The US Trip: Los Angeles and Chicago

First things first, LAX is huge! We even needed to take a shuttle bus just to get to the pickup spot for Uber and Lyft. It was quite a long ride from the airport to Koreatown, and it wouldn't be an Airbnb experience if we didn't spend time looking for the place with a funky name like Glamorous KTown Boutique Residences with Rooftop View. Our unit was quite nice, though. Most importantly, it provided a washing machine and a dryer because I surely needed those!

At LAX-it.

We went for a late lunch at Ocha Classic, which served us the brilliant Thai/Chinese cuisine. The food was so good that we returned to the restaurant again for dinner the following night. The fried rice and eggplant were great! After lunch, we went to El Super, the Hispanic supermarket across the street. That's where I saw Coors Banquet—the iconic beer drunk by Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai. Of course, I had to get a six-pack of those tubby bottles!

We returned to our Airbnb so I could wash my clothes, and we eventually went to MaDang Courtyard for dinner. Since many shops in LA close at 8 PM, MaDang Courtyard was a great exception. Because we were in Koreatown, we tried the Korean boneless fried chicken at Pelicana Chicken. It was quite tasty. 

The quiet train platform.

After that, since Endrico is our Captain America, he decided we should try the metro. It turned out to be a rather spooky experience. Two people tailgated right behind Endrico and me when we tapped our cards to enter the fare gate. Then, the waiting time for the train was a staggering 15 minutes, exactly as shown on the screen. It was hard to believe; it wouldn't take that long in other countries. Officers were seen on the train, and one of them informed us that the door in front of me wouldn't open. To top it off, the Wilshire/Vermont Station, where we alighted, was rundown, and the exit fare gates didn't even work when we tapped out!

The walk back to our Airbnb offered a glimpse of LA at night. One thing that was similar to San Francisco was that we could see homeless people on almost every street corner. The sight somehow reminded me of Perth, where I saw a large homeless Australian who stood his ground when he was confronted by two uniformed officers. Interestingly, I didn't notice any homeless people in Chicago, and the city was very clean, too. But more on that later. 

The Hollywood sign!

The next morning, all of us except Endrico went to Lake Hollywood Park. Endrico had another appointment with his cousin or something, so he couldn't join us that morning. Now, I might have mistaken 'park' for 'garden', hence the mismatched expectation. Lake Hollywood Park was just a tiny patch of grassy land with a vantage point to see the Hollywood sign on the hill. So when I first arrived, I was surprised because I was expecting something bigger, like a botanical garden. It didn't take long for us to look around. We just took some pictures, and off we went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame looked less fancy in real life. It was just stars embedded in a rather narrow, crowded pavement. We shopped quickly at the Hard Rock Cafe, reading the names before stepping on the stars we wanted and taking pictures. After that, we headed to La Popular at Ovation Hollywood for Mexican food. It was different, but delicious. I told Endrico later that night about how we seemed to struggle through our Mexican meal, but ate incredibly fast when it came to Chinese food. 

Having coffee at Ovation Hollywood.

Endrico rejoined us at Ovation Hollywood while Surianto and I were having our lunchtime coffee. He went into Victoria's Secret with Susana and shopped, and afterwards, they headed back to the Airbnb since they had quite a few shopping bags in tow. As for the rest of us, we headed to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. It was fascinating—my first time seeing a museum dedicated entirely to megafauna. The Columbian Mammoth was absolutely huge!

When I was at Ovation Hollywood, my friend Vivi suggested that I check out Urban Light. The tourist attraction is located near the La Brea Tar Pits. We saw it when we walked towards the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The best part of our second museum of the day? Marilyn Monroe. Her expression, even when she wasn't smiling, was so genuine—an everlasting beauty.

Passing Beverly Hills, heading to Sunset Strip.

Now, the thing with LA was that it wasn't what I expected it to be. Rodeo Drive was another hit-or-miss experience; I was expecting something like Orchard Road, but it fell short. Then Beverly Hills—which we vaguely knew from the TV series 90210—turned out to be a residential area. The last place, Sunset Strip, wasn't exactly a bustling point of interest either. That was the moment I realized I wasn't sure how to feel about LA anymore.

Luckily for me, I was visiting Chicago the next day, so it was bye-bye LA. After a four-hour flight, I arrived in a sunny city. The weather was nice, and the hosts were even nicer. Kenji and Vivi picked me up. First stop, the newly opened Barack Obama Presidential Center. Yes, it had just opened on June 18, exactly one day before my arrival. We didn't get tickets to go inside, but it was still great to be there. Kenji pointed out that this is the South Side of Chicago, hence the demographics looked different and were predominantly Black. 

At Barack Obama Presidential Center.

From there, we headed to the Original Triple Crown in Chinatown for an early dinner. I surely didn't mind this, since I didn't manage to eat lunch, haha. Much to my surprise, Vivi ordered eggplant, too. Now, I have to let you know that back when I was living with my auntie in Pontianak, I didn't like eggplant because it was always too gooey. But I started to appreciate it after frequenting Dong Fang Mei Shi Fan Dian in Singapore. After this trip, eggplant is surely a dish I will be ordering myself from now on!

Before they dropped me off at the hotel, we explored the Chicago Riverwalk. It somehow reminded me of Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, though naturally, there were more White people here. I really liked how elegant everyone looked, even when dressed casually. The vibe of the Chicago Riverwalk was brilliant, too; it revealed the full glory of the city. It felt like an American metropolis with towering high-rises, including the Trump Tower. Standing there, I could almost visualize New York City and Spider-Man swinging between the buildings!

Trump Tower!

The proper tour started the following day. It began with a dim sum breakfast at MingHin Cuisine. The portions were unbelievable; I jokingly told Vivi that they could have fed 5,000 people. The fried rice was good, too—it simply can't go wrong when fried with salted fish. 

After brunch, we went to Navy Pier for a walk. It is a beautiful place where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan, and it was incredibly windy. From that point onwards, being the wonderful host that she is, Vivi kept telling me to take pictures here and there because the backdrops were so iconic. It was probably the only time I have posed and had my picture taken so frequently in a single day! 

At Starbucks.

From Navy Pier, we went to the Harry Potter Shop Chicago. I just found it weird to buy anything there because Harry is supposed to be from the UK. Instead, we walked to a building she proudly introduced as the biggest Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world. I certainly could use a cup of Americano, so we stayed there for a while.

Then we went to Coach for a quick shopping trip before taking the yellow water taxi that cruised along the Chicago River. The view was splendid; it revealed Chicago in its full glory, looking so beautiful on that bright, sunny day. We alighted at Chinatown, and then continued our journey by car. Our next stop was the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. I thought it was cool, but you know what was cooler? A last-minute destination: Michael Jackson's Boyhood Home.

At Michael's house. 

It was pretty surreal. The neighborhood was... unkempt, to say the least, with many overgrown lawns. Michael's house was right at the end of the road and gated, unlike the other houses. Still, it was impressive to see it with my own eyes. You couldn't help but feel that even the King of Pop had a humble beginning. At the same time, I was enamored by how he made it from this tiny house to the world stage. Life isn't about where you are born, but what you do with the talents you have. 

And that concluded our tour for the day, but the journey still continued. We walked a bit to Millennium Park to see the Bean, also known as Cloud Gate. It was beautiful, as you could see a clear reflection of the Chicago skyline in the evening. There was a fast-food restaurant called Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers across the street and we had our dinner there. The iced tea was almost as good as Sosro Tea, hehe. Once we finished dining, we wrapped up our tour at the Chicago Theatre. Why did we go there? Because the neon lights, according to my host, are iconic, haha.

The Chicago Theatre.

The following day it rained the whole time, but it suited me just fine. Kenji drove me all the way to Rockford and blasted music from his playlist. Since we are from the same generation, the ride was pretty much a nonstop sing-along, featuring the Scorpions, Culture Club, and many more.  

Rockford was quite far, actually. We spent about four hours on the road, and it was close to evening when we returned to the city, so Kenji brought me to Garuda Restaurant. The menu looked good, but of course I had to try the fried rice! Even though it was priced in USD, it still tasted like authentic Indonesian food! 

With Kenji, probably the best host in Chicago!

And that was the first and last proper meal of the day. On our way back to my hotel, Kenji showed me the Gold Coast, the elite area of Chicago. But because it was raining, there wasn't much we could do, so that was it for the two-day Chicago tour. Both Vivi and Kenji were brilliant. A big shout-out to them for their incredible hospitality!

My last day in Chicago started slow, which gave me time to write this—again on my trusted BlackBerry Classic. We had brunch at Qiao Lin Hotpot and then headed to O'Hare International Airport. Just like LAX, it was functional but not impressive. I'm seriously thinking of writing about all the airports I have been to, but for now, it's time to rejoin the team in Las Vegas!

Team SG. They reached Las Vegas earlier than me.

Liburan ke AS: Los Angeles dan Chicago 

Pertama-tama, perlu diketahui bahwa LAX itu sangat besar dan luas! Kami bahkan harus naik bus shuttle cuma untuk sampai ke tempat penjemputan Uber dan Lyft. Perjalanan dari bandara ke Koreatown lumayan jauh, dan rasanya belum jadi pengalaman Airbnb sejati kalau kami tidak menghabiskan waktu mencari tempat dengan nama unik seperti Glamorous KTown Boutique Residences with Rooftop View. Tapi, unit kami lumayan bagus. Yang paling penting, di sana disediakan mesin cuci dan pengering baju karena saya benar-benar membutuhkannya!

Di LAX-it.

​Kami pergi makan siang yang agak kesorean di Ocha Classic, yang menyajikan hidangan Thai/Chinese yang luar biasa. Makanannya enak sekali, sampai-sampai kami kembali lagi ke restoran itu untuk makan malam keesokan harinya. Nasi goreng dan terongnya mantap! Setelah makan siang, kami pergi ke El Super, supermarket Hispanik di seberang jalan. Di sanalah saya melihat Coors Banquet—bir ikonik yang diminum oleh Johnny Lawrence di Cobra Kai. Tentu saja, saya harus beli satu pak isi enam dari botol-botol pendek-gemuk (tubby bottles) itu!

​Kami kembali ke Airbnb supaya saya bisa mencuci baju, dan akhirnya kami pergi ke MaDang Courtyard untuk makan malam. Karena banyak toko di LA tutup jam 8 malam, MaDang Courtyard menjadi pengecualian yang bagus. Selagi berada di Koreatown, kami pun mencoba ayam goreng Korea tanpa tulang di Pelicana Chicken. Rasanya lumayan enak.

Platform kereta yang sepi.

​Setelah itu, karena Endrico adalah "Captain America" kami, dia memutuskan agar kami mencoba naik metro. Ternyata pengalamannya agak menyeramkan. Dua orang membuntuti tepat di belakang saya dan Endrico saat kami menempelkan kartu (tap) untuk masuk gerbang tarif. Lalu, waktu tunggu keretanya luar biasa lama, sampai 15 menit, persis seperti yang tertera di layar. Sulit dipercaya; di negara lain rasanya tidak bakal selama itu. Ada beberapa petugas berdiri di dalam kereta, dan salah satu dari mereka memberi tahu kami bahwa pintu di depan saya tidak bisa terbuka. Parahnya lagi, Stasiun Wilshire/Vermont tempat kami turun kondisinya kumuh, dan gerbang keluar bahkan tidak berfungsi saat kami menempelkan kartu untuk keluar!

​Perjalanan jalan kaki kembali ke Airbnb memberikan sedikit gambaran tentang LA di malam hari. Satu hal yang mirip dengan San Francisco adalah kami bisa melihat tuna wisma (gelandangan) di hampir setiap sudut jalan. Pemandangan itu entah bagaimana mengingatkan saya pada Perth, di mana saya melihat seorang gelandangan Australia berbadan besar yang tetap bergeming saat dikonfrontasi oleh dua petugas berseragam. Menariknya, saya tidak melihat ada tuna wisma di Chicago, dan kotanya juga sangat bersih. Tapi, nanti kita bahas lagi soal itu.

Logo Hollywood di bukit!

​Keesokan paginya, kami semua kecuali Endrico pergi ke Lake Hollywood Park. Endrico ada janji lain dengan sepupunya, jadi dia tidak bisa ikut pagi itu. Nah, saya mungkin salah mengira 'park' (taman kota) sebagai 'garden' (kebun/taman bunga), makanya ekspektasi saya agak meleset. Lake Hollywood Park ternyata cuma sebidang kecil tanah rerumputan dengan titik strategis untuk melihat tulisan Hollywood di atas bukit. Jadi saat pertama kali tiba, saya kaget karena mengira tempatnya bakal lebih besar, seperti kebun raya (botanical garden). Tidak butuh waktu lama bagi kami untuk melihat-lihat sekeliling. Kami cuma mengambil beberapa foto, lalu langsung pergi ke Hollywood Walk of Fame.

​Hollywood Walk of Fame terlihat biasa di kehidupan nyata. Isinya cuma bintang-bintang yang tertanam di trotoar yang agak sempit dan dipadati pengunjung. Kami berbelanja sebentar di Hard Rock Cafe, lantas mulai membaca nama-nama sebelum menginjak bintang yang kami mau dan berfoto. Setelah itu, kami menuju ke La Popular di Ovation Hollywood untuk menyantap makanan Meksiko. Rasanya unik, tapi enak. Malam harinya saya bercerita kepada Endrico tentang bagaimana kami seperti kesulitan menghabiskan makanan Meksiko kami, tapi makan dengan sangat cepat kalau menunya makanan Chinese.

Menikmati kopi di Ovation Hollywood.

​Endrico bergabung kembali dengan kami di Ovation Hollywood saat saya dan Surianto sedang minum kopi siang. Dia masuk ke Victoria's Secret bersama Susana dan berbelanja, dan setelah itu, mereka kembali ke Airbnb karena membawa lumayan banyak kantong belanjaan. Sementara itu, kami bertiga menuju ke La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Tempat itu sangat menarik—ini pertama kalinya saya melihat museum yang didedikasikan sepenuhnya untuk megafauna. Mammoth Kolombia di sana benar-benar besar banget!

​Waktu saya di Ovation Hollywood, teman saya Vivi menyarankan agar saya melihat Urban Light. Tempat wisata ini lokasinya dekat dengan La Brea Tar Pits. Kami melihatnya saat berjalan menuju Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Bagian terbaik dari museum kedua kami hari itu? Marilyn Monroe. Ekspresinya, bahkan saat tidak tersenyum, terasa begitu tulus—sebuah kecantikan yang abadi.

Melewati Beverly Hills saat menuju Sunset Strip.

​Nah, masalah dengan LA adalah kota ini tidak sesuai dengan ekspektasi saya. Rodeo Drive adalah pengalaman yang biasa saja (hit-or-miss); saya mengharapkan sesuatu seperti Orchard Road, tapi ternyata tidak sebanding. Lalu Beverly Hills—yang samar-samar kami ketahui dari serial TV 90210—ternyata cuma kawasan pemukiman. Tempat terakhir, Sunset Strip, juga tidak bisa dibilang sebagai tempat wisata yang ramai. Pada momen itulah saya menyadari bahwa saya tidak tahu lagi harus merasakan apa tentang LA.

​Beruntung bagi saya, Chicago akan menjadi destinasi keesokan harinya, jadi selamat tinggal LA! Setelah penerbangan selama empat jam, saya tiba di kota yang cerah. Cuacanya menyenangkan, dan para tuan rumahnya bahkan lebih menyenangkan lagi. Kenji dan Vivi menjemput saya. Perhentian pertama, Barack Obama Presidential Center yang baru dibuka. Ya, tempat itu baru saja dibuka pada tanggal 18 Juni, tepat satu hari sebelum kedatangan saya. Kami tidak mendapatkan tiket untuk masuk ke dalam, tapi tetap menyenangkan bisa berada di sana. Kenji menunjukkan bahwa ini adalah area South Side di Chicago, makanya demografinya terlihat berbeda dan didominasi oleh warga kulit hitam.

Di Barack Obama Presidential Center.

​Dari sana, kami menuju ke Original Triple Crown di Chinatown untuk makan malam lebih awal. Tentu saja saya tidak keberatan, karena saya tidak sempat makan siang, haha. Yang mengejutkan, Vivi juga memesan terong. Nah, perlu kalian tahu, dulu waktu saya tinggal bersama tante saya di Pontianak, saya tidak suka terong karena teksturnya yang terlalu lembek. Tapi saya mulai bisa menikmatinya setelah sering berkunjung ke Dong Fang Mei Shi Fan Dian di Singapura. Setelah perjalanan ini, terong pastinya menjadi hidangan yang akan selalu saya pesan sendiri mulai sekarang!

​Sebelum mereka mengantarkan saya ke hotel, kami menjelajahi Chicago Riverwalk. Tempat ini entah bagaimana mengingatkan saya pada Boat Quay dan Clarke Quay, meskipun tentu saja, di sini ada lebih banyak orang kulit putih. Saya suka melihat betapa anggunnya penampilan semua orang, bahkan saat berpakaian kasual. Suasana (vibe) di Chicago Riverwalk juga luar biasa; tempat ini memperlihatkan keindahan kota sepenuhnya. Rasanya seperti kota metropolis Amerika dengan gedung-gedung pencakar langit yang menjulang tinggi, termasuk Trump Tower. Berdiri di sana, saya hampir bisa membayangkan Kota New York dan Spider-Man yang sedang berayun di antara gedung-gedung!

Trump Tower!

​Tur yang sebenarnya dimulai keesokan harinya. Diawali dengan sarapan dim sum di MingHin Cuisine. Porsinya luar biasa banyak; saya bercanda kepada Vivi kalau porsi itu bisa memberi makan 5.000 orang. Nasi gorengnya juga enak—pokoknya tidak pernah salah kalau digoreng pakai ikan asin.

​Setelah brunch, kami pergi ke Navy Pier untuk jalan-jalan. Tempatnya indah sekali, di mana Sungai Chicago bertemu dengan Danau Michigan, dan anginnya kencang luar biasa. Sejak saat itu, sebagai tuan rumah yang sangat baik, Vivi terus menyuruh saya mengambil foto di sana-sini karena latar belakangnya yang sangat ikonik. Ini mungkin satu-satunya momen di mana saya berpose dan difoto begitu sering dalam satu hari!

Di Starbucks.

​Dari Navy Pier, kami pergi ke Harry Potter Shop Chicago. Saya cuma merasa aneh kalau beli apa pun di sana karena Harry kan aslinya dari Inggris. Sebagai gantinya, kami berjalan ke sebuah gedung yang dengan bangga dia perkenalkan sebagai Starbucks Reserve Roastery terbesar di dunia. Kebetulan saya memang butuh secangkir Americano, jadi kami tinggal di sana sebentar.

​Kemudian kami pergi ke Coach untuk belanja sebentar sebelum naik taksi air kuning yang menyusuri Sungai Chicago. Pemandangannya luar biasa; memperlihatkan Chicago dalam segala keindahannya, terlihat sangat cantik di hari yang cerah itu. Kami turun di Chinatown, lalu melanjutkan perjalanan dengan mobil. Perhentian kami berikutnya adalah Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. Menurut saya itu keren, tapi tahu tidak apa yang lebih keren? Destinasi menit-menit terakhir: Rumah Masa Kecil Michael Jackson.

Di rumah Michael. 

​Rasanya cukup sureal. Lingkungannya... bisa dibilang tidak terawat, dengan banyak rumput liar yang tumbuh tinggi. Rumah Michael berada tepat di ujung jalan dan berpagar, tidak seperti rumah-rumah lainnya. Tetap saja, rasanya mengesankan bisa melihatnya dengan mata kepala saya sendiri. Kita tidak bisa tidak berpikir bahwa sang King of Pop pun memiliki awal yang sederhana. Di saat yang sama, saya kagum dengan bagaimana dia bisa berhasil melangkah dari rumah sekecil ini ke panggung dunia. Hidup ini bukan tentang di mana kamu dilahirkan, melainkan apa yang kamu lakukan dengan bakat yang kamu miliki.

​Dan itu mengakhiri tur kami hari itu, tapi perjalanan masih berlanjut. Kami berjalan sedikit ke Millennium Park untuk melihat the Bean, yang juga dikenal sebagai Cloud Gate. Indah sekali, karena kita bisa melihat pantulan jelas dari cakrawala (skyline) kota Chicago di sore hari. Ada restoran cepat saji bernama Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers di seberang jalan dan kami makan malam di sana. Es tehnya hampir seenak Teh Botol Sosro, hehe. Begitu selesai makan, kami menutup tur kami di Chicago Theatre. Kenapa kami ke sana? Karena lampu neonnya, kata tuan rumah saya, sangat ikonik, haha.

The Chicago Theatre.

​Keesokan harinya hujan turun sepanjang waktu, tapi tidak masalah bagi saya. Kenji menyetir mengantar saya sepanjang jalan menuju Rockford sambil menyetel musik keras-keras dari playlist-nya. Karena kami dari generasi yang sama, sepanjang perjalanan isinya hampir selalu bernyanyi bersama tanpa henti, menyanyikan lagu-lagu Scorpions, Culture Club, dan banyak lagi.

​Rockford sebenarnya lumayan jauh. Kami menghabiskan sekitar empat jam di jalan, dan hari sudah hampir malam ketika kami kembali ke kota, jadi Kenji membawa saya ke Restoran Garuda. Menunya terlihat enak, tapi tentu saja saya harus mencoba nasi gorengnya! Meskipun harganya dalam USD, rasanya tetap seperti makanan asli Indonesia!

Bersama Kenji, pemandu terbaik di Chicago!

​Dan itu adalah makanan berat pertama dan terakhir hari itu. Dalam perjalanan kembali ke hotel saya, Kenji menunjukkan Gold Coast, kawasan elit di Chicago. Tapi karena hujan, tidak banyak yang bisa kami lakukan, jadi begitulah akhir dari tur hai dua hari di Chicago. Vivi dan Kenji sama-sama luar biasa. Terima kasih banyak untuk mereka atas keramahan mereka yang luar biasa!

​Hari terakhir saya di Chicago dimulai dengan santai, yang memberi saya waktu untuk menulis ini—lagi-lagi di BlackBerry Classic andalan saya. Kami makan brunch di Qiao Lin Hotpot lalu menuju ke Bandara Internasional O'Hare. Sama seperti LAX, bandara ini fungsional tapi tidak mengesankan. Saya benar-benar berpikir untuk menulis tentang semua bandara yang pernah saya kunjungi, tapi untuk saat ini, waktunya bergabung kembali dengan tim SG di Las Vegas!

Tim SG yang sudah sampai duluan di Las Vegas.