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DAY 14 - FLIGHT TO WASHINGTON & A WET GEORGETOWN
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| Too Efficient | So everything went like clockwork - a little too well actually. We were awake before 6 anyway - you do when you HAVE to get up don't you? All the alarms went off at the right times, so we got up. Rang the girls who were up - their alarm call from the Desk having been successful. Everything either abluted or packed. Downstairs for 6:50am. Porter whisked away our luggage as we OK'd the bill settlement on my visa. In the shuttle bus - just us - one behind was full. Zoomed off into the early morning traffic - which was quite light (the traffic not the morning - well the morning was light as well 'cos the sun was out). 5 minutes later at the departure point for United Airlines. Porter appeared by magic (and a zebra crossing), took our bags over the road, into the departure lounge and onto a weigh station, couple of dollars tip, lady sorted out our tickets, took our bags and done!
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| Time To Kill | Now its only 7:15 - what to do for the next hour and a half? Still if we had left it later, there's no telling what sort of problems we might have had! Found a little "deli" that was open for breakfast - 3 Teas, 1 Coffee, assorted bagels and muffins. Suitably refreshed we found our departure gate and sat and waited patiently for our flight.
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| On Board | This time our UA flight staff from Phoenix to Washington was predominantly female. On the way to Las Vegas it was mostly male. Perhaps this time we wont have big chaps with big moustaches sighing and looking tired and exasperated with all these people that need feeding etc. And so it proved. A very nice flight.
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| Steamy Washington | Arrived in Washington at Dulles without incident - few minutes delay while the arrival corridor thingey was docked with us. Then deplane. The heat and the HUMIDITY hit you like walking into a Steam Room. Temp in the 90's and humidity also! The next couple of days is going to be hard, sapping work I think!
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| Calling The Cab | By the time we had caught our Mobile Lounge to the Main Terminal, walked downstairs to Carousel 3, our baggage was there, so pick up and follow signs to taxis. Have to check in with a little man who asks us where we are going. He gives us a chitty with "DC" scrawled on it, we go out thru' the sliding doors to his pal who looks at the 4 big bags (our luggage!) and us. He indicates to the man down there that we need a big car (both arms in the air wide apart accompanied by a shout of "Big One" - hope he isn't referring to me specifically). The 3rd chap is the one who actually calls the taxi to us (after we drag our luggage down to him). Another 4x4 driven by an Indian (like - from India). As the 3rd man also loaded our luggage, the 3rd man got the tip. Dripping wet with humidity - all airport workers were wearing bandanas. Unlike all the other places we have been though, these were worn as headbands rather than round the neck - to stop the [permanent] sweat running into their eyes I suppose.
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| The Journey To Georgetown | Aircon in taxi - told him where we were going and off he shot towards Washington. There seems to be a motorway within a motorway just for Airport/Washington traffic. Ie 4 lanes (2 each way) highway for airport traffic, flanked by another 4 lane (2 each way) highway for non-airport traffic - parts of this "outside" highway was toll road. Some toll booths for "smart tickets", some for exact change (50cents) and 1 for change required. All very efficient. Our taxi (along with Airport Shuttles etc) ran in the "free" inner highway.
Then it started to rain with some thunder and lightning about. Then it poured. We also came to a grinding halt and had to crawl thru some very slow traffic. It was 4:30pm and Friday, so Rush Hour plus Weekend Traffic.
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| Sticky Hotel | Took about an hour to reach our hotel - $50(+tip). The Holiday Inn, Georgetown (and the whole of Washington) had been suffering with a heat wave for the last week. Also the humidity had caused a problem. There were two portable aircon units in the foyer and a sign asking us to excuse the appearance of the hotel. We are sticky. Two rooms 619 and 620 almost opposite each other. Get lots of leaflets, up to rooms - aircon on as high (low temp) as comfortable and rest. Council of war over what to do.
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| Plans Reassessed | Downstairs about 6:30pm to go and look for tea. Absolute downpour - so eat in the hotel. KT asked why we couldn't just get a taxi - yep, we can do that - but where to? Meal in hotel is very good actually. Everyone's choice of main course seemed to come with soup and salad - help ourselves. Main course, naturally, was a struggle - eaten too much salad to start with! Managed to get thru that lot and waddle back to our rooms.
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| Damp Suburbs | As mentioned before Washington had been in the grip of a heat wave, but with incredibly high humidity, so everywhere was airless and a bit damp. The rain stopped so Mary and I went for a little walk down Wisconsin Avenue. Two blocks down is Safeway - went in and asked if they had any Ponchos as it seems to rain every afternoon. Nope, but CVS 2 blocks up from our hotel might. So we trudged, and I mean trudged, 4 blocks up (2 back remember, then 2 more) to CVS. The air was so damp that water was condensing on my moustache and beard - most unpleasant. CVS didn't have any, so we slowly retraced our steps and went back into the (relative) freshness of the hotel and to our room.
Bit of TV and bed - potentially a long day tomorrow.
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Words and pictures © Steve Andrews 2001 - 2012