Within a few hours of being here, I was completely in awe with this city, despite the rather interesting characters wandering around, the city its self is just beautiful. The harbour has a very modern look to it, despite being home to the power plant from years ago. My first trip was to the aquarium for $27.52 I got entry in and a ticket for the dolphin show, do not regret that. The dolphin show was amazing! It wasn’t just one of these fancy shows where the dolphins are pushed to the maximum with all these fancy tricks, it was a show of interaction between the trainers and the dolphins, responding to every click, and movement of the arms it was just magical to watch. Admittedly they knew some pretty cool tricks, splashing the audience with water flicked by their tales seemed a crowd favourite (providing they were sat behind the splash zone). The rest of the aquarium was worth seeing and much more outstanding than any other aquarium I had ever been to, but after the dolphin show it seemed to get put to the back of my mind.
After 2 and a half hours I moved on to the World Trade Centre Observation Deck, I step out the lift at floor 27 after paying the $5 admission fee, I’m faced with this striking 9/11 memorial 3 white panels each with a place that got destroyed that day, there’s glass cases with pieces from those places and then a caption talking about how many citizens from Maryland lost their lives that day. It’s hard hitting, I can’t even begin to imagine what the New York one will be like! Once I get past the memorial I’m struck by the view across the harbour, I barely know anything about this place but that view is just beautiful you can see for miles and miles, I realize how big this port is and how much use it has had over the years. The rest of the views are magnificent, each way you look, the city seems to take a different feeling. I particularly like the sign that say 3400 miles to the United Kingdom, I get the guy in the shop to take my photo stood underneath it. A sudden rush of school children shatters the quiet and I quickly leave.
I go in hunt of the Washington Monument, the circulator bus takes me right to it, but walking around I realize the gates are locked, even though it’s not due to shut for an hour. I move on to the Contemporary Art museum, only to find the door is unlocked but the inside is a mess and no one around, I quickly leave as I do not feel like I should be there. Instead I go to the Walters Art Museum, wander around pretty quick as all the art is 19th century and before. Lost without my lonely planet guide book, I wander the streets, amazed by the architecture of all these buildings, there’s part of me that feels like I’m still in DC but there is just such diversity of old and new together. The whole of the square around the Washington Monument really captures my eyes. I end up walking back to the harbour, this time I take it all in a bit more, finding this sweet waterfall that is for this Walters guy, if only I knew who he was. I debate on a boat tour, but decide I have spent enough today, so I enjoy the harbour’s edge on this sunny September afternoon, just thinking about how much I am in love with this city, it’s the only place since San Francisco I have really felt like this about.
