Monday, April 8, 2013

Traveler Talk! Raul


I first met Raul at the information desk when he began our conversation by asking me if I spoke Spanish.  I’m studying languages at school, and French and Spanish are my strong points, so I responded with “¡Claro que si!”  We chatted about where he was from and what he was hoping to do in Chicago, and I was able to give him a few recommendations that I think will make his experience an unforgettable one.

Raul is from Mexico City, and this is his first time in Chicago.  He can understand some English, but doesn’t speak it, so he was a little bit nervous about being here on his own.  I told him that luckily there are quite a few people in the area who can at least speak a little bit of Spanish, so he’ll feel comfortable soon enough.  Raul arrived yesterday, and so far, he has taken a walk down the Magnificent Mile and taken some stunning pictures of the scenery.  During the rest of his time, he would like to see all the sights and even visit some of the surrounding cities if possible.  I recommended Oak Park because of its history and interesting architecture, so he’s planning on taking a side trip out there within the next few days.

Other than that, Raul plans to visit the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, and take an architectural tour of Chicago.  One of his big concerns, though, was to find a place that served Chicago style pizza.  He’s in luck: we are basically surrounded by delicious pizza joints here at the hostel.  When describing the pizza, he held his hands about six inches apart to indicate how thick he was hoping it would be, so I’m hoping that Lou Malnati’s doesn’t disappoint.

¡Espero que tenga un buen viaje, Raul!

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