On August 8th, the girls and I worked until 5 instead of 6. Our kind manager let us go early.
We ran to our rooms, changed, ordered a taxi, and went out to wait for the car. The taxi arrived quite quickly. We made it to the bus station on time and boarded the bus. The whole way we discussed where else we wanted to go, listened to music, and just chatted :)
The trip went by unnoticed, as it was only 2.5 hours. We arrived at the south station. We had a little time before the bus to Washington left, so we decided to walk around Boston. We walked through a couple of streets in the center. Boston is very beautiful. I was amazed. It seems calm, but at the same time, it's not. Everything is in moderation. It's hard to get lost in the city. We were charmed by this city.
After walking for about an hour, we headed to the bus. A long journey awaited us. It was about 11 hours. We took our seats and went to sleep. The bus wasn't very comfortable, it had wifi, but as we expected, it was cold. For Americans, such a temperature on a bus is normal. We couldn't sleep properly.
Finally, around 8 a.m., we arrived in Washington. The first thing we did was go to the restroom. We had a whole routine there :)) We washed up, brushed our teeth, changed clothes, and put on makeup. In short, we fully prepared ourselves for the big city :)) Then we headed to get something to eat and went to the Apple store. The thing is, we decided to buy ourselves an iPhone 5s. Upon arrival, we discovered that Apple only opens at 11 on weekends. We walked around the city. There were tons of shops of different brands around. We wanted to go everywhere, it was a huge temptation.
As a result, at 11 we were at the Apple store. I bought myself a 64GB phone, Mashka got a 32GB one, and Aika got a 16GB one :)) I also bought a screen protector, and I had bought a case in advance. Regarding iPhone prices, they aren't much different from ours. Let me explain the system. When you enter the stores, you see 3 prices. For example, my 64GB iPhone 5s could be bought for 299, 399, or 799. The difference is very noticeable. So, when signing a contract, for example with AT&T (it's like our MTS), for a year, you buy the phone for 399, for two years for 299. And if you don't want to be tied to a company and want to use the phone everywhere, then it's 799 for you. Naturally, I bought it for 799, since I was going to use it in Russia. And it's not just with phones. The situation with tablets is the same. But the prices for tablets there are inexpensive. Whether it's worth buying a phone specifically in America is up to you.
After that, we headed to the “Spy Museum”. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. The entrance cost me about $26. They showed a couple of clips. At the beginning, they told us information about different agents, and then we had to complete tasks. Still, this place is designed more for children. I won't post many photos from this place. Let it be a little mystery in case you go there :))
Then we walked through the streets of Washington.
We mostly moved around the city by metro. It has a very interesting system. You go up to a machine, buy a card that costs $2, and load $8 onto it. As we understood, the card is enough for a day of trips. It's better to ask how to use it. There is a person specifically there who helps to make the cards correctly. It's better not to do it yourself.
After the museum, we headed to the “White House”. I wouldn't say it's a “wow” factor, but seeing this building in person was not bad. There is a fence, so you can't get too close. Also, a bunch of people and everyone wants to take a picture.
We also walked along the street after that :))
Not far from the “White House” there is a shop. You can buy souvenirs there. If you buy something there, you can take a picture as if you are inside the “White House” :))) I bought a t-shirt as a souvenir.
Then we walked and walked and walked, and came out onto a path that connected many famous places and monuments. This was the “National Mall”. The National Mall is, in essence, the central point of Washington, where all the most important historical sights and monuments are concentrated.
By the way, many people run in Washington. I saw people running everywhere :))
First, we headed to the “Washington Monument”. We went there closer to sunset... The view was stunning.
Many people come to lie on the grass, spend time with friends, or alone.
Behind the monument, I noticed a monument dedicated to the Second World War (National World War 2 Memorial). This memorial was solemnly opened in 2004 and is the “youngest” of all the monuments located on the National Mall. The memorial dedicated to the Second World War is a body of water called the “Rainbow” surrounded by 56 columns decorated with laurel wreaths, which reflect the unity of the states. A pair of arches on the sides of the water symbolize victories in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Individual stars for each of those who died on the battlefield of the Second World War are carved on the Freedom Wall. Two magnificent fountains complete the memorial composition.
I couldn't leave this place for a long time... It seemed to beckon...
But having gathered my thoughts and gained strength, since we had been walking for quite a long time, we went further.
And then the “Lincoln Memorial” awaited us. The place is very beautiful and interesting :)
The memorial symbolizes Lincoln's belief that all people should be free.
After that, we walked this whole path in the opposite direction and headed to the “United States Capitol”. We walked for about 2 hours :))) But it was worth it. The Capitol is striking in its beauty. Definitely go there.
Then we went to eat and to the bus :)
I forgot to say that at the very beginning we went to Chinatown, as it was not far from the Apple store and we could get a new SIM card for the phone there. There was nothing particularly interesting there, except for a beautiful arch and street musicians.
That's how we went to Washington. Returning to the bus station, we changed clothes, washed off our makeup, and headed on our way to Philadelphia....
To be continued... :))
