Houston - When Williams And Sam Meet

We both woke up around 9.00am.

“So ke mana kita hari ni?”

“Waterwall dulu.”

It was a bright and shiny day. We hopped in the Pontiac and drove according to what the GPS directed us to. Quite simple and easy since the place wasn’t too far from our hotel. 64-foot-high fountain, how can we missed it right?

And yet, we circled around it for more than 4 times! Yes! 4 times! (We even saw the Waterwall backside for 4 times and I managed to snap it over and over again.) Because there was no place to park and there was no parking area at all!

Than there was a building next to the park that allowed us to park inside, with no parking charges on weekend. Great!

We hopped out from the car and walked towards the empty benches. From far, we saw that semi-circular Williams Waterwall…occupied by students on some sort of high school visit.So we stopped and sat at one bench while looked around.

“Ya Allah tingginyer!” I shouted to probably the highest tower in Houston. It was Williams Tower and I know nothing bout who Williams was. It was super high till it can’t be showed up in full length of our camera lenses, even if I stepped 10 feet backwards. So we played Broadway and snapped some pictures with pigeons and grass.Once those students headed back to their buses, we walked towards the Waterwall. That fountain was remarkable and breath-taking! You can even experienced the water sprinkled at your face once in a while. Like those fans at kedai mamak with that tiny built-in water sprinkler. Hehe!Ok, enough with Williams Tower and Waterwall. We set the GPS to go to Hermann Park, where they built a statue of one of Houston’s founders, General Sam Houston on horse-back, leading his men into the battle of San Jacinto (will tell you guys bout that later).

I always wanted to go to those parks that packed of colorful and beautiful flowers. With some statues and arches in between. Soooo out of the country, kan? And my guess was right. Alongside with jog-lane, this park was super huge and there was a section that filled with flowers and statues!“I nak pegi tempat Sam Houston atas kuda tu je…”

That was our motive. Forget those flowers and unknown faces of lined up statues…and that cute lil squirrel that tried to amaze me with its somersault.To see Sam Houston on the horseback was our goal. Fine! We passed by the Houston Museum of Natural Science and walked towards Sam Houston statue, where it was located on a very small man-made hill, at the middle of the roundabout.“Wahhhhh!”

As predicted cam-whores, we took pictures, lots of pictures, from side, front, back, any sides that can gave a possibly good picture for our wall of ‘frame’. While taking pictures, we saw a very high monument, in line with Sam Houston’s statue, about 400meters away.“Tu apa tu? Jom gi sana! Jom!”

With 2 and half inches wedgie, I crossed the road with hubby. We passed by a very nice but filthy square-shaped man-made lake, where one lil kid almost soaked herself, swam with a duck!We sat on a bench for a while to feel the breeziness. We stood up and walked, once we saw a nigger eyed on us. Hoho! And I didn’t have a chance to read what was stated on the monument wall. (It was Pioneer Memorial, in honor of the Men and Women of Houston. Yes, I read it from one of the pictures.)Btw, at this park, they endowed the people with cute six to seven coach-red-train, which brought people around this park. And no, it wasn’t free. $3 per person. We passed the train ride, and headed to Houston Visitors Center.When we reached that area, all the connected roads were closed due to one big function that held just at the middle of the Visitors Center. We parked and walked towards the venue and asked a guy,

“Excuse me, how do we go to Houston Visitors Center?”

“Well, I’m not quite sure, I am not from here.” he, whom a police officer who controlled the event security.

“You go straight and turn left.” another guy added.

“Owh, thanks.”

And so we walked towards the event that full with locals and things came from all over the world. Yes, I mean, those things were internationally brought from Africa, Latin, Caribbean, and such.“Betul ke ni tempatnyer?” I looked at displayed paintings of Bob Marley. Huh?

“Tengok gambar, betul la kat City Hall ni…mesti ada nyer…”Yet, we still unable to figure out where the hell was Houston Visitors Center. Hubby later stopped by at one board that showed IFest, Houston International Festival a.k.a Houston Chronicles. D’uh…ada event ke…patut la.

Hubby later asked one local guy and he showed us the correct entrance to Houston Visitors Center.

“No wonder la, kat celah ni rupanya…seb baik bukak!”I stepped in the shop with emptied hands, I came out from the shop with 2 bursting paper bags. The lady even smiled and said,

“You can take as many times as you want, I won’t bother you…and where all these things go to?”

“Malaysia.”

10 t-shirts, 1 cap, 5 fridge magnets, 6 coasters, 1 salt and peeper pots, she ended up giving me a handful of Houston pins for the happy family back in my hometown. Haha!