Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Day 2

A day of walking...and walking......and walking....and bad tourist guides

That was how the first part of the day went. As the conference hasn't started, Wendy Rosie and I wanted to do some sightseeing since we probably won't have time once it starts. We decided the best way to start was to take a tour bus.

The tour we took had 3 'loops'. Now the guide on the first loop was good. And he was funny - and he made it interesting. We drove by many of the embassies and that was interesting and we drove through Georgetown and man - are they skinny houses!! You should have seen some of them. Seriously - they were one room wide. I think they must have had the living room on one floor, the kitchen on the next floor and the bedrooms on higher floors. They were very peculiar. The tour guide told us that one was just recently sold and it went for $450,000.!!!!!!!
Then we got on the next loop tour bus. I was packed and as Wendy and Rosie were sitting on one seat and me on another, once again, my personal space was invaded by a total stranger since the bus on the second loop was full. The tour guide was late and they had some guy who wasn't very funny telling dumb jokes. There was some little kid behind me who kept heckling him. Seriously - what kind of 10 year old kid heckles a fill-in tour guide!!!!! I was SO tempted to turn around and tell him to stuff it - I was impatient too and some strange person was in my personal space - but I didn't - I have manners. But I figured it wouldn't be good to get into a fight with a kid.

So then the tour guide finally showed up and introduced herself as a former teacher. And she was! I felt like I was back in the classroom and she kept asking questions I didn't know the answers too. That's what she did - kept asking us questions - saying we must have learned it in civics class - Hello - I didn't TAKE an American Civics class - and I'm sure many visitors from outside the US probably didn't either.
We ended up getting off the trolley - I couldn't have taken much more of her - and I did NOT leave a tip like I did for the first guy. So then we walked. And we walked. And we walked.
Sadly - I have not walked like that for a very long time. My feet were not happy campers. Plus I hadn't had anything to eat and I was hungry.
But things got ever so much better when we got back to the hotel. Barbara made it - Yea! Then a little later AnimeJune showed up Yea! And we went down for dinner and had a wonderful time in the restaurant talking - what else books!!

And I have a few pics. Here's one of Wendy on her phone. She's texting. I don't know how to text. Often I don't know how to use a cell phone. I'm going to have to see if one of my roomies knows if I have a speaker thingy.














Here's one of Rosie while we are waiting for the trolley.
















Here's one of Wendy and Rosie taking pictures of this building (see below)
















Which is NOT which, some people thought, the White House. Seriously - they did not know that! They kept taking pictures - thinking it was the White House.














And it's late and I forget what this building is again - but it's a famous one.















Anyway - it's late and I'm tired. My feet are still mad at me. Just wait until I tell them we are doing more sightseeing tomorrow!!

11 comments:

~ames~ said...

Yay!! Pictures! LOL

Glad you guys had sunny skies too.

CindyS said...

With Ames - Pictures!!

And I always expect to see crowds of people when pictures of DC show up.

And I always forget that that building isn't the White House so yeah, I would have been snapping pics too ;)

Yay for dinner and great conversation!

Cindys

Leslie said...

Thanks for the update and pics Kristie! I would've given that kid the evil eye. LOL

I hope your feet get a bit of a rest tomorrow. :)

orannia said...

Thank you so much for the update and the pictures Kristie!

I hope your feet are feeling better tomorrow and I hope you have a wonderful first day at the conference :)

As for that kid on the bus - did his parents think it was OK for him to heckle the tour guide?

As for the tour guide asking questions - I would have loved to have been there to point out that American Civics is only taught in the US :) However, I did learn an awlful lot about US social welfare in my histor class :) Compare and contrast and all that jazz *grin*

Heather D said...

Thanks for the updates Kristie!

I love DC and really wished I had paid attention to the dates and location of the RWA. Im sure my family would love another trip to DC.

Isn't that the way it works with tour guides... you get one really great and then the next one sucks. I have never been on an actual guided tour of DC, always shot off by ourselves. It was a blast at 16 with my cousin and sister.

Have a great time and keep those pictures coming!!

Anonymous said...

Just so folks know...that building is the Capitol Building. If you ever attend a presidential inauguration, that would be the view you would have. (in case anyone wondered)

Mina Wolf said...

Did you want a picture of the white house? I work two blocks from it and pass by it everyday on my way to my bus stop!

Glad you're having fun here in DC. Brace yourself for humidity tomorrow though!

nath said...

Pictures!!

I'm so proud of you, Kristie!! LOL :) Only ick is that you're not in them, but still :D it's great!!

Looks like you had a gorgeous day!! Poor feet though ^_^; That's the problem with sight-seeing, it's tiring LOL :P (Of course, going to all the UBS in Toronto is too :P)

Maybe there's a reason the lady is not a teacher anymore! :P

sula said...

yay photos! DC is fun and there is a lot to see, but much walking is involved. heh. Hope you are having fun and that you can avoid the annoying people. :)

Tracy said...

lol you're so funny. It's late and this building is famous. You crack me up because that's exactly what I would say! lol

Great pictures!

Rowena said...

Yay, everyone is looking great! I'm so jealous!