DC

We didn't stay in Baltimore.  A few hours there was more than enough.  I was depressed and shocked by the city, so I was very glad to leave.

We kept driving down the highway towards our next destination.  The roads became much busier and we were eventually bumper to bumper with other cars.  Even trying to get across lanes to get to a petrol station proved to be a difficult task.  The drive wasn't too long and after we drove through the Capital Beltway, the traffic almost immediately eased up.  We were in Washington DC.

Rehan and I are both fairly nerdy, so we were very excited to visit DC.  The monuments, sights and museums are famous around the world and we wanted to see them.  We had arrived fairly late, so we went to sleep so we could enjoy a long day of exploration.  When we woke up, we went straight to the most famous of sights, the White House.  The building is surrounded by tourists, all reaching their arms through the metal fence.  We looked at the building, and from the distance it was a bit underwhelming.  From such a distance, it looks quite small and if it wasn't so famous I don't think it would really get a second look.

We walked back to the National Mall and signed up for the share bikes that were available.  This seems to be the best way of getting around the National Mall.  The area is enormous, and there is quite a bit of distance between the different sights.  From various vantage spots, you can see all along the distance of the National Mall.

The National Mall is an impressive place.  I've seen it many times before on film and television, but being there in person, you are able to appreciate the sheer enormity of it all.  The mall covers a truly enormous area that includes the reflection pool, surrounding forests, monuments, galleries and museums.  The size of it means that there's actually quite a lot of distance between everything.  Walking around the areas is a lovely experience, but it's not something that can be easily accomplished given the need to then also walk around the monuments and museums as well.  If you were to try to do everything on foot, I think it would take you weeks to be able to see everything you wanted to see.

We went over to the Lincoln Memorial at the far end of the Mall.  Sitting inside was Abraham Lincoln.  He looked out from his chair, along the entire length of the National Mall.  The size of Honest Abe was also unexpected.  From a distance as you approached, you could already see that this was a large statue, but once you stood at his feet you felt truly small and insignificant.  The statue is immense in not only its height, but just in its mass and scale as well.  The long limbs of Abraham Lincoln seem to stretch him out and make him appear even more imposing.  What amazed me the most was the incredible artistry of the sculptor.  Standing close to the statue, looking at the face of Abraham Lincoln, the sculptor had captured a look of deep thought and contemplation.  You could almost feel the stress and strains that must have tormented the great man through the tough years of war.

We stayed a bit longer at the Lincoln Memorial and waited for the sun to set.  Once it was dark, lights came on and illuminated the statue.  The memorial is permanently open, which seems to be a fine tribute to a man who gave so much for his country.  People kept walking in and out during this time to gaze upon the statue.  In the light, it almost seemed to glow.

As we walked away from the memorial, we turned for one last look.  In the light, the statue was far clearer than during the day.  It stood out like a beacon looking out across the entire length of the National Mall.  People sat on the steps and looked out at the mall and back towards Lincoln himself.  There was a reverence for the place with all who were there and it was almost completely silent. 

We went back to the Airbnb we had booked near Howard University.  Apparently the area used to be a bit dodgy.  I looked around to see if there was any evidence of that when two young mums with strollers went jogging past in active wear.  Clearly the reports I had been given were a bit out of date.