Red Sox v Tigers game at a nearby bar. What I imagined to be a quiet night turned into another party when the cover band got on stage. When songs by Blink 182, Daft Punk and Robin Thicke began playing, we just couldn't help ourselves and acted like major fools on a dancefloor surrounded by testosterone filled baseball jocks. But who cares? We will never see these people again right?
So at 3pm the next day we boarded the bus for Hartford, Connecticut - a 3 hour bus ride. Boston is a city I will always be grateful for visiting due to It's sheer beauty and friendly vibes, however my liver will thank me for leaving as we drank alot each night. I am especially excited to see my friend Katie, whom I also studied with at Wollongong Uni and hang out with her family in a much more peaceful town. The downtime will definitely do myself and Ju some good so long as we make it through another unsettling bus ride.
Peace out x
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