More of Washington, D.C.

15 August 2008; 2350hrs Washington D.C. (USA)

We had a mad rush today trying to squeeze in all the sights in less than 18 hours. After a late start in the morning (Not me! Really!), we headed to Union Station where we managed to buy train tickets to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) for our flight to Las Vegas tomorrow.

After that, it was another mad rush to Capitol Building and the Botanic Gardens. I saw the FOX network team setting up their equipment at the famous vista of the Capitol. Cool!

We managed to get tickets for a tour of the building at 1135hrs. Oh man… It is GRAND! All the chambers, especially the older ones, were simply glittering with gold and marble. We managed to see the old senate chamber and court house as well. Somehow, we secured gallery tickets to see a Democrat pitching his thoughts and solutions on stagflation in a grand grand chamber. Too bad photos were not allowed there. There were way too many guards around to risk sneaking a shot of the room.

Next up was the Library of Congress – the world’s largest library. And for a library, it is even grander than the Capitol. The mosaic tile pictures, painted walls, and exquisite statues were simply breathtaking.

A run through the subway to Smithsonian station brought us to a hot dog lunch and the park where most of the monuments are located – Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Reflecting Pool (Stinks of duck poop!), Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam War Memorial. We saw them all except the FDR and Jefferson memorials, which were out of the way.

Walking to the White House was a breeze especially when we stopped for ice-cream. My chocolate éclair bar was excellent. Well, anything cool on a hot day and when I was feeling tired would be nice. The White House, on the other hand, was rather disappointing. It paled in grandeur and stature compared to the other buildings we saw. Oh well…

We also saw a news reporter recording his take in front of the gates of the White House. My immediate reaction was to run up behind him and make some funny face or action. Heh… I controlled myself though.

Our last stop was the Old Post Office Building. Instead of queuing to climb up the Washington Monument, we opted (my suggestion based on the advice of a fellow couch surfer I met in Rapid City) to go to the top of the bell tower at the old PO building. It’s still the third highest structure in Washington D.C., and its view included a spectacular sight of the Washington Memorial.

Tomorrow is another hectic day. My ninth flight. To Las Vegas, to Las Vegas! We are going to have to leave the hostel by 0515hrs and I’ll wake up an hour before that… Man, this itinerary is unimaginably packed.