Day 13: Time in New England

A bit of Barry Manilow for you all this evening. I've had a shocker of a day, but it was still an awesome day. The blister on my foot was killing me though - it opposes my exploration.

Today my alarm also started working properly again. For the last couple of days it has been weirdly ringing exceptionally quietly for reasons I still don't understand. It doesn't matter too much in that I woke up at 5am, but didn't have my alarm go off until 9 - because nothing opens until 10 here. So at least I get to enjoy a 4 hour nap after waking up which is a plus. Today it honked loudly and proudly and I was so pleased with it.

So I finished packing my bags, triple checked everything was clear and left, with full intention on visiting the JFK Museum. Except by the time I left the apartment block, I was limping with this blister and the stiff ankle from trying to avoid said blister. Getting to a Dunkin' Donuts to get breakfast was a challenge. I ended up deciding not to go to the JFK Museum because even with public transport, I would still have to walk about 20 minutes to get there and I could hardly do five.

Then my drink tasted like coffee and I knew today wasn't going to be a good day.

So instead I started my day heading to the Skywalk Observatory. It was a great view over Boston, really put it all in perspective. I have started to notice a pattern with Boston tourism sites though. Through the large emphasis they place upon the impact migration has had on the city, and really it has been huge, a lot of materials reads like a "come live in Boston" advertisement. Which is unique to any city I have ever visited. The coolest part of the tour wasn't the view but a section on the experiences of the Irish and Italian immigrants with portraits that moved Harry Potter style. Unfortunately, the viewing area was indoors with windows so I didn't get a good enough view to make a panorama.

Fenway Park by day

After a beautiful fish and chips for lunch I headed to Copley to see the historic and modern items in the area. This was where I first arrived in Boston City on Day 1 but hadn't had a chance to have a look yet. My favourite part was crossing the Boston Marathon Finish Line! It's about as sporty as I'll ever be in terms of track events.

Trinity Church

Boston Pubic Library

I won! Whooo!

Next stop was Chinatown which was exceptionally busy. Not 100% sure why, but I believe it was a pro-Taiwan rally.  Certainly a lot of Taiwanese flag waving going on. I was actually disappointed by Chinatown. On the map it looked much larger and reviews implied that there was a lot to see, but I didn't see much at all, beyond the gate I photographed and the protest. I actually didn't plan to go to Chinatown but my phone got confused and told me to get off at the station, but it was way too early, so I made the most of my opportunities.

The gate at Chinatown and the protests

I then got back on the subway and went to where I was supposed to be going - the Bunker Hill Memorial. This was the only sight on the Freedom Trail I missed yesterday so I thought I should go see it. It's an impressive sight, the obelisk and a beautiful parkland. There isn't much of a view though from on top of the hill. It was interesting to read that even though this was a loss for the revolutionaries, it gave them hope because they repelled two out of three waves of Red Coats, despite not being trained or having professional military members. All in all, it is very impressive to think about.

The obelisk standing tall over Charlestown

For dinner I visited Max Brenner - making it the third country I have eaten Max Brenner in. It was lovely. So good in fact, I left my hat behind. I didn't notice until I was grabbing my luggage to leave for Washington D.C. So I didn't have time to go back and get it. Poor thing has no passport and no idea how to get around Boston. Fortunately, the Max Brenner staff have found it and will be holding it so a friend can rescue the silly thing. It must be so lonely. Bet it is gorging itself on chocolate though.

So now I find myself on a train heading to Washington DC. This is my last stop before the conference begins and I'm so excited. Tomorrow I finally meet a friend I have known for...I have no idea how long, but I've never met in person. So if  I disappear, it's Anna's fault. I hope tomorrow is much better than today - I've lost things, nearly lost things (my camera's SD card ran away into the train seat and I had to dismantle my chair to get it back) and missed stations.

As long as I don't get lost or abducted, I will write tomorrow.