Goodbye NY, Hello DC

Stephen's view of the train trip

I want to go in

The front side

They needed someone to talk about how
schnauzers can help with world peace

Then I signed a declaration
today will be National Schnauzer Day

The Willard Hotel, this is where in the 1860's President Grant
 would drink in the lobby and be approached by
"special interests"
-- the origin of the term lobbyist

Bags are packed and its time for my first taxi ride in New York. Some of the other tourists have told me about their dare devil adventures in taxis however there is too much traffic down 5^th avenue for my driver to play Jack Brabam. We have a great chat about how Rudy Giuilani cleaned up New York.

We arrive at Penn train station and I hop out right where the Channel 9 TV guys are. They are going to Washington to film Tony Abbott and will be on the same train as me. It really is a small world.

Now on the train and heading out of Manhattan, lets see if I can get the wifi working. Yes am online, so skype with Stephen as he also watches the train move towards Washington on an online train tracker. We are doing 105mph, it seems pretty amazing to be having a skype video chat as well from different sides of the world. For the rest of the trip I have a lovely chat with Lois who is just back from 70^th anniversary of D-Day in France and works for IBM on SAP implementations.

Arrive in Washington DC, Union Station looks even more impressive than Grand Central station but will check that out another day. Its time to hop in a taxi, check in and dump this bag. Now the Washington fun can begin.

Out into the oppressive heat I go its only 30C however with the humidity its pretty hard going. I like Washington’s big wide open streets it feel quite different. What this a street crossing without traffic lights, how do I get across? The cars are coming from every which way. Eventually I make it across and I am on my way to the White House.

Walking, walking, finally I see some a glimpse of white through the trees, is this it? Yes, cross a few more streets and I am here on the North side, with tourists, crazies and police cars. It’s much closer than I thought. According to the presidents schedule he is not in at the moment but he will be later.

Its so hot but must keep going, by The Treasury building and to the ‘front side’ of The White House. Now they invite me in to help out, how could I say no?

Moving on now to the Willard, time to sit on that nice chintz covered lounge chair in the corner and think about history and rest a while in the air conditioning. Slightly recovered now its time to go and find a metro stop and go back to Dupont Circle. There is the station, machine to buy ticket, red line is what I need, there it is and I am back. I declare Washington’s trains the easiest I have ever used.

For dinner I try out my first American pizza, the guy tells me this is Chicago Style, I am not sure what that means but it is yummy. The best food I have had so far on the trip. The thunderstorm that has been threatening all afternoon finally arrives with gusto, there is a tornado warning as well. Ok, scared now.