So I just shared my story about being a "green" traveler, green as in inexperienced not environmentally concious. However, there has been more to my trip than that, so I thought I would add to the saga a bit.

For one, there was three days of solid work. That isn't much fun though, and I suppose some portion of it is somewhat confidential, so I will move on to the good stuff. Saturday did not have any work related necessities, so we (Jack and I) had the day to go sightseeing. The bus system really hasn't improved from that first day. Generally the bus is late, if it shows up at all, and trying to figure out which bus to take is like trying to find a worm in a bowl of alfredo linguini. They all look the same so you end up just waiting for one to move and then jump on it.

Saturday morning was no different. We stood in the cold morning chatting for about 35 min until the bus showed up. Of course just because it showed up doesn't mean we got to ride it. It went right past us. I suppose he thought that we were standing in the mud under the bus stop sign for half an hour trying to get a tan. Who knows. So we decided to go for a cab instead.

When the cabbie learned that we just wanted to go to the Metro station, I think that he was offended. He certainly wasn't happy. We got in and as far as I could tell he was going the wrong direction. We asked him which station we were going to, and he gave the right answer, I think. I don't know what nationality the guy was, or what school system he had come out of, but we couldn't understand most of what he was saying. When we got to the station the bill was higher than expected, but what do you do? We paid him and got out. Of course later that day we find the route on a map and figure out that he went around the whole university, rather than straight through it to the station. It doubled the trip.

The metro, as predicted, was much more reliable, straight-forward and understandable. We emerged near the Washington monument. It is interesting how my perception of the world has been shaped by the media. I pictured the mall as a big open grassy area with nice paved walkways. That is how it is in the movies. It turns out that there were gravel trails instead of pavement and the grass was little more than a muddy field. In fact it resembles my lawn, which is in a shameful state.


We stopped for pictures by the Washington Monument and then decided to swing out and see the Jefferson Memorial and then around to the Lincoln Memorial. On the way we saw the Holocaust Museum, and since it was on my list of recommended sites, we went in. We didn't come out for 3 hours.

It was a disturbing experience, and in that respect it was totally successful in its purpose. The naivety of the people, the evilness of the Nazis, the desparate situation that came of all of that; it is both almost umbelievable and a constant warning. How a whole society could turn from complacent to wicked in a matter of months, or a few years at the most. How so few were willing to stand up to a bully. How little we remember the few who did stand up to fight. How slow their neighbors were to help out. It could all happen again, too. That is one of the scariest things. It could be happening right now, and most of the world wouldn't even know it. Yikes.

As you can imagine, that put a spin on everything else we saw that day. Our next stop was the Jefferson Memorial, where this country has literally etched in stone the words and ideals that we were founded on. And you can't help but wonder how we failed in those purposes for millions of people. We stopped at the Lincoln Memorial next and saw the words of another leader who fought to end oppresion, and I realized that his cause still exists and has always existed. It is the classic good vs. evil dichotomy that all of us must choose between. Germany chose evil for several decades and look what it has costed them. The U.S. has been on both sides at times, but where are we today?


We walked through the Vietnam Memorial, and it is obvious that it is not easy to know when to be involved and when to let other's have their freedom. We struggle with it within the country on an individual level, so how can we make the right choices on an international basis? It also seems that politicians don't actually help the process. They come with their own desires for power and can steer nations into collision courses almost at will. Where are the benevolent leaders who make moral-based decisions?

And then we had lunch. I had an unsatisfying glorified boloney sandwich while Jack enjoyed a delicious Philly steak and cheese.


We decided to go for something a little lighter and spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the Air and Space Museum. Now that was cool. My boys would love that place, full of rockets, spaceships, airplanes and science. I waffled on whether or not to take in an IMAX movie about flying F18 jets, but my cheap side got the best of me and I skipped it, which was OK. Instead we ran over to the Natural History museum and spent the last 30 minutes running through the displays to see what ever we could.
It was great. There was one photography exhibit that was fantastic that I took some pictures of.
My shots don't do the real ones justice by far, just as a picture of a mummified ox doesn't have the same effect as seeing it does. It was still cool.


We went to China Town for dinner and ate some moderately good Chinese food. I guess that I am as picky as my mother claims if I can call Chinese food from China town moderately good. But it was.

So that was the adventure. Other than another botched attempt at using the bus system, and another cabbie who stiffed us by a couple of bucks, the excitement was pretty much over. Both Jack and I agreed that this would be a great place to bring our families. To my surprise admission was free at all of the museums. My tax dollars are paying for it all so I might as well use them. There is a week of solid entertainment right there. We'll just have to see when the next opportunity arises.