Rob just had a FAB weekend in the distinctive town of Waco, Texas:

(above is the courthouse, the Dr Pepper museum and the Alico building).

Ask any American about Waco and they are sure to mention the Branch Davidian cult and the seige of 1993, which ended in mass death. However, I liked Waco because it has a calm, almost ghost town-like atmosphere and feels like it’s trapped in a 1950s time-warp. Lovely architecture, an impressive suspension bridge and one of the USA’s largest urban parks. Nice. Waco is also famous for being the place where Dr Pepper was invented, although the drink is no longer made there.

I went to Waco to visit Ben who came out to work with Rob in Togo/Benin. Click here to see Ben with me in Africa. Meanwhile, here he is outside his wee house with his doggy and he and I by the aforementioned suspension bridge:

My weekend stay in Waco had soooo many highlights, but here are a few:
* Eating chicken fried steak and discovering it contains NO chicken.
* Being repeatedly asked: “Where are you from, I like your accent?”
* Browsing HUGE quantities of jeans, boots, cowboy hats and pearl-snap shirts.
* Impressive views across the Brazos River and Lake Waco
* Having breakfast in a REAL american diner.
* Strolling around the grounds of Baylor University.
* Visiting the Dr Pepper Museum and having my first ever Dr Pepper float.
* Seeing my first ever armadillo (albeit a deceased one…)

So, if you’re travelling through Texas, why not give Waco a try? I think y’all ‘d like it!