A Quest of Sorts

This post, unlike the last two is about my travels. Not too much soul searching going on in this one. Sorry. Let's talk about the time I went to the Capital. The Capital of the United States they call America.

When I think of American cities, I think interstates, fast food joints by the dozen, big buildings, big houses, suburbs and the odd attraction here and there. Obviously there are a few cities (I have not been to all American cities so pardon me if I miss any) like New Orleans, Atlanta (yes even Atlanta), Nashville, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago etc. that bring more to the table and might not be your run of the mill big sized American city. I had been hearing some rave reviews about Boston and Washington DC for some time and decided to go visit a friend working at MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council) for a weekend. Oh was I in for a surprise!

As the MD-90 aircraft scooped low, the Potomac river gently flowing beneath, the gleaming building of Downtown DC to the right, the plane made a sharp right towards the runway at Ronald Reagan International airport(DCA). Walking quickly onto the metro trying to meet up with my friend as soon as possible, I briefly glanced at the first brief sightings of the city. After getting of in an Area called Van Ness, we caught up on the happenings in our lives on the way to dinner. Dark and warm outside, the road appeared wide and was lined with trees. Good sign I thought to myself. I was informed this was a sort of residential and quiet area and was pleasantly surprised by the host of charming and classy restaurants that lined this slightly buzzing street. My first night in DC was to end in the apartment without much excitement.. I didn't know what to expect from the most important city in the world..

As the sunlight seeped in through the large windows in the room, I groggily awoke to what seemed like a familiar sight. There were two large trees that stood astute outside the window reminiscent of my room in Delhi and the plethora of green you surprisingly find there. Was this going to be a green city? You bet it was.
We headed in the metro towards Metro Center station, the center so as to speak of the city. This also happened to be the area of Washington DC's annual Gay Pride Parade happening this very weekend I was there! What struck me at once about this city was the wide roads, abundance of trees (surprisingly you don't see enough in big cities here) and the architecture of homes on show. The old and well restored, blending well with the new styles and designs of modern buildings. It felt grand, it felt magnificent, it felt right. As we gallivanted, turning corners at a whim looking for a place to eat, I spotted a Pho restaurant (Vietnamese rice noodle soup, absolutely delicious). Sipping on the fatty beef soup that was bursting with flavor, we sat at a table overlooking the street outside when it suddenly began. The parade was going to pass through there.. The next few hours were to be the funnest few hours I have spent for free. The parade came with a watch at your own discretion tag, but for the daring and adventurous, the gay, the lovers of celebration and the odd person that found him/her there, it was a truly colorful parade. Floats after floats, decked up, music blaring, graffiti and knick knacks flying, dancers dancing, people campaigning, water splashing, the parade had it all! For those a little taken aback and shocked at my enjoyment of such a celebration, most people that came through the parade merely showed their support and were not trying to impose themselves on the audience. It was a big celebration and it was great to see the way the Capital embraced it lovingly. I ended up with everything from a bouncy ball, candy and float to sunglasses, beads and sun screen lotion. Thoroughly entertaining.

The next few hours were to really win my heart over. As we walked away from the street that had been chaotic and colorful just a little while ago, we crossed over a bridge and were inadvertently walking towards Georgetown. What I saw as we randomly walked were absolutely gorgeous homes, the kinds you would see in parts of Europe. Homes with large doors, bold colors, backyards, front yards, big bay windows, all this in the heart of the city literally. My fascination with trees lies in that I lived in Delhi which has one of the highest green cover for a city its size and density. That's what I was loving about walking about these streets, there was a certain calm that the canopy of trees brought to this otherwise semi busy street. Each home was different, built in a different style, used different colors, oriented the windows and doors differently, but they all gelled well together and brought out, the 'Oh how marvelous' kind of expression!

What lay ahead is hard to describe and not something I thought existed outside some charming European cities. Georgetown, the famous area known for the University of the same name had boutique stores, quirky restaurants, art galleries, mom and pop stores alongside lamp posts and bushes of violet and white flowers. It felt like you were not in the US anymore. Not the US I had know up till then. It seemed like there were regulations regarding haphazard and unregulated construction as all stores in this area were built into old homes adding that extra charm. The area was abuzz with youngsters from the surrounding areas but it still seemed private enough. One of the things that really stuck out about DC was despite the myriad of people around, there is always space to be with yourself, to not be bothered if you might want that. Bustling yet peaceful, Wild yet Serene is the impression I was getting.

The icing on the cake was when in our nomadic quest through the city on foot, we ended up at the river. As we walked on the grass between interracial couples, people walking their pets and a few quiet families there to soak in the view, we found ourselves a spot by the bank and dangled our feet over the concrete. The water couldn't have been more still, the air couldn't have been more pleasant, the atmosphere couldn't have been better. Up above, as a plane made a sharp right towards the runway at DCA, a well lit yacht filled with people in Tuxedos and dresses calmly moved along the water in front of us and the trees and flowers swayed to the tune of the breeze besides us, it was apparent why I had instantly loved the city; Buzzing one minute and Blissful and calm another, exactly what the 21 year old me looks for in a place. Action and Inaction very close to each other!

The next morning I went and saw the things I couldn't have left without seeing; the White House, the Smithsonian, the Capital building. Not to take away anything from these structures, it was the small things like the clean metro, the big roads, the diverse crowd, the quirky places around, the unique pace of the city etc. that had already given this city a 10/10 in my books.

As my plane made a sharp left, as we scooped up this time, I wondered if this could be a city I could see myself living in! Why not I thought! Whether that happens or not, visits to this city in the future are inevitable!