The Washington chronicle..revisited

Sunday and Memorial day were action-packed days, and the soaring mercury resonated well with our rising spirits! Not once did DC smell like a ghost-town, in fact the long weekend and the perfect summer weather created a nice hue of colorful dresses and fragrances worn by the fashion savvy..
Washington monument was our first stop and was truly a delight to the eyes. What made it even more spectacular was that it was right in line with Capitol Hill leading further up to Lincoln Memorial. For a moment, I was reminded of the Peshwa era, where Pune's own historic monuments like the Shaniwarwada, Parvati and Sarasbaug formed the trinity frequented by Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa and his royal clan, that succeeded the throne.
It was fun to see road-side stalls selling candy, burgers, hawkers selling bottled water and ice-cream. Sucking at those popsickles in the sweltering heat brought much needed relief, and my kiddo did not take it too well in her stride that she was being deprived of this part of the fun!
What really stood out in DC was the grandeur, and cleanliness that is void in most Indian cities and places of tourist interest. We also had a chance to do a peek-a-boo into White House from a distance about 0.3 miles away, and it seemed like a mini-fortress that was well guarded for Mr. President.
The rest of the afternoon and the day to follow were thankfully spent in the cosy, air-conditioned confines of the Smithsonian museums, which gleefully offer free admission to the public. Each and every section made some interesting viewing, and we were left gasping for time and energy when viewing the exhibits.
I equally liked both, the Museum of Natural History that boasts of the Hope Diamond, as well as the Air and Space Museum. Although the limited security left me wondering whether most of the precious gems on display are indeed imitation 'American diamonds' craftily replacing the originals...

As if we couldn't have enough of the National capital, our itinerary included a visit to my bro's Alma Mater that was conveniently located 230 odd miles away, but who cares quoting Rabindranath Tagore 'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high..'.
It proved to be whirlwind tour in the end with us scrambling to grab a meal in Blacksburg's only Indian restaurant, followed by a rapid fire guided tour from my brother driving us around campus...Felt good to be there though..
What followed next was slightly bizarre, with the Garmin GPS speaking a different language as if to say, entities like freeway were extinct and the only way to get back to Raleigh was driving thru country roads of VA, where winding roads was the norm, ghats was a way of life and houses were spaced almost half a mile apart.
With a sigh of relief we cruised back to the city around 2:30 AM, sleepy, tired and showing signs of exhaustion that usually accompanies such a crazy day.

But as they say, all is well that ends well and it was a nice memorable East coast jaunt!!!

Desis visit D.C.

Last weekend was a roller-coaster ride without venturing into any of the theme parks. An East coast trip ensured that we were pumped with adrenalin and any dull moment was left high and dry in the heat of summer.

Now taking a baby on her maiden flight via the Red Eye express isn't the most rationale decisions, but when one is squeezed for time(and $) and wants to cram all the wonderful experiences in half a week, then it becomes an evil necessity. Luckily for us, Ishanvi was a good flyer, only providing glimpses of the weapon that children wield, tears and crying that would make a might army come to a grinding halt from the Battle of Waterloo..

I have always been an admirer of the East coast, a reality cemented by the fact that I only have its memories from Spring thru early Fall. This time was no different, and passing thru Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta was like a mini-homecoming, reminding us of the nice time we spent there before turning occidental in quest of Gold (err. greener pastures) ! The descent of the flight as it hovered over Raleigh airport was even more gratifying, and I was awe-struck again, watching the shades of verdant landscape interspersed with prisitine lakes that define the landscape of the South East hinterland..

A quick lunch and shower was all it took, before we hit the road. Looked like this time my body had caught up with the Sun shining on EDT much sooner, and did not gimme too much of a headache that frequent the jet-laggers. As we closed in on Uncle Sam's capital, the EQ, i.e. excitement quotient grew by leaps and bounds and the pinnacle of Washington monument perfectly personified the state of our mind. The lights that shone upon Capitol Hill truly make it a visitors' paradise. I could already identify myself with tourists decked up with the copyrighted 'I LUV DC'. The adventurous spirit that we were exhibiting took us close to the dungeons of the FBI/CIA headquarters in neighboring Reston/Herndon VA, when our GPS guided us via the backdoor into a no-entry zone headed towards the White House. Some driving skills put to test and clever maneuvers took us back to the safe confines of our Hilton Hotel, and I was a tad disappointed to miss any rendezvous with its socialite heiress Paris Hilton !!

To be continued...