Still Washutdown DC

The next day greeted us after a restful slumber, the sun shining brightly, birds singing sweetly and the smell of early morning coffees and bagels floated up from the kitchen.

Just joking. 

After queuing for the bathroom, we got the hell outta that hostel before discovering it was drizzly. We ate breakfast at Azi's cafe, taking joy in the African American workmen who sung and whistled as they grabbed their coffee on the way to work. It was another day filled with sightseeing - despite things being shut down, it didn't really affect us too much. Here's some #washutdownDC for you;

Tehehehe

Lickin Lincs

Hostel neighbourhood 

#intentional

#eyesclosed #dontcare

Haha, this little chap - why so blue? 

See what I mean about the city being spaced out?

Now here's a story...we were walking down the street ^^. Just casually. And there was a guy riding his bike along the road. Suddenly there was a loud BANG that sounded like a gunshot, and this guy FELL OFF HIS BIKE onto the road and just kinda lay there for a bit. All I remember thinking is holey moley someone has just shot this guy in plain sight. It was freaky - he was only about 20 meters in front of us.....but then he got up again, and apparently he just blew his tyre. Phew. But still - it was scary.

Underground station

Here's another 'fun fact' about our day. We were at the station and jumped on the subway. Guillaume has his trusty Lonely Planet guide which has been super helpful in navigating around the city. Picture this; we're sitting on the silent carriage when he decides to (like he's been doing the whole trip) read us a 'fun fact' about Washington DC. Ok, I'm keen.
"Hey guys, did you know that 2/3 of African Americans in DC are either in prison or on parole?"
*silent carriage*
*everyone glares at Guillaume*
*Guillaume oblivious as he looks up*
"So that means that 2/3 of the people on this carriage have been to prison!"
*Blacks guys on the train look our away, snarling*
Let me just say, if looks could kill-we'd be most certainly dead.
*Xchange group exits the train promptly*

Felt excitingly dangerous as we passed the FBI buildings...

Yolo

The afternoon dragged on and we headed to the Capitol. Couldn't help but think about The Hunger Games all afternoon....When we were there, the place was swarming with cops but there wasn't any mad rioting or anything like yesterday. Just peaceful sunshine overlooking DC. There was this woman from Bolivia actually, who took our photo. A  short while alter she approached us and asked for a photo, and so we took her camera, but it turns out she wanted US in the photo...with her three marriage-eligible-Eastern-European-sons. So uhh...yeah. That happened. Forgive me for the painstaking task of going through all these. But please, trust me - I promise you they're worth it. These pictures are so cute, so give each one the two-second-look it deserves. This was probably my favourite place in Washutdown. Upon reflection - yes. It most definitely was.

Classic

That's it! the mighty mighty Capitol

Man on a horse

Yeah, you really should 'Merica

Ahh, so pretty

Did I wreck it?

<3

Yeah! United States Capitol Police!

 I'll just put a little side note here that there were SO MANY police cars scooting all around the place...once we saw six screaming down the road, sirens blazing. SIX.

I couldn't resist

I'm cute like that

It must be love

Obligatory

My 'Merican friends

I'm having difficulty trying to think of what to write...I fell I need to compensate for the horrendous amount of photographs I'm uploading...somehow balance it out with moderate paragraphs of text. But I'm struggling. I really am. SO instead I'll just write about my friends. Pedro is always hungry, and always ready to eat. Javi's the kind of person that will wake up in the morning and tell you that you look beautiful every day. Kirsten enjoys taking lots of close-range facial shots with you (aka; "selfies"). Maria is usually late or meandering the streets alone, lost in the wonderment of the city. Itziar is by fair the sweetest girl you will ever come across. Annie has a knack for online bullying and public stunts of hilarity. Guillaume was immensely helpful with his Lonely Planet guide, and we would have been lost without him. Bridge is to be awarded on her knack for packing light...and then proceeding to borrow everyone else's things. And me? I think generally I'm the girl that everyone votes we leave behind as a liability when we are attacked by weapon-bearing American zombies (in the apocalypse). I know I haven't been home in a while, and have possibly succeeded in making you all miss me terribly - but think about it. 

Fave 'Merican shop

Watched snippets of a news report at lunchtime. The reporters look like real live plastic dolls. Not even kidding. Perfect hairlines, flawless orange skin and hair that DOESN'T MOVE. These fake humans have had so much plastic surgery that they are actually uncomfortable to look at. Google Washington reporters or news correspondents. DO IT NOW. YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. The evening came and we took a little nightly stroll through historic Georgetown. It's the wealthiest area in DC, kind of like the suburbs away from the city. Obviously took routine stops to pose in front of people's houses for the Halloween decorations. And then proceed to run away into the night when the lights came on and we heard footsteps coming down the stairs...presumably responding to the camera flashes and giggles on their million-dollar-suburban-home-doorsteps. 

Guillaume and his guide! Without him we would have forever wandered the streets of Georgetown alone, cold, afraid, and some of us urgently needing the restroom

Boston represent

We walked for literally hours through Georgetown and finally meandered into a meat-house grill joint, that was so classically American hehe. You could taste the patriarchy in the air. We had laughs, and hilarious anecdotal sharing with our meals and then came the best surprise. They had organised icecream for my birthday. And I was totally 100% not expecting it, and there were candles and everyone started singing and then all these other Americans in the restaurant started singing and I was so flattered that they had thought of me. It was truly lovely...I can't really express it. Ahh..I suppose it seems sort of like a feeble or simply 'nice' thing to do, but to me it meant so much more. I never would have thought that I would meat such lovely, kind, fascinating people and make such wonderful friends whom I get along with and have so much fun with. It was the best moment ever. And I love birthdays! They're so much much fun! Especially my own!

Annie's look of admiration

So excited man

Yummo

I didn't eat this (btw)

There were drinks with other hostel kids from upstairs later that night. This Austrian kid called Thomas said that my German was the best he's heard from a non-native speaker in the US, and I was very flattered. I hope he wasn't just being polite because it was my birthday. I really really hope not. And hell, even if he was, I'm never going to see him again so I'll just pretend. I'm still 19. I can still do that, ok.