The Capital Capitol - Visit Joana

One of the very important things that I would always want to do when travelling for the first time to a particular country is to visit its capital. Indeed, when I visited the United States of America the number one on my ‘to do’ list was to visit Washington in the District of Columbia and have a stroll along its symbolic National Mall that is said to be where the core identity of America can be found.

For once on this visit I was not a solo traveler, rather I joined a group and through a tour company from New York, I was able to reach D.C. and had a quick stroll near where one of the most famous addresses in the world, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is located. It is the mighty White House where Uncle Sam’s current President works and lives. I was extremely surprised to see that the White House, from a distance, actually looks just like any ordinary building elsewhere. I wondered what it must be like inside, especially the famous Oval office. It’s good that I watched Designated Survivor TV series which gave me a little bit of an idea what the White House interior looks like. Unfortunately, the DC tour package I was on did not include a visit to the White House. It would have been exciting to join the “Private White House Ghost Tour”.

To me, what is amazingly impressive is the iconic US Capitol building. I must admit, for a long time I thought that was where the President of America takes office. The US Capitol building sits on top of the Capitol Hill and its construction started in 1793, when George Washington, America’s first President, laid the foundation. It is the home of the House of Representatives and the US Senate making it one of the most influential and powerful places.

There are so many things to see in Washington DC. Perhaps one week is needed to fully emerge oneself into the Capital’s rich history and to have ample knowledge about its symbolic buildings.

However, during that one day tour and with such a limited timescale at least I was able to see either from a distance or actually visit some of America’s beloved buildings and monuments, such as: