"The supernatural descending closer...."

When I first saw Washington, from above in our descending plane, the only thing I noticed was the Washinton Monument.

It's a giant column, with an obselik on the top two red lights embedded near its apex- the strangest most mysterious shape, I have ever seen. It is perfectly aligned with Capitol Hill and the White House, in a straight, unbending line.

There were other buildings, white and seemingly untarnished, with smooth marble domes. Washington doesn't hide it's monuments and ancient buildings, it flaunts them. With every turn of the plane, as it spiralled down to our airport, we saw all the edifices for which Washington has become famous.

Upon entering the airport- Ronald Reagan International- we noticed the flags, at a somber half mast. They reminded me of a few months ago, coming to school to see another half mast, weeping for someone so close and now gone.

Although, Washington has beautiful historic sites, it is certaily lacking in all other manner of infrastructure. The roads- brilliantly designed by some architect, no doubt not in full possession of his faculties-radiate out from the three central figures of Washington (the House, the Capitol, and the Monument). As a result there is a whole series of diagonal streets which are entirely inconvenient for any mode of transportation.

Our hotel, seemed to be square in the middle of an unusual area. On one edge of the hotel was a predominantly Africa-American area, and on the other edge is the beginning of China Town.

I decided to take a foray outside my hotel room, to explore the converging neighbourhoods.

I was, it should be mentioned, still wearing my full school uniform.

(to be continued...)