Think About What You Saw

As we get to the end of our trip Ale and I remembered, "it's dad's birthday!". We knew we were going to go to our last museum - the Holocaust Museum, but we also wanted to get G what he's been wanting all week "pancakes". There seemed to be no "pancakes" in D.C. So early Sunday morning I went down to the cafe to see if they could make some pancakes (they weren't on the menu). And low and behold they were having brunch and they had blueberry pancakes!!! G's favorite. It was a plan, we would have brunch before we headed out to the museum. The night before G checked out where he wanted to have dinner and we decided on a Greek place (another top 100 restaurant). You can tell that food was always on our mind. But not just any type of food we wanted to savor different flavors.

The only thing missing on this day was Ara! I kept thinking what would this trip be like if she were with us? I'm sure it would have quite a different flavor. Ara has her own presence. We might have snuck off and gone shopping!!!!

Well the pancakes weren't all that great but alas, they were pancakes. As we headed out to the museum I wasn't really "thinking" about what we were going to encounter in this museum. Earlier when I had decided this was one of the places we were going to hit I knew it was going to be a different museum experience. But on this day it was not even entering my mind.

EVERYONE - who goes to D.C. needs to go to the Holocaust Museum. It has such an effect on you/me. So the minute we entered the museum it hit, I should have prepared myself emotionally. The very first thing I noticed was that the security here was totally different. Much more serious! As you enter you feel like you are going back into history. Just after we got our timed tickets to tour the museum alarms went off and the guards began to move everyone out of the main section of the museum. The security guard even brought out a dog to sniff out a bag that had been left unattended which is what started the alarm. Then it was time for us to enter another area with those who had the same timed tickets, where we were told no cameras, no pictures, no video, no flash, no loud talking, laughing, etc. We were told to pick up a card with the name of a real life person who had experienced the holocaust. And then we were all put in an elevator and taken up to the beginning of the tour on the fourth floor. I kept wondering if this was all just to get us to feel the "effect" of the holocaust? If so, we all got it.

The museum is a journey into the events and experiences of the more than 6 million people that lived and died during these short years. It is also the realization that these atrocities were inflicted on human beings by other human beings based on beliefs instilled and reinforced by some very crazy leaders. How could so many people have enforced that belief and believed that it could have been a long term success is even more unimaginable. And that it lasted as long as it did, there are no words to describe. So MANY lives lost! So much pain, tragedy and inhumanity. At one point when you get to the place where they show how the people were taken to the ovens, my stomach could not handle it. I could not continue to see. My heart, my soul, my every being was saddened and repulsed. Yet the question lingers, am I capable of doing such things to my fellow brothers and sisters? I believe that I am not capable, yet why were so many capable? I felt choked up, tears on my lids, prayers on my lips for these souls who suffered so much. Worse yet, other events in history have occurred in Bosnia, Croatia, Somalia, Rowanda, etc. We can never forget.

From the museum we headed back to the hotel to rest. I don't want to forget what I saw - I want to share it and I commit to raise awareness. Think about what you saw magnet is now on my refrigerator door to help me do just that.

Zitanya - was our destination for dinner. A nice chic restaurant, didn't look Greek. Although what would Greek look like???? The food again was mezze, aka tapas, antojitos. These Washintonians like the small plate experience. I did too, very much family style. While we celebrate G's birthday in D.C. the real celebration will be when all of us are together to wish him a great year!!!

So we walked back to the hotel one last time, down seventh street to Pennsylvania, one last look at the Capital on a beautiful evening.

So that's all folks, the next day was travel day - a delay in our flight in Denver but home safely with my two favority guys! Thank you Lord for this blessing!

Eastern Market and Natural History

So we decided to take a little break from the Mall and venture out onto the Metro to the Eastern Market. This is supposed to be the longest running outdoor market in the United States, more than 100 years old. This was a great treat! It was only two stops from the hotel - about 1.5 miles but I wanted to have G take the Metro. Ale didn't join us - he was pretty tired from all the walking and wanted to rest up. We left at about 9:30 and got to the market before 10 a.m. The first thing that met us was the smell of food. Right on the corner was Le Pain Quotidien, where they had real food - omlettes, fresh baked bread, coffee, pastries. G and I could not pass it up so we decided to start with a YUMMY good for my TUMMY breakfast! He had been craving pancakes but alas there were none to be had but the food was great. Then off to the market we went where we found a couple of treasures - an original art piece for Ara (which I hope she appreciates) and a tibetan singing bowl for G's birthday. Then back on the metro to hit the museums one more time.

When we got back we had planned to go to the Natural History Museum (Ale's choice) so off we went with a first stop at the Sculpture Garden where they have Jazz in the Garden in the evening -cool. Ale had lunch, we had a drink and enjoyed the sunny day. It was beautiful and warm and I love being on vacation and there was no rain in sight.

The Natural History Museum is a place filled with so much knowledge it is almost overwhelming. Either that or it was all the school age kids that were all over that museum like ants to a hill. Of which there was an ant exhibit. There were ancient one celled creatures/animals, giant ancient mammals, dinosaurs, dead people raised from their graves, egyptian mummies, insects, almost everything imaginable about the natural world. We could have stayed longer but Ale walks through the museum pretty fast - and he is always ahead of us. I sometimes wonder what does through his mind? We're pretty much an interesting bunch. Gil and Ale have a natural quietness and singlness about them. We don't go through anything together but at our own pace. Ale is ahead, then comes me then we end up waiting for G to catch up.

When we walked out I have to admit we were a glad - too many noisey kids. The Mall is Kid City. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of kids walking, eating, chatting, laughing, carrying on everywhere. Nice to see but after awhile great to get away from.

So we walked again down to seventh street to hit our next restaurant - Oyomar a rather chic Mexican restaurant. It had been recommended to me by Rita who I met in Boston. We got to the restaurant and they specialize in antojitos, like tapas, small portions. Ok, so of course we are picky about our mexican restaurants so I was being vigilant, can these washingtonians "do" Mexican? This was a nice place but comfortable. Our waiter Alex was very attentive, just like the night before. So we ordered mole poblano, elote con calabazas, tacos, frijoles, and tortillas. All was very good except maybe the tortillas could have been better. But the dessert was another to-die-for dish - a mexican chocolate cake with mole poblano and nuts, excelente!!! Another top 100 restaurant in D.C. I like this!!

So you'd think that we would be exhausted by now, but I couldn't miss the chance to head up to the Capital Building. Ale went ahead since he was tired and G and I head to the Capital. It was a beautiful evening, couples, runners, families are out enjoying this time. We walk up right below President Obama was just inaugurated in Februaray. And then it starts - the alarms go off, lights flash, guards are visible and we have no idea what is going on. So we just keep on walking around the Capital and I mean AROUND because they are not letting us get onto the steps. Walking around I realize we are really close to the Supreme Court building!!! Gotta go there and check it out. we have only one more day and we got to take advantage of the time. Our not so little feet HURT! But worthwhile!

A Day Out and About the Memorials

Today was the day to do the memorials - the Lincoln, Vietnam, WWII, Korean, etc. Plus Ale wanted to go to the National Aquarium. I didn't even know there was a National Aquarium. What a great country we have an aquarium! The great thing about our trip was that we were not getting up at 6 or 7 to have breakfast at 8:00 and be someplace by 9:00 a.m. No the museums open at 10 till about 5:00 so you're not rushing. We had little maps galore to make sure we got to the places we wanted to go. The day before we had walked up to the Washington Memorial and I picked up this map that would serve as my guide the whole time. Those in my familia KNOW that I love maps, I have to be the "map girl". That is I need to know where I am heading and I want to lead the way! Just a slight personality trait of mine. So I mapped out the walk and we headed out first to find the National Aquarium which looked like it was located under the Department of Commerce Building one block from the White House. So we found the aquarium, saw the fishees as well as this great video kiosk on whales! Ale loved it, the kiosk described different whales and their sounds. They sound so beautiful!

So then we headed out to the WWII memorial first, past the Washington Monument, where I have yet to go in and take the elevator to the top. Today I went prepared with a lavendar umbrella (which I paid $15 in the hotel even though I have 2-3 at home), my favorite walking shoes - black addidas. The WWII Memorial is a circle of pilars with a beautiful pond and water falls in the center. Each pillar represents a state.

Next, on to the Vietnam Memorial which is along the path of the Reflecting Pond which lies between the WWII Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. I was too young to really remember the Vietnam War but I still remember the protests as the war touched the country and it seemed to drag on forever. And yes, G's brother Virg served in this war as a very proud MARINE! I even called Virg with no success, I remember he had a friend he wanted us to look up on the wall. I also remembered that Monday was Memorial Day and so there were flower arrangements around the Women's Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. It's impressive and as you walk you feel the presence of ALL those soldiers. There were just so many of them! My heart and body feel heavy I barely hold the tears back as I walk along the wall. The day was overcast and gray, not cold. For me the weather was just right - not cold not hot but it was going to rain for sure.

From here, we go to the Lincoln Memorial. I could just feel the emotion of history in my soul as I look over the Reflecting Pond and imagine the crowd listening, enthralled with Martin Luther King's I have a Dream speech. And so I had to stand exactly where he stood to feel "the dream". There was preparation for a rededication of the memorial and we were lucky they were letting people walk up the stairs. G said that two days ago they were not letting anyone up the stairs and into the memorial. We stayed in the Memorial overlooking the mall and then it hit, the rain started to pour. I looked at the Lincoln statue and felt at peace.

Another long walk back along the Pond in the rain, down Constitution Ave. up 14th Street past the Regan Center to F Street, down 7th street to Jaleos for some tapas and paella. I found out Jaleos is on the top 100 restaurants in D.C. Actually we ate at 3 such restaurants. Ale had paella - mushroom and chicken for the first time and he loved it the here flan is THE BEST!. We got to the restaurant just in time because it started to pour like crazy for about an hour until it was time to WALK back to the hotel. Dinner was excelente, the company was stupendous and we had an exhausting but fulfilling day.

The National Musuem of the American Indian

On Wednesday while I was gone Gil and Ale took a bus/boat tour to some of the sites I knew we may not get back to during the rest of our trip. They got to go on one those double decker buses and "see" the sites. They even made it to Georgetown to have pizza and check out the Jazz Club. One place I really wanted to go see that they got to "see" was the Arlington Cemetary, POO! Gil really would have liked to take more time at the National Cathedral but riding on the Potomac River was a highlight.

On Thursday we all headed out to the second museum - the National Museum of the American Indian. I had three museums that were a must for me - the Air and Space, the Holocaust and the American Indian Museums. This was the second of the three.

This museum is an archetectual beauty because it was built from a true cultural perspective, by the American Indians themselves. There are no corners, only smooth curved surfaces. The shape of the building is earthy, the entrance faces east, the cafe serves native/indigenous food - frybread, pupusas, buffalo, and blue corn zucchini - YUMMY. The tour begins on the fourth floor with a wonderful video about American Indian culture, the set up of the theater was a circle with a screen in the middle and using the ceiling dome for video too made the space very calming and peaceful. I am purposefully using the American Indian term because one of the health care providers during my trip to Boston stated that caucasians were marking that they were Native Amercian as an ethnicity. I don't think so, but an example of how language evolves.

The collection was fabulous - one of the first exhibits was "Our Peoples" which chronicled the last 500 years of the American Indian history. I found so many things that make me "native" - our history of the conquest, including Gil's paisano Hernan Cortes and the genocide by disease and weaponry of so many native people. There was even a reference to Ocotlan - although maybe not the one in Jalisco but other Mexica natives were highlighted in this exhibit.

The "Our Universes" was another beautiful exhibit depicting the indigenous viewpoints on cosmology, the birth of the people, the perpective of the universe and the spiritual relationship between people and the natural world. I was so impressed by a common understanding that the land is not property to be bought, sold or possessed, but to be cared for and respected.

We checked out two other museums, the Freer and Sackler as well as the original Smithsonian Castle!! Beautiful! Although I got the message from Ale, that if he saw another pot, he was going to puke. He gets kinds of bored of the same thing - pots, vases, containers, even though ancient just not interesting to him.

Now trying to find a place for dinner - we walked down by the White House and it started to rain, of course we had no umbrella. Then we walked down the street, then right by the Ford's Theater. History trivia: What happened here????? Who was killed at the Ford's Theater other none other than Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the USA! So of course we had to eat at an all American restaurant - another trivia question? Not not Denny's but the good ol Hard Rock Cafe! Had a margarita - walked back to the hotel and sat in the lounge and listened to some musica. Viola!! and that was Day 4.

The First Latina Nominee for Supreme Court

I cannot create this blog without mentioning the biggest political highlight of our trip - President's Obama nomination of Sonia Sotomayor!!! I was ecstatic about this! My heart did sumersaults when I heard the news on the tv located in the airport bar (yes I was in the bar having a manhattan my favorite drink when it's just one of those days). There is always a buz in Washington but having the buzz be about the first Latina Supreme Court nominee was the BEST. President Obama is demonstrating his desire to go outside of the box and search for a candidate that has the credentials, the qualifications, the experience and reflects the diversity of the United States.

Judge Sotomayor reflects a new perspective not found or seen on the Supreme Court to this day. President Obama is broadening the base for all Americans, like myself to truly have a voice and be included in the leadership of our Country. There have only been TWO nonwhite members on this court and only TWO women in the 220 YEAR HIStory of the Supreme Court. I'd say a new perspective on important national issues is certainly a postive for our country.

The rest of our trip will have an added excitement as a result of this nomination. It will not be her gender or her ethnicity that will get her to where she is going, it is her qualities and qualifications, but the other certainly are a great addition to the job. I look forward to reading about Judge Sotomayor's journey to and through the Supreme Court. Adelante!