As I prepared myself March 2006 onwards for my first trip to Louisville which I learned is in one of the southern states of America with its equal share of a large black population and characterized with a humid climate, I searched through the internet and read through travel guides as well as the special guides that the staff at the University had put together.
But I was destined to learn much more and feel more intimately attached to this part of the U.S. from that fateful Sunday when my Delta internal carrier flew me in from Cinncinnati, right at the center of the city and was driven to Kurtz Hall, the newest dormitory of the University of Louisville’s expansive campus by the seminar director himself, Dr Tom Byers.
Little did I know that what more surprises were ahead awaiting me. Three days later at an impressive and colorful welcoming dinner at the University club the Mayor of Louisville honored me amongst other delegates as honorary citizen of this now adopted city that I am so justly proud to be so closely attached to that it could now seem like a second home. So now back home it gives me much pleasure in going over the sights, sounds, feel and facts which I have to master and keep to justify my cherished position.
Louisville is said to be the largest city in Kentucky state. After drawing its name from King Louis xvi in gratitude for France’s help during the war, the city charter was signed in 1780 by Thomas Jefferson, as the then governor of Virginia of which Kentucky was the westernmost district.
Located on a bend of the mighty Ohio River providing a fall and a smack in the center of the eastern half of the nation, Louisville has molded its distinctive culture and history over the years. During the first half of the 19th century it was a bustling river port.
Then with the invention of the train it became a railroad hub bringing in waves of European immigrants who settled into colorful neighborhoods that still retain their distinctive character.
The city of Louisville is today an international air hub for United Parcel Services [U.P.S.]
Every May crowds of visitors flood to Louisville to watch America’s premier race, the Kentucky Derby which has the reputation of hosting also the world famous half- minute horse racing spectacle.
Built on the falls of the Ohio, Louisville offers a wide range of attractive sites amongst which you could count Churchill Downs, the horse-racing center; several museums and historic homes, the Louisville zoo, the colorful and exciting children’s playland, Kentucky Kingdom, the historic steamboat, Belle of Louisville, now a cruising club; Louisville Glasswork and the Mohamed Ali Center.
Louisville , the 16th city in the U.S. is reputed to combine the sights, sounds and actions of a big city with the charm of a small town. It has its share of the tall modernist boxlike and historic Victorian as well as gothic structures of bigger cities such as Chicago and Washington D,C. Though sparsely populated and largely free from the hustle and bustle elsewhere it has its fiercely rallying interstate highways and flyovers crisscrossing other roadways and railways and giving even the seasoned resident a highly studious effort in finding one’s way even if armed with maps. It also has its traffic comgestions at peak hours of the day especially towards the evenings.
Though its airport is not one of the authorized immigration entry and exit ports it has an almost unceasing traffic of interstate flights or linking flights for outgoing or incoming visitors. It is therefore as automated , regulated and complicated as any other airport in the west..
It is almost impossible for one to look for signposts or landmarks to find one’s way around in Louisville as the buildings all seem to have so many others that seem almost like each other placed some distance apart. For instance, one almost after a few streets approach a look- alike of the Walgreems, Wallmart, Macdonalds, or Kentucky Fried Chickens you left behind about twenty minutes before.
Though again there have been reports of occasional killings or suicides the city is clothed in an atmosphere of openness and friendliness if not humanistic curiosity to reach out to others. Strangely also all the trains here are reserved for goods. There is the glaring absence of the metros and underground railroads conveying commuters to and from work that are so familiar a sight in California and Washington D.C.. Everywhere you go to you are bound to be greeted by friendliness,openness and curiousity.. The serial killings of other American cities and other big time crimes are few and far between. But whilst we returned to Louisville from a day’s trip to Cincinnatti we were shocked to learn of the daylight raid on a neighboring bank ridding it of all the days money and forcing it to shut down for the day.
Louisville is sedate but agog with life from its historic and colorful Waterfront Park and its environs around the Ohio River onto the exciting activities in and around Churchill Downs.
A wide variety of restaurants representing the diversity of American society offer eclectic dining options. The restaurants we patronized in particular represented the diversity of nationalities among us and beyond. We ate at Chinese, Asian, Indian, Mexican, African American, American buffet, Italian and Vietnamese. But its offerings of restaurants extend to Japanese, Mongolian, African, Colombian, Cuban, Palestinian cuisines which I would have relished exploring beyond their tantalizing displays on the many brochures we were provided with.
John E’s traditional two-storey log cabin is a favourite Louisville resort.. Through its rustic charm it provides the finest charcoal broiled steaks with baby back ribs, new York strip filet mignon, pepper steakchops, charboiled pork, fresh seafood carefully selected and perfectly aged and Kentucky famous burgoo. The Emperor and Empress of China serve classic Chinese Mandarin. It is the best restaurant in the World combining eastern influence with heart-healthy cuisine featuring herbs and teas, as well as steamed and rotisserie dishes. The original exciting Italian restaurant Volare Italian specializes in authentic Italian cuisine with a delicious array of fresh seafood and prime aged steaks downed with an extensive assortment of wines. The splendid wooden log house setting of the Texan Roadhouse where we treated our director and staff to dinner had a special cowboy house feel. Voted the best steakhouse in America it offers a relaxing evening with buckets of peanuts and homemade bread with sweetened peanut butter as starters. Killer ribs, great steaks and a variety of chicken dishes follow. Japanese Steakhouses and Sushis provide the choicest, freshest, highest quality foods such as Hilbachi entrees freshly artfully and tastefully prepared in front of your eyes by experienced and entertaining chefs. The sushi bar offers fusian style to a variety of authentic dishes by Japanese Master Chefs. As Americans mostly eat out there is an abundance of cafes and restaurants catering to the tastes of over 300 million such Americans and visitors. One feature that stuns you is the sheer size and abundance of their offerings of a wide variety of ingredients that should certainly add up to a balanced diet matching with enormous cups of diet coke or whatever beverage is preferred.
Arthur Smith was born, grew up and was schooled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He has taught English since 1977 at Prince of Wales School and, Milton Margai College of Education. He is now a Senior Lecturer at Fourah Bay College where he has been lecturing English, Literature, as well as Creative Writing for the past seven years.
Mr Smith is widely published with his writings appearing in local newspapers as well as in West Africa Magazine, Index on Censorship, Focus on Library and Information Work amongst others.
He was one of 17 international visitors who participated in a seminar on contemporary American Literature sponsored by the U.S.State Department in 2006. His growing thoughts and reflections on this trip which took him to various US sights and sounds could be read at lisnews.org.
His other publications include: Folktales from Freetown, Langston Hughes: Life and Works Celebrating Black Dignity, and ‘The Struggle of the Book’
