Hampton Inn Columbia Md

Day 2 we head to the Zoo. If you don't know this already, its great touring DC because everything is FREE! The museums, the government building tours and even a jaunt through the zoo is a freebie. We had strolling weather today; very little sun, but warm temps (around 62 degrees) and since we slept in till 10am, we had lots of energy too. Our main goal was to see the pandas. Its my first time seeing live pandas and I had no idea what great entertainers they can be. As if on cue ...

... most amazing and well organised museum I have ever been too, there were tears in my eyes at many points throughout the exhibition. We then continued our walk and visited the White House Visitor Centre (as close as you can get to the inside of the White House these days), stood in front of the White House for the expected photos (it is interesting to see the preparations being made for inaugauration day including the erection of numerous stands and ...

... onto a motorway after about 30 miles of the scenic one. We really wanted to arrive to Washington on a Sunday in order to avoid heavy traffic in the city and be able to park in the centre. So after 3 hours, there we were! The capital of the USA, seen by us in one too many films about spies, politics and all other sorts. As we thought, parking was easy ...

... so I can move it out on my own the next time some lady goes, oh let someone strong get that. The males we were picking up from never said anything :-P just the women. (Karen's Rant of the weeks past). I am very excited to start at my internship full time and to not have to worry about school work. School work wise though I am trying to think of interesting speakers. We had this one guy who started DC Central Kitchen, his name is Robert Egger and he was incredible. I really think ...

... For those of you who don't know, I completed my BA at University of Maryland in English Language and Literature. No, I don't entirely know what I want to do with that degree...but more on that soon. Back to the reasons for moving - I finally finished school and am not really tied down in any serious way around here (Maryland). I've been living with my brother's wonderful family for the summer, and it is time to move out and on. I didn't want to move ...

... ranges and there are tons of volcanoes along the range. To the east of the Andes is the Amazon basin (rainforest) and to the west is the grassy plains and coast. Ecuador's main exports are bananas, oil and shrimp. I just found out that the Europeans brought the banana plant to Ecuador. I'm going to be spending all of my time in the Andes, or the highlands as it's ...

... here. I've worked out I can make 340 miles for $38. Nice. Driving really is smooth here..good roads, clear signs, patient drivers and time seems to fly by. So the 3 hour drive to 'Sherandoah National Park (part of the Blue Ridge Mountain range) was smooth with a capital Smoo. $15 entrance fee into a park with some stunning scenery. Did a 2 hour hike down to a waterfall and splashed around abit. Freeezing cold water perked up my blistering ankles. My cursed ...

... be more accurate, as there is nothing along the waterline but yards of jagged lava rock. Since I was wearing my Liz Claiborne (don't think I'm name-dropping, I got them for very little on eBay) green tennis shoes and footsies, I thought I'd be safe out walking on these rocks (since when I tried this in sandals last October, I slipped and my foot slid out the sandal and I cut my heel on the lava rock). So I ventured out and was squatting down and ...

... paintings she did of the same mountain. It was a good trip. So now we're home. It's been unusually mild here...in the 50s and 60s until earlier in the week. Then there's today. We are in the midst of a blizzard that started at 3am and has been dropping snow at 1-2 inches of snow an hour. It's expected to last until early afternoon for a 10-12 inch total. The Milwaukee schools have closed for the first time since 1997 ...

... assistance, assuming we had the money because of our skin. Or on the high tourist areas, children would run up to you, stick out their hands, and say "give me money." We also met some wonderful people. The people of Uganda are beautiful and kind. They seem to live day by day and go out of their way to greet each other and help each other. In general, they live communally and depend on each other unlike the independent ...