Saturday, June 5
I left Guatemala, finally, on Saturday June 5 on CO444 at 2.15 pm, flying to Houston,TX.
Check-in was fast, there were really few passengers. Security control decided to confiscate the bungee I carried to tie down my luggage. They thought it could be used to strangle somebody on the plane, but had no issue with the computer cable, which is probably more efficient for that purpose. The flight was uneventful and the immigration process in Houston very efficient. The immigration officer was a BMW fan and wanted to know all about my trip. I almost lost my connection, which was very tight. The good news is that Continental served a good meal and beverages on both flights. My fellow passenger on the flight to Washington liked diving and sailing, so we had a good chat and time flew by.
In Washington, the hotel shuttle took me to the Radisson Reagan Airport Hotel and by midnight I was in my room.
Check-in was fast, there were really few passengers. Security control decided to confiscate the bungee I carried to tie down my luggage. They thought it could be used to strangle somebody on the plane, but had no issue with the computer cable, which is probably more efficient for that purpose. The flight was uneventful and the immigration process in Houston very efficient. The immigration officer was a BMW fan and wanted to know all about my trip. I almost lost my connection, which was very tight. The good news is that Continental served a good meal and beverages on both flights. My fellow passenger on the flight to Washington liked diving and sailing, so we had a good chat and time flew by.
In Washington, the hotel shuttle took me to the Radisson Reagan Airport Hotel and by midnight I was in my room.
day, June 6
I woke up to good weather, a little late because my alarm clock was still set to Guatemala time.
I walked a few blocks through Crystal City to the Metro and learned to ride the subway, which is fast, efficient and clean.
I woke up to good weather, a little late because my alarm clock was still set to Guatemala time.
I walked a few blocks through Crystal City to the Metro and learned to ride the subway, which is fast, efficient and clean.
The National Mall looked so nice in the sunlight, people enjoying a stroll on Sunday, the trees in fresh green and the gardens blooming. I discovered a small beautiful museum, The Freer Gallery of Art, created by railroad car millionaire Charles Lang Freer, a renowned collection of Asian art and also the largest collection of paintings by James mcNeill Whistler.
I was impressed by the variety of ceramics, paintings, sculptures and decorative art of many Asian countries. When we lived in Japan ans traveled in Asia, wel learned to appreciate Asian art and I recognized many things. Another treasure is the underground Arthur Sackler Gallery, right next door, another great example of Asian art, complete with a Tibetan shrine and the sound of mantra.
Next was the National Air and space Museum, a large museum containing the history of flight and space exploration. It is enormous, with exhibits from the V1 to the space shuttle, fun exhibits for the kids and a great Imax theather which shows Black Hole and Space Travel shows.
The National Museum of Natural History is equally impressive, an enormous collection of dinausaurs, ocean exhibits and again, very hands on for the kids. It's really a "Night at the museum" . Oh, and the food in those museums is good, I enjoyed a green salads and turkey sandwich.
A stroll along Pensylvania avenue brought me to the Elephant & Castle, a neat pub with a great view on many public buildings. I had dinner and tried some of their specialty beer, Paulaner and Leffe Trappiste, which reminded me of my student days in Antwerp, Belgium. It was a balmy evening and I stayed until dusk came at 9 pm.
Washington is worth a longer visit. Maybe next time, we should stay a few weeks and explore the neighboring states and Eastern seaboard. There is so much to see!
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