Where did all the freaks go? Ybor- Courtney Murphy

----A blog on thing to eat, read, and do in Tampa-----
On a relaxing Saturday night my roommate and I have a wonderful idea to go to Ybor for some Hookah and excellent people watching. Ybor has a unique characteristic of gathering the most diverse groups for a night of debauchery. As the watermelon flavored smoke billows from our lungs we see the diverse groups walk past. We exhale the smoke as we inhale a judgemental thoughts as each group passes.

First, the flamboyant gays, which are the most noticeable of homosexuals, prance past to G-Bar. These gays are also know as "twinks", young gay and ultra feminine; the type that were girls skinny jeans with out a shirt. Whitney, my roommate, and I laugh as the second group gawks in disgust.

The second group is the ghetto kids one stops to ask us if we were "smokin that weed?" Whitney laughs and nods no as she explains that it is only flavored tobacco. The ghetto kids were dressed in the latest trend, baggy skinny jeans tucked into over sized shoes and a graphic tee. All the ghetto boys stared furiously with hungry eyes at the third group, the underdressed girls, as they headed to Empire.

The elegant yet scarily strange Gothic couple walked past it the most absurd outfits. The man was in the typical Gothic wear of strapped baggy pants and all black, although he had chains wrapped around him. His girlfriend was in the same high heals as the sluts, but in an all lace outfit with nothing but a g-string underneath. Her round figure was outlined from the head to toe black lace, which still left nothing to the imagination. They kept walking past as Whitney and I mouth hung open as they approached the castle.

Each person had a place to call home, a club of their own identity. I recommend Ybor for the culture shock. It's fun, just like how a carnival is fun sometimes just to stare at something different and unusual. The Hookah Bar on 7th was the perfect place for the freak show parade.http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2009/02/blue-lizard-hookah-lounge-in-ybor-city.html