Before I left Pullman, a dear friend said "don't ride the China Town bus." So that is exactly what I did. I booked a ticket online ($15), showed up at 8 am Saturday morning on H Street. Two-and-a-half hours later I arrived in Philadelphia with a jolt to my confidence when I found the streets as easy to navigate as the map. I think I'm getting the hang of this city thing!
I spent the day touring Indepdence Park--something I've always wanted to do--and other historical spots. Some highlights you ask? Standing in what used to George Washington's kitchen, Ben Franklin's print shop, and that darn Liberty Bell (State House Bell). Contrary to popular belief, the bell did not ring on July 4, 1776.
I spent the evening with a friend from Kenya, a junior at Penn, which required me to conquer yet another underground train system (only missed my train once). I got a tour of the campus and met some cool people. That night I stayed in a hostel near the Delaware River. The woman who checked me in was from COLFAX, WASHINGTON. Who is FROM Colfax, really?? (For those that don't know, Colfax is the first semi-noticable town in about three hours when driving across the state to WSU. From there, you only have 15 miles left to go. The town of Colfax basically exists to collect on the speeding tickets given to anxious students trying to get back to campus.) Anyway, it was a fantastic hostel experience. A group of German and French Au Pairs greeted me with a big "Hi! Please say your not German! Everyone is German here!" but alas, I didn't even have to open my mouth before another spoke-up in her rich French accent, "Nah, She is American!" Right on.
The next morning I ate the best breakfast of my life. Not because the food was fabulous by any means, but because it only cost $4.10 (Coffee, Toast, Eggs, and Homefries) and I had an amazing conversation with the waitress from Serbia. This was one of those 1950s style diners with bar stools and bar stools as your seating options. A small TV set to CNN whispered in the corner. My Serbian waitress and I talked about technology, as it relates to her ability to keep in touch with her family, the Iron Curtain, and school. She is a student in Philly, but hopes to finish up in a couple more semesters and get back home. Then she sent me off with directions to the bus, that I ended up not taking, and said have a great trip back to DC. Meeting new people in very unexpected places is one of the most thrilling things of travel.
I spent the last day in Philly walking down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum (Sunday is "pay what ever you want day"), wandering around the museum, checking out the Reading Terminal Market, and sipping a latte before my bus ride home.
The bus ride home is one of the many reasons people warn against the China Town bus. Think about the aroma of hard-boiled egg shells, fried foods, and B.O. But hey, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! Or, something like that, right?
I spent the day touring Indepdence Park--something I've always wanted to do--and other historical spots. Some highlights you ask? Standing in what used to George Washington's kitchen, Ben Franklin's print shop, and that darn Liberty Bell (State House Bell). Contrary to popular belief, the bell did not ring on July 4, 1776.
I spent the evening with a friend from Kenya, a junior at Penn, which required me to conquer yet another underground train system (only missed my train once). I got a tour of the campus and met some cool people. That night I stayed in a hostel near the Delaware River. The woman who checked me in was from COLFAX, WASHINGTON. Who is FROM Colfax, really?? (For those that don't know, Colfax is the first semi-noticable town in about three hours when driving across the state to WSU. From there, you only have 15 miles left to go. The town of Colfax basically exists to collect on the speeding tickets given to anxious students trying to get back to campus.) Anyway, it was a fantastic hostel experience. A group of German and French Au Pairs greeted me with a big "Hi! Please say your not German! Everyone is German here!" but alas, I didn't even have to open my mouth before another spoke-up in her rich French accent, "Nah, She is American!" Right on.
The next morning I ate the best breakfast of my life. Not because the food was fabulous by any means, but because it only cost $4.10 (Coffee, Toast, Eggs, and Homefries) and I had an amazing conversation with the waitress from Serbia. This was one of those 1950s style diners with bar stools and bar stools as your seating options. A small TV set to CNN whispered in the corner. My Serbian waitress and I talked about technology, as it relates to her ability to keep in touch with her family, the Iron Curtain, and school. She is a student in Philly, but hopes to finish up in a couple more semesters and get back home. Then she sent me off with directions to the bus, that I ended up not taking, and said have a great trip back to DC. Meeting new people in very unexpected places is one of the most thrilling things of travel.
I spent the last day in Philly walking down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum (Sunday is "pay what ever you want day"), wandering around the museum, checking out the Reading Terminal Market, and sipping a latte before my bus ride home.
The bus ride home is one of the many reasons people warn against the China Town bus. Think about the aroma of hard-boiled egg shells, fried foods, and B.O. But hey, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! Or, something like that, right?
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