First proper day in the USA. Managed to get some sleep last night. Straight to bed ignoring the asian-americans having a laptop convention and the group of lads drinking out the back decking area. We both haven’t the energy for socialising and with this bunch even if we did I doubt we’d bother, too young, too American and we’re here on business. Tourist business. The hostel is fine, basic and could do with a lick of paint here and there but it’s clean. Up bright and early and had a decent breakfast round the corner and then onto the Metro. Struggled with the ticket machine in the station until a guy in full US military uniform rescued us. He may have been the most compassionate soldier ever given that Chris had spotted him helping a little girl across the road just minutes before. Once on board the metro took us into the centre of DC, as it’s called round here, in a few minutes. We disembarked at Union Station. Very impressive place, massive, big and huge in equal quantities. Loads of shops and cheap places to eat. Hopped onto a tour bus that deposited us at all the big tourist sites round the city. Made it to the presidential memorials, the Korean and Vietnam war memorials and round Arlington cemetery. We caught brief glimpses of the Capitol and the White House which we’ll probably go and see properly tomorrow. Before midday we were the youngest people on any of the tours by about half a century. After that a load of local school kids surfaced, on outings to ‘our (sic) nation’s capital.’ As far as we could see they spent their time making chalk rubbings of the Vietnam memorial and playing American football by the Lincoln memorial. It was an excellent days sight-seeing but well tiring. Tomorrow we’re off to have a browse of the museums, mostly of the Smithsonian institute – Natural History, Air and Space and American Indian. Promises to be a day of dinosaur bones, early aircraft and buffalo burgers (a native American staple which apparently they serve at the food court of the American Indian Museum). A nerds dream.
We’ve uploaded our photos to picasa web albums again. They’re a bit mixed up because the time on our camera’s wasn’t set correctly. The link to the latest photos is below. If you’d like to leave a comment on a particular picture I believe you can do it with the Add Comment link on the photo’s page.
Seeing the things to see in Washington DC
4 comments:
I find it extremely humbling to see that both you and dougal affected a look of sombre remembrance at the cemetary. kudos to you both. (Hi Chris!)
by the by. what does (sic) mean?
Call yourself a journalist, that's journo 101 for f's sake! sic is like when you acknowledge a mistake or an inaccuracy. Maybe not applicable by a mistake intentionally made by oneself but stuff it McDaid. Stuff it where the sun don't shine.
You both make sure that you make sure your lamb says a prayer at the cemetery.
Great photos. I thought the sheep was bigger. Perhaps he's just far away! Haven't quite got the hang of that concept yet. Is that why you called him Dougal? Looking forward to a daily update. Anne says hello but wants to know why I haven't taken her to Washington yet. She also wants you to say a prayer for her at JFK and RFK's graves in Arlington. Photograhic evidence may be required.
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