[![screenshot_02](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/screenshot_02.png)](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/screenshot_02.png)

So my trip has finally started! I have not had anywhere near as much free time thus far as I thought I would have before I left. A great thing as there is no chance of me getting bored, it does however mean that I haven't had time to write the frequent blog posts I had promised.



I have decided to try and write these posts a a sort of slideshow with narrative  Im not sure its the correct format however as it takes quite a while to write each one, so perhaps ill tweak the way I do this as I go along. Each photo taken links back to a publicly available image on facebook so you can like and comment and see a larger version if you wish.

This is just a condensed summary, there are more images in the album [The Trip 2013 - Washington DC](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=1&l=5197ba3b4a)

So I left the UK early on the 7th of May, after saying goodbye to my parents

[![mumanddad](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mumanddad.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640173181031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

I hopped on a train bound for Heathrow. A short 8 hour flight later I arrived in Washington DC where I bummed a bed from my Vietnam travelling buddy Martin

[![martins house](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martins-house.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640179236031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After a couple of beers at his local my jet-lagged body forced me to bed. The next day Martin went to work leaving me free to head downtown to do a spot of tourism. First up was a park full of wierd and wonderful artwork

[![spider pic](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/spider-pic.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640190041031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![mayan ruins](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mayan-ruins.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640194986031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

it even had a pair of fountain spotters

[![fountain spotters](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/fountain-spotters.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640191006031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After the park I took a wander around capital hill

[![capitol hill](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/capitol-hill.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640198656031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

before heading to the botanical gardens

[![botanical](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/botanical.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640212346031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

then the air and space museum

[![spaceship one](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/spaceship-one.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640223256031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After lunch I shimmied over to the Washington monument

[![obelisk](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/obelisk.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640227906031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

then some ducks decided to photo bomb my pic of the Lincon memorial.

[![duck photobomb](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/duck-photobomb.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640231586031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

At about this point it started to rain so I scurried back to the house. That night I went out with Martin and his very lovely girlfriend Kim. We hit one of his local haunts followed by a gig venue. I drank too much as usual and spent most of the next day trying to remember what I had said to people.

The following day I woke and decided to head back to the area I was in the previous day and do the things I missed. First up was The Museum of Natural History. A fascinating place that has everything, including the most badass creature in the ocean

[![mantis shrimp](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mantis-shrimp.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640234691031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

it even had an indoor butterfly enclosure, gingerly I took photos while trying not to crush the delicate insects

[![butterfly](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/butterfly.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640242761031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After the museum I took the short walk over to the Whitehouse for the obligatory pic

[![whitehouse](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/whitehouse.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640243686031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After the whitehouse I walked over to the Jefferson memorial and wrote my diary entry before finally heading back.

[![jefferson](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/jefferson.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640246986031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

That evening I went to watch Martins team play local football. Its really interesting how football is taking off in the states, particularly as they play it in mixed sex teams.

[![martins team](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/martins-team.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640247956031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

After the game Kim drove us over to a gig at breakneck speeds, we saw [Sir Sly](https://soundcloud.com/sirsly) warm up for the headline for someone. Even though its not traditionally my sort of music I really enjoyed it and was the perfect end for my rather short stay in DC.

[![night out](/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/night-out.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151640248756031&set=a.10151640158721031.1073741830.593661030&type=3&theater)

The following day Martin and Kim were heading down to New Orleans for a stag and hen do so I grabbed a flight to my next destination, Toronto.

washington

washington

washington