This piece isn’t about a new gastronomic creation or a trendy new bistro in town but is about a city. A city that has a vibe extraordinaire, a city that prides itself on its hippie influences, a city that has the calm but also the storm, a city that bleeds burnt orange; Austin, Texas.
My American travel endeavors had taken me to cities in Florida, in the south, to the East coast, to the west coast, to the big easy, but never to Texas; A state that in itself is 20% the size of India by land mass. So when the opportunity presented itself to make a visit and meet a friend, I wasn’t going to let that pass.
Narayan Bhargava, a fellow globetrotter (Though for business reasons not exploration, sorry Narayan) went to University of Texas in Austin (UT) and graduated last year. Presently he spends half the year in Houston working and makes trips to Austin to visit his Alma matter and the soon to be introduced mad bunch or what they like to call themselves, the residents of “The Casa des Los Indianos.” ™ He had been egging me on to visit Austin while I was working for Delta and for some reason or the other, I could never make it happen. But I didn’t forget the offer.
I was picked up at the Airport on Friday evening by 2 of the bunch, Neil (Made an epic Mardi gras trip last year with him) and a guy named Mihir that I hadn’t met before. Narayan was still on his way from Houston. On the ride home, the usual chit chat was followed by history of UT and a short tour of the college campus. The iconic UT tower was lit up burnt orange and looked magnificent from all directions. The tower is lit up in the school’s colors whenever they win a game in any sport or on other important occasions like graduation…
‘The Casa des Los Indianos’™ was what you would expect from a house with 6 residents and anyone else welcome any time; Bodies everywhere, half drank plastic bottles, solo cups, take-out food strewn around as part of the house décor. Not only were there a lot of people but everyone had 2 or 3 names making it just a bit confusing for me. First stop: Trudys for dinner and Mexican Martinis.
Trudys with its indoor-outdoor setting, hipster waiters and a deadly martini was a great way to start off the night. The crowds were loud, the drink was sweet but potent and the inside jokes kept flowing. The waiters would not serve you more than 2 Mexican martinis, so go figure. Another interesting situation I found myself in was the fact that most of the group was vegetarian. I was the meat eating minority for the first time. It didn’t bother me but I was just surprised at how such a big group of vegetarians became friends. Wonder if the love of Tofu brought them together?!
The big attraction for the night was 6th Street; THE 6th street rather. Austin is the capital of Texas and a big portion of the population is either affiliated to UT or has moved from elsewhere for work. At the heart of downtown is a street lined with bars on both sides, that has the city descend on it in the evenings. The street is distinctly divided into West six, the classier slightly elder crowd and the ‘Dirty Six’, visited by the rambunctious college crowd. As we approached ‘Dirty Six’, I could already see why Sixth Street in Austin is one of ‘THE’ places to party in the US. An atmosphere like no other, there were people everywhere, laughing, singing, dancing, having the time of their lives. Drinks were cheap, bars were plenty and the crowd was in a mood to party. We visited a few bars and that was enough. What a vibe, what a place! New Orleans Bourbon street isn’t as fun as this! Yes I just said that.
A visit to the local doner place, ‘Kebabalicious’, impromptu singing sessions at home and a few controversies later, it was time to call an end to the night. The 10-11 of us found a nook, or a corner or a couch…
Day 2 in Austin and it was Sunny and gorgeous. The sun beating down, the incredible fauna and flora in and around the campus gleaming, we started the day by visiting a trailer restaurant. Trailer restaurants are quite a rage in Austin and that’s where the hip crowd grabs a bite. Nomad Dosa was a vegan twist to a very popular South Indian rice crepe; A friendly staff, trendy patrons but disappointing food. Sahil’s (Another protagonist) blue litmus test, the masala dosa, didn’t impress. The Mexican coke made from real cane sugar was a refreshing taste.
One thing that was apparent already was that it felt like I was part of a sitcom. The 10-12 characters that went in and out of the house had their quirks and made this ‘show’ worth being part off. They had all been warm and welcoming the night before, but that ended when the house Hookah was lit up. Like wild piranhas, all decency and hospitality was thrown out the window, as they grabbed, prodded, and sometimes insulted for the pipe of the Sheesha. To prevent bickering over this, they visit one of two Sheesha bars, Kasbah (Middle Eastern influences) and Arab Cowboys (Grunge feel). And they visit a lot.
Mihir and a few of us decided to drive around on this beautiful day while the others ate. Austin was lush and the wide panoramas offered great views. We drove up to the 360 bridge that offered unparalleled views of the surrounding area and Downtown in the far background. We hiked up a rock face hanging over the calm waters of Lake Austin below and the bridge to our left. We sat, and we took it all in.
A beautiful day such as this wasn’t going to be wasted indoors. We went to a place called Abel’s by the lake; A gorgeous patio over the lake Austin, and 60 beers on tap made this an ideal setting for a ‘kick back and relax’ sort of day. We bathed in the sunshine and I tried my first Texas Tea. Whatever it was, it was delicious. Refreshing, sparkling and a wide array of alcohols meant it wasn’t just a tasty treat.
On the way back, I got a tour of the campus; the business school, the engineering school, frat houses and everything. The Longhorn Stadium (UT football team’s stadium) with a capacity of 100,000 people is the sixth largest stadium in the world. UT is similar to Georgia Tech, a campus within a city. However it is much bigger.
In the evening, there was supposed to be a House Party for Shitij’s birthday (Sahil’s brother and another resident). The bunch got to work to tidy the main space for the party. The mess was cleaned, but merely moved for the most part. Many took naps, went and grabbed food and of course got their daily fix of Sheesha. Night was upon us.
The party began slowly and in parts. Other characters joined the existing bunch and a great night ensued. There was Simi, who smashed the birthday cake on Shitij’s face and then left with ego hurt, when taunts were made at his inconsideration. There was Colleen, Shitij’s girlfriend and person responsible for bringing the other two white girls to the party. There was Kasim from Pakistan, who was hell bent on playing Punjabi music for every-time he took a big swig of the tequila. And there was dancing!
Jokes aside, I had a splendid weekend made possible by the very warm and hospitable bunch. They made me feel very welcome and took it upon themselves to show me a good time, to give me a feel of all things Austin. There was controversy, there was drama, there was mayhem, but there was a great friendship that bound them together despite the madness…
Sunday was spent reminiscing over 6 hookahs between 10 people at Arab Cowboys. The sun shone even more brilliantly and I felt sad at the thought of leaving. I got to experience Austin thoroughly in my few days there. The blend of relaxation and partying was reflective of the city itself. Served crazy or calm, as per the heart’s desire.
Many asked me if I found it better than Atlanta or if UT was better than GT and I said it wasn’t right to put me in that position. To ask me to compare my beloved home, my Atlanta of 5 years with this new vibrant city that had embraced me for a weekend was not fair, almost outlandish. Though I didn’t answer that question then, the blue dot in the red state that is Austin, features in my list of cities I’d like to own a home in one day; New Delhi, London, Cape Town and now Austin.
