Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

This week we’re in Austin, Texas. 

Now to begin, I just want to set the scene: I spent over eight hours on a Greyhound bus travelling from New Orleans to Austin. There was a toilet on board which was frankly disgusting so to avoid needing it, I tried to limit my water intake. Not only this but we didn’t stop at any point so once my water was out, that was it.

A mixture of exhaustion and severe dehydration rendered me a shell of my former self when arriving in Austin. Unfortunately I was bed bound for a large portion of my stay here. However, we start this tale from when I am starting to feel a bit better and was recovered enough to explore.

My first outing was a rather dramatic one. I dragged myself to the local CVS pharmacy (or chemist) to get some painkillers. Much to my surprise, I was amazed to find I could buy a bottle of 1,000 ibuprofen tablets. In the UK, you can only buy a maximum of two packs (usually of 12) of pain relief in any one transaction – so the premise of being able to buy a lifetime’s supply was absurd. Alas, the smallest pack of paracetamol I could find was 48 tablets so I had no option but to put these in my basket. At the self-service checkout, I was growing impatient waiting for the staff to check my ID. I then turned my head around and realised there was an armed robbery taking place in the store, so my slight irritation calmed down and I patiently waited for the thief to go before being able to buy my pain killers.

Anyway – I then went on a walk to the Texas State Capitol. The building is beautiful and free guided tours run daily. The armed sheriffs inside were incredibly friendly and explained a bit about the building’s history to me.

Whilst in Austin, I joined some friends from the hostel to watch a college American football match: Ohio vs Texas Longhorns. I don’t know anything about American football so I just cheered whenever everyone else did and enjoyed my Lone Star beer.

One exceptionally memorable experience in Austin was trying out a Waymo self-driving Uber, which is currently being trialled in the city. The ‘Waymo’ was available to order via the Uber app for the usual price. For me, this was absolutely terrifying and there were some times when it would stop at a green light which made it all the more nerve-wracking. After one ride with a Waymo I politely declined them again in the Uber app moving forward, which is an option if this too terrifies you.

Every night from March to September, you can see up to 1.5 million bats fly out from under Congress Avenue Bridge. They come out facing east (or facing away from the setting sun). There is the option to be on the water in a kayak or boat when this happens, but risk being under them going to the toilet.

The exact time varies but we were recommended that it can be anytime from around 7:30pm until 9:45pm. So you may need to prepare for a long standing wait if they are at the latter end of that estimate and if standing for long periods isn’t ideal for you, nearby restaurants with outdoor seating give you a perfect view without the discomfort.

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• If you’re visiting between March and September, don’t miss the bat flight from Congress Avenue Bridge – it’s surreal watching a million bats take to the sky at dusk.
• The Texas State Capitol is free to enter and worth a visit – free guided tours run throughout the day.
• Don’t be alarmed by how casually people carry guns in Texas – it’s legal and common.
• If you’re offered a Waymo self-driving Uber, decide whether curiosity outweighs terror.
• Austin can feel very safe overall, but still use common sense at night, especially downtown.

Have you tried a self-driving car yet? Am I reasonable for being terrified? Let me know in the comments!

Lone Star in hand,

Aelfgifu