Tuesday, 24 June 2008

Baltimore

Spent the day in Baltimore. Another poor and rough city. The city centre was smart and prosperous looking but the suburbs were a different story. Rough, rundown and dirty. Seems like another area hit by mass unemployment. People I spoke to talked about the area previously being a home to manufacturing and fishing but now that has long gone.



Visited the downtown area with the key attraction being the National Aquarium.










Fab supper at Costas Crab Restaurant. Amazing steamed crab - 12 between two, hot and spicy! Rates in the 10 ten best meals in the US.


Washington II

Next day up out and early.

Visited the Air & Space museum.




Hirshorn Museum.






Smithsonian.



Jefferson Memorial.





Franklin Roosevelt Memorial.
















A couple of things have come up in my travels. You would never guess that the US is involved in two major wars around the world: Afghanistan and Iraq. There is no sign in any of the cities and there is little reporting on the TV at least not of the blood shed and injuries. TV and in particular news here is attrocious. Presented by plastic cut outs who look as intelligent as the veneer of makeup plastered all over them. The second is you could also easily miss the fact that the country is in an election year. Sure there are a few posters and badges for Obama. But that is it.

Had a taxi driver today saying that there is little difference between the Democrats and Republicans. In his eyes its all about money and the people are forgotten. He worries for the person who inherits the mantle of power from the present administration. I am sure the George W Bush library will paint it all in good light! Think he has a point as it seems. With presidential campaigns costing millions of dollars only the wealthy can consider standing for election. I wonder how democratic that is? Considering the amount of poverty I have seen over the last few weeks, what exactly is the American dream? Feel more Americans and their politicians should grass rots travel around the world and then decide if 'how america does it' is really the best system in this day and age. It certainly seems that super heroes and money is the perceived way to succeed.



Picked up some great story ideas during this trip so looking forward to putting fingers to keypad during the Atlantic crossing!

Headed back to Baltimore.

Washington

Amtrak to the capital.







Wandered through the sites – Capitol Building...








National Gallery of Art...












Smithsonian portrait gallery...





FBI building...



Took the metro to Arlington Cemetry and the Iwo Jima Statue.











Lincoln Memorial….








Vietnam Veterans Memorial…







…and the White House.







Stopped for a fantastic supper of oysters and soft shell crab.

Stayed in a basic hotel and enormous expense!