Last night we reached our hotel around midnight. The day was spent at Hilo airport, then Daniel K. Inouye in Oahu,
which has a restful outdoor garden incorporated into its waiting areas and live
entertainment during our fast food lunch,
and finally awaiting transfers from Teatac
in Seattle to our hotel from ten days previously. Not to mention the actual flying
time which, going west to east, is like flying into the future. Bernie
rescues our left luggage from the luggage depot downstairs which we aim to
sort, dump, repack and weigh. Trips always cover the wonderful moments, the
beautiful views, the idyllic lifestyles but omit the harsh realities of travel.
Baggage! Transport! Queues! Heated discussions too! (The aliens released my
wife last night unchanged!)
After a few fitful hours of sleep, we’re up early to
commence our journey eastwards on our 08h30 flight to Washington.
Everything runs smoothly. The transfer driver is
particularly helpful. We needed help on this one; six bags including the camera
bag and a seventh arbitrary piece, a Napa French oak wine barrel slat 2 metres
in length (Bernie’s favourite!) The baggage porter is particularly chatty; he
is looking forward to visiting his girlfriend in Russia. Another exotic destination
we will have to explore. By the time we reach Washington DC we think we have
reached Russia in winter. It’s quite a shock after the golden glow of Hawaii.
The much-awaited capital city doesn’t disappoint. It’s easy to get around, especially from our well-placed hotel, the Hamilton Inn on the corner of 14th Street and McPherson Avenue, downtown Washington. Notwithstanding our central location miles of walking is still required. Besides the dominating array of monuments, memorials and museums there is something to witness on every corner – people, posters, placards, protests and police. We head straight for the White House, to check if Donald is in for Thanksgiving tomorrow, however he is visiting troops in Afghanistan, then Lafayette Square, The Eclipse and the Washington Monument before choosing to get a bite back at our hotel.
One of my favorite cities.