Quite frequently when I travel I like to make notes about a place, listing off the cool things and the not so cool things about a place. Mostly I do this because it doesn’t take much to leave you with an overall positive or negative impression of somewhere… obviously the longer you stay, the better the odds you will come away with a balanced view – but it’s not unheard of, for one arsehole cabbie or one day of bad weather to totally colour someone’s view of a place or an event. So I try to look at the good and the bad and find a fair perspective.
Things we didn’t like about Washington DC
- The weather is unpredictable, no humidity so I’m desiccating like coconut… one day 19C next 2C and snowing. Wind chill just cuts right through you. And did I mention the SNOW! Apparently quite unusual for mid-March; I am prepared to admit that it gave the city a very charming aspect in the dawns early light… but I strongly doubt it is any one’s idea of fun to be heaving around luggage, catching cabs and heading for train stations in the snow. Urgh!
- Beggars…’Excuse me. Can you buy me some food?’. *pause* ‘Who did you vote for in the last election?’. ‘Oh, I doesn’t vote.’ So how exactly is the fact that you have no social safety net, my fucking problem? Fuck off.
- The train stations on the Metro are rather poorly lit but it seems to be compensated for with a strong police presence in most areas at night.
- Have run into a few arrogant people here, the coffee shop crowd pushing into queues, and the inconsiderate arsehat who literally pushed my elbow off the armrest at the theatre when he sat down – twice!
- Bit too much ‘America, fuck yeah’, sepo bullshit going on.
Beggars INSIDE a restaurant harassing patrons.
Things we liked about Washington
- Tonnes of interesting things to see and do, museums and monuments with plenty of history; theatre and sporting events for entertainment.
- Amazing architecture, we just don’t build shit like this back home. Ever.
- The layout of the city is relatively easy to get around.
- The level of conversation here is considerably elevated from the South… people are talking about LGBT reforms, the differences between working for government vs. NGOs, Obamacare is being constantly debated as the March 31st cut off looms. People seem more engaged.
- All the public bathrooms were very clean and well maintained, I have NEVER seen this in any other city, we didn’t have to go hunting for a McDonalds toilet even once!
- The public transport is quick and clean and efficient… weird fare calculations though (go less distance, but change lines and get charged more?).
- Luke’s Lobsters… best lobster bisque EVER.
- Cab drivers have (mostly) been quite nice, and all the cabs are clean and smoke free.
- ALL the attractions are FREE. Unheard of! Museums, monuments, memorials, all of it is free to enter. You’re not even bombarded with ‘suggested donations’ and donations boxes are actually hard to find in most places.
- Loved the place we stayed in Capital Hill, quaint little street and a little basement suite to ourselves. Highly recommend it.
