The next morning I wandered around downtown, checking out 6th street with all the bars, restaurants, venues. It's always interesting to get oriented in a new city. It's like plunging into a novel or a movie set. You have certain ideas of how it will be, but feeling the sidewalk, smelling the food/sea/garbage/exhaust, hearing the language, seeing the faces; these are things that don't translate well in the descriptions people give. I was told that Austin was 'really cool,' 'fun, alternative, liberal, artsy,' 'a big university town,' etc. But I wasn't told how wide and clear the lake was that runs through town. I wasn't told how tall the vaulted ceilings in the old music halls along 6th street were. I wasn't told how the mist fans felt in the 105 degree (Fahrenheit) heat.

I stopped by the Whole Foods grocery store on the west side of downtown. It was gigantic, set up like a European marketplace with various food serving stations, multiple lounge areas, etc. It was a little intimidating. Also pretty expensive. I found an air-conditioned cafe to wait out the sun. Austin has a really fantastic cafe/coffee shop culture. Tons of local independent shops, great coffee, late hours, interesting conversations.

In the evening I headed down to Town Lake - a branch of the Colorado River that flows through town.

A long trail runs along the lake and tons of people were kayaking and fishing and swimming. I crossed a bridge to the south side of the river and Zilker Park - a giant grassy park along the riverside. The park was alive with frisbee games and sunbathers and dog walkers and joggers. I met several interesting people and the sun started to set. Steve, a buddy of mine from school, was passing through town and we met up for some dinner and a few drinks on 6th street. Maya, who I had met along the river, joined us. She took us to an amazing bar near the University of Texas called 'Hole in the Wall.' It's narrow but very long and the outdoor patio in the rear is as big as a school playground. A band was playing and it was a good night.