I’m typing this post on the plane from Houston to Paris, just a few minutes from new year’s eve ( still waiting for the “sparkling wine” ).
I signed for my new job on Monday 13st of December ( more on than in a later post) and they were kind enough to allow me to not start immediately, so I decided to make a short trip to Austin as I haven’t been able to go there for more than 3 years. Actually as I oscillated between “too busy” or “too poor” during those three years, I didn’t leave France since I moved back to Paris in 2001.
So, I had a blast in Austin, the weather was very nice for this period and I managed to see almost all my family living in Texas, some of them whom I didn’t saw for a few years. I really miss this town and the people there, and this time I managed to do some tourism in the area, I don’t think I’ve saw as much of Austin before, even when I was leaving there. I took a ton of photos, 892 exactly, and uploaded some of them into the following galleries.
Here is a quick summary of my trip:
Getting from Paris to Austin was much more difficult then expected due the security and the weather conditions ( apparently leaving for a two week trips with only carry on luggages is bad idea, I got flagged by security staff and searched before even getting to the airline counter, the first of a long series of search ), it was very foggy in Paris, so my flight got delayed for two hours. After landing in Houston, I realized I didn’t have the address of my uncle’s house where I stayed or his phone number making getting throught customs a lengthy process. Having missed my connecting flight to Austin by a good hour, I had to wait for the last flight of the day, a wait much more bearable as I managed to find an open wireless access and power outlets in the airport departure lounge, apparently I wasn’t the only one recharging his ipod but at least I wasn’t crashing out on the floor .
After a good night sleep, my uncle and I went biclying to the UT Campus ( a good thing that I stopped smoking, I couldn’t have done a 10 km ride otherwise as it was the first time I rode for three years ).
Unfortunately, the classes were already finished for this semester, so the campus was mostly empty.
A few days latter, I took the bus to downtown ( on a side note the bus system improved quite a bit compared to the last time i was there, and accomodations for bycicle riders and handicaped people are still the best I ever saw ).
During the weekend, I had the occasion of participating in a Sweatlodge ceremony, a traditional ritual of native americans. My uncle participates every few months to this and as I was curious, I spend most of the day there. As I wasn’t feeling very inclined to partake on the spiritual side of the ceremony I took the role of Fire Tender, which meant I had to stay close of the huge fire and take out hot rocks to bring in the lodges, I once got too close of the extremely hot fire and melted part of my shoes’ sole, but then I got to eat first because traditionnaly, the fire tenders got to eat first ( go me ).
A new sight welcomed me, the Frost Bank Tower which wasn’t there three years ago. Otherwise, I strolled in the warehouse district to find some interessing bars/clubs to visit for a future evening.
As usual during christmas in Austin, there were lots of lights everywhere, but the two most notables ones were the 37th street ( a grassroots effort by the residents ) and the Trail of Lights ( made by the city of Austin ), I didn’t upload those galleries yet.
One amazing thing about Austin is the amount of nature within the city limits, a family friend at whose place I was staying at, suggested I take a hike throught the Barton Creek Greenbelt.
I managed to get lost ( apparently I followed the river too far and went past the exit point ). As it was becoming dark I took what seemed to me the shortest path to civilisation and ended up into someone’s backyard. On the same street, I asked someone for the correct way, and he was kind enough to drive me to the Barton Creek Square Mall ( I’m still amazed a the kindness of Austin people to complete strangers ). it wasn’t warn, it was hot and there was lots of ( ice cold ) water. oh yeah, it was my birthday too 
I spent the christmas day at Temple with my aunt’s family.
I also spent a lot of time with my family, something I cannot do often, and I’m very fortunate to have been able to see most of them this year. My cousin is actually in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso and his father/mother/brother are in Africa to visit them, I’ll see them soon as they’ll be staying a few days in Paris before going back to the US.
After buying the cheapest tripod i could find ( which was actually very nice for a $20 tripod, much nicer than the more expensive one I had at home ), I went shooting in downtown one very nice evening.
More stuff on a later post in a few days.