Anyone for Tea?

Land of the free

About two weeks ago, after I'd booked my plane tickets for this trip, I had an epiphany: that my arrival in the capital - Washington DC, no less - was slated for July 4th 2005. Independence Day. Today.

So as I planned out my route to drive down from my stop-over in Philadelphia (actually the Super 8 Motel in Mount Laurel, which was about what you'd expect for $35 a night: reasonably clean, taupe textured paint on the walls, and some noisy neighbours), I was anticipating gridlock, carnage, and - given what I'd heard about Washington traffic - several hours of tailbacks.



What I got, was a much longer initial journey from Philly than google maps had led me to expect (hotter too) - but eased by the fact that we never got stopped by traffic, even with a fair number of vehicles on the roads - including one guy who seemed rather upset that the real world refused to acquiesce to his misconception that a bigger car gave him divine right of way!

Having said that about today's traffic, I really don't want to start counting my chickens for getting to Dulles airport on Thursday morning - as that will be in a real rush-hour (albeit going around the city, not into it...)

Fast-forward a couple of hours, I found the B&B - discovered that the owner had left the place closed up for the day and appeared to have forgotten to leave my key out! Eventually, I was let in by another couple of guests and found the keys within, but whilst I've spoken to his voicemail, met his cats, met a friend of his, the man himself is still nowhere to be seen - and I don't know which room I'm in. So, I hope he is actually expecting me!!



With access to the B&B - at least - practically assured, I set off into DC on the metro, pausing only to get my ticket stuck in the machine, due to it being waterlogged by frappechino condensation. I ended up on the mall - the long lawn between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument/White House - and as the sun set, the faint noise of the Beach Boys and the Doobie Brothers floated from a stage behind me, then the sky was lit up with fireworks.

Now, where's da B&B guy?!
richie

PS: Interesting point tonight, the announcer for the concert referred to America as a "Beacon of freedom to the world" - either alluding to the fact that there's a "big green woman in New York", or else making the claim that other world nations look to America as an example of how personal freedom and governance should be modelled. Is this a true statement? discuss!

posted by RichB @ Wednesday, July 06, 2005