Uganda Adventure: Day in DC

After 17.5 hours on the same plane, we arrived in Washington DC one hour late. By the time we went through the immigration, customs, got new boarding passes, and re-checked our bags, it was passed 10 am. We then started figuring out how to get downtown. Our "invisible men" were working overtime for us today. :)

Ada found out that we can take bus 5A, from the 2E stop, to the National Air and Space museum, where they have lockers for us to leave our carry-ons. After 9/11, those are no longer available at the airport. I didn't hear that 5A part, so I got us on a 2E shuttle on which it said "air & space museum". It was just 50 cents, but at the airport they told Ada the bus fare was $6. I though we got a good deal.

Well, after less than 15 min, we arrived at the Smithsonian National Air and Space museum. We got in, left our bags, and spent few minutes looking around. Then we asked for directions to the Mall. We asked how we can walk to there, because there was nothing around the museum, just trees. That is when they told us we can only go by car to downtown DC, because we are too far. We were in Virginia! A completely different state! Huh?! The air and space museum they told us about at the airport was in DC. However, it was good, because when one lady checked for us if that other museum had lockers, they didn't. If we went there straight, we would have been stuck with luggage the entire time. The invisible men were watching on us.


We then took the same shuttle back to the airport and then onto the bus 5A. We were downtown at 12.45, a bit later than we originally thought, but at least with free hands. The plan was to walk from the 7th St down on Independence Ave to the Washington monument. But it was SO hot. 96F, going on 106F! The circular bus we thought to take was only operating on the weekends. After few blocks we saw the National Museum of African Art. Kinda symbolic for us, we thought, so we walked in for a bit to cool down under the AC.

It was obvious that the heat, on top of our tiredness and lack of sleep and the jet lag, was draining us fast, so we decided to take the taxi to the Washington monument. It saved us some time, and we didn't plan on visiting the museums on that Ave anyway. It was really uncomfortably hot walking around the monument where there were no trees. We were grateful for every little breeze and a cloud blocking the sun. We cooled off a bit in the fountain along with other visitors, and then in the shade walked along the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln memorial. Hot and hot. We took in the views and the pictures and then took the taxi again toward the Capitol.

I didn't realize that we could go onto the front lawn and right up to the capitol building. I guess I've usually seen the pictures of it from a far, because up close, the building didn't remind me of that capitol at all. It wasn't too crowded around. We didn't make arrangements to get a tour of the capitol, which was fine because we wouldn't have time for it anyway. We wanted to catch the 3.30 bus back to the airport, to have enough time to go to that other museum to pick up our bags and then back to the airport and through the security in time for our 6.50 pm flight.

Well, as we were looking for the location of our bus stop, some streets in the area were blocked off with dozen police cars. Someone told us that it appears the president hds went in to a pizzeria there! If we hung around for a bit we probably could have seen him. The people in DC must be tired of having to deal with these street closings. We saw the bus leave and the rain started just then. Luckily, the next bus pulled in and we were able to get inside just before the huge storm. If the storm came in an hour or two before, we would not be able to see anything in the city. The invisible men helped to time it just right.

We were told these buses often run even half an hour behind, as our bus into the city didn, but this one left right on time at 4. Even with the blocked off streets, the torrential rain, the rush hour traffic, we reached the airport right on schedule. Again, the invisible men sought to that.

By the time we got our bags, got through the really slow security line, long hallways through the entire terminal, took the train to our next terminal, we were at the gate just at the scheduled boarding time. But, because of the storm, the flight was delayed just enough for us to go get some food and coffee. How perfect is that!

Our mission to see the DC in few hours was accomplished. And the invisible men were on our team!