Back from DC

Diana and I got back from DC last night around 10:30 or so. The bus trip was rather short at just over 3 hours, which is awesome considering that it was a holiday weekend. Even though we got back rather early I was completely exhausted from the weekend and really couldn't gather myself to do anything. I was wiped out.

I added pictures in the Gallery (DC) but as a teaser here are a few pictures from the weekend.

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A few things I learned about D.C

The city is (was?) so dangerous that cabs have "Call 911" lights on top of them to instruct people to call 911 when the cabbie is being held up (seriously). Winter time is the best time because there are zero (well not completely zero) tourists, the museums are open and, on the weekends, no locals are around. You can see the city without having to fight the crowds. By far the "must see" is the Holocaust museum. It will make you sad, you'll cry and then you'll be glad that you cried. You'll also want to go out and beat-down all those "The Holocaust never happened" people (freakin' whackos).

The WWII memorial (recently opened) looks similar to the one in Normandy. Lincoln memorial is cool but the words of MLK Jr "I have a dream", engraved where he stood, are hard to find or marked and many people walk over them not even noticing that they are there. Personally I think this needs to be fixed by adding a copper marker below the words; maybe a casting of his shoes so you can stand where he stood and read the words he spoke on that day (I think it'd be cool). The Washington Memorial is just odd.

Finally, the road in front of the Whitehouse is filled with Republicans telling anti-war Democrats that they are "unamerican", Democrats telling Republicans that they are the reason for America's security problems, and far-leftists proclaiming 9/11 conspiracy theories. The uptight (and ridiculous) security precautions didn't make me feel safer but instead made me feel as though I live in a police state and not in a free country (which the Republicans would immediately defend by stating that freedom isn't free)

I wonder how foreigners feel when visiting D.C.? In my opinion it does not represent the joys of Freedom and Democracy when everything is covered by a concrete barricade and there are armed police officers on almost every corner. It shows a country that is living in fear; in my humble opinion.

All in all D.C was fun, I'm glad I went and I'd love to go again. Next time I'm taking my bike and riding the city!