Day 8 in DC was a day of Malls. Wearing my touristy hat, I took a stroll along the Washington Mall which translates as the long patch of grass between the Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. Both sides are lined with museams and galleries all of which are free and serviced by genuinely nice advisors. It was a quick stop tour, but I did get to see the Air and Space Museum, the American Indian Museam and the Freer Gallery. More importantly though, I got a sense of where I was and how to navigate myself around what is a relatively small and compact city. Plan is to spend the occasional lunch break meandering through exhibitions in the weeks ahead. I also found out details of immunerable free concerts, performances and festivals that are coming up in the next few weeks, particularly around 4th July. Although it is an expensive city to live in, DC does offer some great freebies to those in the know.
In the afternoon, I ventured to a true American mall for some shopping. The dollar conversions were a challange for my pass-maths brain, but it was an experience too. Shopping seems to be an event here, rather than an errand and Americans are unfailingly polite.
That night, the interns hit the town for dinners and drinks in an effort to see another side of the city. It was relatively expensive, but the effectiveness of the Metro into the wee hours of the morning really impressed me. Another full day was done.
