DC
One of our last stops on the trip was Washington DC. It was a surreal experience to end up here after having driven across nearly all of the United States–where the entire country is governed. Ben and I have always been of the belief that the U.S. is way too huge a country to have such a strong centralized government. Being on this trip affirmed that belief. It is strange to think that somewhere in a large meeting room or a mahogany office in a monolithic building near the Mall in DC there is a congressman who represents the people who elected him/her hundreds or thousands of miles away.
We visited Arlington Cemetery, where Zarla’s great uncle Richard is buried. He died at the age of 21 in an airplane accident over India during World War II. The remains of his plane and the other passengers on board weren’t found until the 70s.
Arlington Cemetery is overwhelming.
The wreaths laid out on graves at Arlington.
Hail to the Chief!
Where the moneys gets handled.
We got to see all the huge monuments in DC at night. What a sight.
Zarla’s favorite, the Lincoln Memorial.
On our way to Aaron Mehta’s company’s Christmas party. He played the bass with his bosses, and we ate like kings.
El Capitole!
The amazing Library of Congress. We saw a great exhibit about the Spanish encounter with Mesoamericans. It was the most interesting exhibit we had both seen.
Oh Tannenbaum.
The capitol building.
