Oh say can you see...

After three nights in New Orleans, it was time to pack our bags and head to the political capital of the United States, Washington D.C.  We were all sad to leave New Orleans and I particularly felt as though no other place could ever compare. I was wrong.

After a five hour journey, we made it to our hostel  in Washington D.C (www.hiwashingtondc.org) and we were greeted with snow. It was four degrees Celsius which was a mighty drop from the seemingly tropical New Orleans.   We rummaged through our bags searching for our woollies and once we were prepared, we hit the roads.

The first thing that struck me about Washington D.C was just how beautiful it was and how many people were around, compared to New Orleans. It is clear why Washington D.C is the capital of America and the history is apparent. The buildings are all old and seem to tell their own story and the cherry blossoms have just come in to season. We were all struck by the charm of Washington D.C and I for one found myself with a bit of a crush on the place. 

Although my heart will stay with New Orleans, Washington D.C is somewhere that I could see myself living in the future. It is charming, busy and once again the people are all lovely.

Clueless yet eager, George, Nicole and I headed off on our first night to the suburb Georgetown after hearing that that was where all the students of Georgetown University tended to be (coincidentally). After walking the streets for a good half hour, we stumbled across a cupcake shop called ‘Sprinkles’. Yum! We couldn’t resist going in to Sprinkles and treating ourselves.

After our sugar hit, we continued on route to the local student hub, the tomb. The tomb had been recommended to George by a friend and we were eager to check it out. We finally found the tomb – an underground pub/bar located in the heart of Georgetown. Upon arrival, we were greeted with warmth and a cute little pub to which we headed straight to the bar to order drinks (to warm ourselves up of course).  The bartender recommended a beer (the tomb) and from that point on, my glass was never empty.  The one great thing about being from New Zealand in America is that you are never without friends. I have never felt as special in my life as Americans are so eager to talk to us and offer their advice on where to visit. The tomb was no exception.

What happened next that night is a bit hazy. All I know is that between the three of us, we consumed over five pitchers of beer. Don’t judge us.  I do know that we only paid for three as by our second pitcher; we had made friends with a group of students and conveniently, with the bartender. Drinks were consumed, conversation was had and the highlight was when a local student bought us a round of shots to celebrate Bret McKenzie’s recent win at the Emmys. 

I think it is fair to say that George, Nicole and I had some serious bonding time  that night which was nice after having such a hectic schedule. Although we regretted our late night antics the next day whilst nursing our hangovers and walking all around Washington D.C, it was a fabulous time and a great welcome to the city.