Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Remember the Alamo

Today we took another trip into Texan history by visiting the Alamo in San Antonio. I've never really known much about the Alamo, except of course that Davy Crockett (King of the Wild Frontier) apparently fought and died there, (wearing his coon skin hat no doubt). Like most of my American history, I learnt that from a movie. Having been to the Alamo today, I still don't really understand the battle but I believe it has something to do with revolution and independence and so I liken it a bit to the battle of Eureka at Ballarat.


There were LOTS of people wandering the beautifully restored and manicured grounds of the Alamo and we saw a lot of squirrels. These are our new, favourite animal and squirrel spotting has become quite a holiday competition. The history itself didn't resonate very strongly, probably because we don't understand it and also because it's quite a manufactured history now, too polished and pretty to represent the events that took place there.

For lunch we strolled through the Riverwalk Market area. Actually we shopped our way through the market. Everything is so cheap here, we feel beholden to do our bit for the economy by buying things ;-). The Riverwalk is beautiful, a narrow, winding strip of water surrounded on both banks by high rise apartments and restaurants that go right down to the water's edge. A water taxi runs up and down with guided commentaries. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe and I had a pulled pork sandwich . Sandwiches here bear no resemblance to the two bits of flat bread and filling that we have at home. This particular monster was a glazed bun filled with about half a pig. I managed about half of it washed down with a pitcher of iced tea.


I'm loving everything about Texas except for the traffic. It's ridiculous and I'm afeared for my life every time we get in the car. The speed limit on the freeway is 80 miles per hour. 80! And this appears to be the minimum speed because while we're doing that we've been passed by huge, fully laden trucks and helmet less motorbike riders. Most of them are talking on their phone or texting. At intersections there are stop signs. Sometimes just for the cars traveling in one direction but usually for everyone. So everyone stops and then the person who thinks they got there first (or the bravest/most reckless one) moves off. I've seen lots of Highway Patrol cars booking people but I think you have to be going +100mph to get a ticket!

Tonight we went to Sophie's favourite Tex Mex restaurant, Trudy's. We ate corn chips dipped in guacamole and melted yellow cheese. Then we ate a whole range of nacho/ taco/ enchilada things stuffed and covered in more melted,yellow cheese. It's delicious while you're eating it but then you can literally feel it curling around your arteries and squeezing them.
I believe it may have been this cheese that was ultimately the downfall of the Alamo.

No comments:

Post a Comment