Legends of Chicago

Buddy Guy’s Legend is home to some of Chicago’s best blues. Named after the 73-year-old Louisiana native, Buddy Guy, the restaurant boasts great food and incredible atmosphere. Guy himself returns to Chicago every January to perform at his original spot. Locals flock to see him flawlessly play his guitar and sing a variety of songs from ballads to funk and blues. Guy’s down-to-earth demeanor makes every customer feel welcome and relaxed.

Buddy Guy is not the only musician to claim the stage at the local restaurant. Buddy Guy’s Legend hosts numerous aspiring and well-known artists in the area. In the upcoming week they will be hosting the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Jazz Improv Competition on February 17. Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th are also packed with music from Guy King and His Little Big Band and Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, among others. To find out what bands are playing each night, go to Buddy Guy’s Legend website: http://buddyguy.com. On Sundays through Thursday the music starts at 9:30 pm. However, on Fridays music lovers can arrive early at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 6 pm to hear an acoustic set. But you might want to get there early, because seats fill up fast! This popular location also boasts a wide menu. Serving anything from burgers to Jambalaya (named Top Ten at Taste of Chicago), Buddy Guy’s Legend has a varied cuisine to offer dinners. They are also open for lunch Monday through Friday, with acoustic performances playing from noon to 2 pm. HI Chicago loves Buddy Guy’s Legends so much we wanted to offer travelers a discount! So stop by the 2nd floor information desk to get a coupon and receive ½ off admission Sunday through Thursday! We are sure you will leave with a satisfied stomach and ear!

-Erika Ter Louw, HI Chicago Intern

Rachel Miller: Adventures in Education

Each week we highlight one of the hostel's fantastic volunteers. This week it's Rachel Miller, who has been working at the information desk since September 2009 and has also a hand in Cultural Kitchen.
Q. What sort of volunteer work do you do at the hostel, and what's your motivation for doing it?

A. Once a month, I volunteer with the Cultural Kitchens program. I got interested in the Cultural Kitchens program because it combines two of my favorite things: experiential learning and cooking! After signing up for CK, I also started working at the Information Desk once a week. I grew up in Chicago, but have just moved back after being away for six years. The Info Desk was a good way for me to get reacquainted with the city, while also helping other people get to know my hometown.

Q. Can you elaborate on some of your previous international experience - traveling, studying, or working abroad?

A. My first international experience was a family trip to Ontario when I was ten years old. I immediately decided that Canada was fascinating. In high school, I took a trip with my sister around Europe, which was our own "Grand Tour". It really confirmed in me a sense of adventure, and I knew that I would somehow get myself out into other new countries. In college, I studied abroad for six months in London as I worked on my Anthropology degree. After college, I decided that I wanted to live abroad again, but in a more challenging environment. Through a series of fortunate events, I ended up teaching English in southern China for two years. It was an incredible immersive experience in a very complicated culture, and I doubt I could begin to understand contemporary Chinese events without it. During that time I was also able to travel to many different parts of China, as well as various countries in SE Asia. Finally, my girlfriend and I extended our return trip home to America and traveled for six weeks through northwest China, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Currently, I'm mostly interested in traveling to the western and northwestern U.S., although I have been invited to a wedding in Rio de Janeiro in 2010.

Q. How has your time spent in China shaped how you view travel?

A. I think my time spent in China confirmed for me what I already suspected about travel, which is that slower is usually better. The first thing I want to do in a new place is to see the sights. This can be done fairly quickly. But "seeing the sights" is only the tip of the iceberg, and as incredible as it is, it still leaves you with just the same photos as anyone else. Travelling slowly allows you time to help carry someone's kids up a hiking trail, hear what the your hostel owner thinks of the other guests, and find out what it is you've been doing the past few days that locals find terribly rude. Travelling slowly isn't always feasible, but it allows more time for you to develop respect for the area, and importantly, for the local area to develop a little respect for you (hence the importance of embarrassing lessons on social faux pas.)

Q. What's been your most memorable experience at the hostel so far?

A. I think my favorite moment happened at a Cultural Kitchen dinner table one night. Students from Curie High School had cooked us up some stellar Romanian food a few days before Thanksgiving. At my table, a student from Chicago and a student from rural Poland shared stories of their families' holiday traditions with two visitors from Chile and Spain. The group compared their respective local holiday costumes, dances, foods, and traditions. It was a really crazy, serendipitous moment in cross-cultural connection. That Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I went into the hostel to work at the Info Desk and brought a few pies to share. I ran into Marta (the visitor from Spain) in the dining room, and she greeted me like an old friend. "Oh, hello! How was your holiday? How was your grandmama's Thanksgiving dinner?" "It was wonderful," I replied, "It was nice to be home this year. Would you like some pumpkin pie?"

Chicago Beginnings

The Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, the Second City, and The City That Works are some of Chicago’s nicknames according to their official tourism website, explorechicago.org. Chicago’s multiple titles match its well-known diversity. With over 200 theatres and art galleries, more than 7,300 restaurants, the lakefront, and 77 community areas with even more neighborhoods, it is impossible to be bored in this beautiful city.

As a new comer myself, the endless possibilities can be slightly overwhelming. Beginning my semester as an intern downtown I had several expectations of Chicago and what I would learn in my first few days. Already Chicago has exceeded these expectations. Public transportation makes it very easy to get around the city and to visit so many different locations. In addition to this, there are numerous incredible resources to narrow down what you would like to experience.

Walking up to Hostelling International’s second floor information booth, I immediately began searching through the brochures. With the help of the volunteer, I walked away with quite the stack; I find myself very eager to experience all that Chicago has to offer; my fridge already has a long list of “to do’s”!

Even though I have only been in Chicago for two weeks, some things on that list have already been crossed off. Within the first week I had already been to several local restaurants and seen a show at the iO Improv Theatre in Wrigleyville. The Improvised Shakespeare comedy was hysterical and provided a great Friday night activity! Next on my list was the Museum of Contemporary Art (admission is free on Tuesdays). Despite the fact that I know very little about art, the museum was fascinating and there was such a variety. Don’t miss the Hide and Seek Exhibition! Lastly, I spent a day at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Even though it is cold, there were still plenty of exhibits and animals inside. My personal favorites were the penguin and monkey houses. I spent a considerable amount of time simply watching in amusement!

So, if you are a newcomer as well and are at a loss for where to start, here are a few other places that I am also very excited to visit: the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, Chinatown, the Hancock Observatory, the Adler Planetarium and Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. And there are so many more to discover! So grab your coat and gloves, and hit the streets of Chicago! Happy Exploring!

-Erika Ter Louw, intern

Mural Competition Celebrates Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

As participants in the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition, twelve student artists were challenged to create temporary works of art on the second floor windows of the hostel that not only commemorate the life and work of Dr. King, but also explore the continuing struggle for social justice today.

Hostelling International Chicago and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago recently announced the opening of the "Until Justice Rolls Down Like Waters" exhibition as part of the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition. The opening reception at which awards were announced took place on January 18, 2010 from 5 – 7pm at the hostel.

The exhibition was a juried competition, with judges from Hostelling International Chicago, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and previous Competition winners conferring awards. The 1st Place Prize was three-nights’ accommodation courtesy of Hostelling International – San Francisco, Downtown with an airfare voucher. 2nd Place Prize was two nights’ accommodation courtesy of Hostelling International – Madison with inter-city transportation. 3rd Place Prize was a $50 gift card courtesy of Utrecht Art Supplies.

The exhibition also featurs the "Our World – People, Places and Culture" photography collection from Winnipeg-based photographer Keith Levit. The collection features 25 portraits and landscapes captured during Levit’s travels, from the sand dunes of Namibia to the mountaintops of Peru, and speak to human connections across cultures and continents.

The twelve muralists were current students at or recent graduates from the Columbia College, Harold Washington College, Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago, Malcom X College, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Southampton Solent University: Katie Armentrout, Zebadiah Arrington, Alex Cohen, Alyssa Doren, Jazmin Giron, Antonia Gurkovska, Alice Jingxuan Hu, Rocky Loera, Mary Catherine Quinn, Cordarice Mark Thomas, Sho Tsunoda, Daniel Williams.

1st place winner was Antonia Gurkovska (see photo). To see photos of all the reception and all the murals, check out HI-Chicago's flickr set to the right.

The exhibition will be on display from January 18 – March 31, 2010, at Hostelling International Chicago, 24 East Congress Parkway. The exhibition is free and open to the public 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, seven days a week. The artists’ reception will take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 18, 2010, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Mural Competition is part of the ongoing collaboration between Hostelling International Chicago and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Marilyn Williams: Passionate Traveler, Artist, and Hostel Volunteer

I have been working at the info desk on Friday afternoons since last June ('09). As a retired French and Spanish Teacher, I find many opportunities to use my language skills! I also love helping people and sharing my enthusiasm about travel. I started using hostels in 1970 when I was studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. I traveled all over Europe during school vacations and the summer of 1970. I have been passionately in love with travel ever since.

This is a perfect "job" for me because I feel travel has made me who I am.

After retiring from teaching French and Spanish, I went to a 4-year art school. I now paint from my travel photos (51 countries and counting). My art website is www.artismypassion.com.

I currently have 5 small paintings hanging in the dining room of the HI-Chicago hostel. How great it is to combine my passion for art and travel!

-Marilyn Williams, hostel volunteer

The Far Reaches of Hostelling International Chicago

As I sit in HI-Chicago typing this, it’s hard to believe that only a week ago I was at another Hostelling International hostel in a very different part of the world, living in a very different way. Imagine a 45-minute hike to a white-sand beach as opposed to a 45-minute commute to work as white snow falls outside. Imagine hanging in a hammock under the open-air lobby of the hostel, waiting for a tropical storm to pass with your fellow travelers from Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. Imagine drinking fresh water out of a coconut instead of a latte in a paper cup. Imagine snorkeling, kayaking, and surfing as the day’s activities. This is life on Ilha Grande, an idyllic island off the coast of the Rio de Janeiro region of Brazil.

Ilha Grande (pronounced EEL-yah GRAHN-gee, literal translation: Big Island) is only 40 minutes off the mainland city of Angra dos Reis, but it feels like worlds away. Between 1940 and 1994, this 193 square kilometer island was a high-security prison and closed off from the public. The lack of human presence for all those years has allowed the island to preserve its wildlife and retain a sense of being a true paradise. Since 1994 tourism has grown rapidly, but the island is still an official ecological reservation and vehicles of any sort are forbidden. The only way to travel to different parts of the island is by boat or walking. Out of the 100 or so beaches on the island, we visited Praia Preta, a small black sand beach, and Lopes Mendes, known as the largest and prettiest beach on the island. Many people choose to take a ferry or taxi boat to get to Lopes Mendes, which is on the opposite side of the island from the center, but we opted to hike. The laborious 2.5 hour route takes you up and down the thickly vegetated jungle trails, but it’s entirely worth the effort upon arrival when you are greeted with the fine, white sand and the unbelievably transparent water. It is supposedly a great beach to spot turtles and go surfing, although we were just as content with our experience of wading in the shallow, lukewarm water and lying in the shade of the almond trees that line the interior side of the beach.




HI-Holandês, the 30-bed hostel that we called home in Ilha Grande, is a quaint compound of common areas, dormitories, and bungalows perched on the slope of a plush mountain. It is owned by a Brazilian woman and a Dutch man, who are assisted by their 22-year-old multi-lingual daughter Marcela. Thanks to the small size and comfortable common spaces, all the hostellers interacted naturally and freely. Every evening, the hostel cooks a big meal of typical Brazilian food for roughly $8.50, which is a good alternative to pricier restaurants in town. Most of the guests partake and everyone sits down to exchange stories of the day and decide which beach to venture to next. As dinner winds down, the hostel bar opens and guests enjoy Caipirinhas, the national cocktail of Brazil, and cold-as-it-gets beer, a staple during hot Brazilian summers.

I highly recommend visiting Ilha Grande while it is still the untouched paradise that it is today (and put your HI membership to good use at HI-Holandês when you do!).

-Jessica Smith

The Great Chicago Fire

It was hot and dry evening in early October 1871 when Chicago burst into flames. Although the origin of the fire is forever lost in urban legend, the destruction was very real with the wooden shops and hotels of downtown being reduced to ashes. Even City Hall burned down. The raging fire crossed the Chicago River and jumped from roof to roof as citizen ran toward safety of the Lake Michigan. In the end, a third of the city's worth had burned down.

The map below shows the area of the damage.


Yet as traumatic as the Great Fire was, the event turned out to be an incredible opportunity for Chicago as businessmen and land speculators eagerly set out to rebuilding the city beyond its former glory. Like a phoenix, Chicago emerged as a thriving metropolis once again. The event lives on in the life of Chicago and its citizens who view any challenge as an opportunity.