April 18-22nd it was time for another YFU trip, our second as a whole group. So this time we were a whole bunch of kinds who went. The trip started upstate NY, so we who lived in Poughkeepsie had to go by car for about 30 min to the bus stop. There we waited for quiet some time because we found out that the bus had some problems and couldn't keep the time schedule. So there we were outside Dennis', it was pretty hot and sunny outside so everyone was sweating. More and more people from our group came and finally the bus arrived. So we all got onboard and this was the first time I met the other YFU kids since I didn't go on the Florida. But luckily I knew all the people in my group so I just kinda hanged out with them in the beginning and through them got to know some other people. So after a while in the bus I got to know that there were some other swedish people and another guy that were supposed to get on the bus. Since I hadn't met that many swedes I became so excited so I wondered who there were, that's how I got to know some really nice swedish people. So after about 8 hrs in the bus and lots of stops to pick up people but at last we arrived to our hotel which was situated just outside Washington D.C. Then we got devided into groups with 4 people who were to share room, we also got to know, to our disappointment, that we had two floors and one was the "girls floor" and the other was the "boys floor". I can't really remember in what order we did these things but instead I'll tell you some about what we did as a whole and where we went.
During our stay in Washington D.C we got around by bus. But we went to the ------ monument, that was a real experience. First the weather that day was perfect, it was sunny and warm and all the girls had their skirts on. Then the monument was by the water and the monument itself was in the middle under roof made of white marmor, to get up there you walked up the marmor stairs. Inside the houselike building all the amendments were written down on the walls and there he stood, ------. It was all so beautiful.
Then the second thing we visited was "The Giant" just outside the city. It was said that a long long time ago a giant had been buried alive and all that you could see was the arms, his head and his feet that you could see. I realized this giant was a real tourist attraction because you could see poeple with their children, bus loads with people from different countries coming to see it, the kids were getting up on the different bodyparts to play and examine it.
We never went up the George Washington monument, you know the one you can see from the White House. But we went by it and could see it from the outside. I guess it was as well since they told us that it was only stairs in it and man was it high....
One day we was told that we're about to go to the White House. Everyone got so excited since it is the White House. So we got up extra early just to be able to get tickets but when we finally arrived we couldn't go in because all the tickets were sold out and we didn't have time to come back. We were all so disappointed since we instead of going inside, only went outside. Later we found out that The White House had been closed the day before and that's why all the tickets were sold out so early.
Then we went to the famous Arlington Cemetery where famous people like John F. Kennedy and his wife and son are buried, and longtime gone war generals lies. For you who hasn't been there let me tell you that it's huge, gravestones after gravestones is all you can see. During our time there we had a guide with us so when he said that we're heading for John F. Kennedy's grave everybody became so excited. The grave was lovely, it was made by marmor and there were three flat stones beside one another; John F, his little son and his wife Jackie Kennedy. And on top of those three gravestones there were a light which is lighted on forever.
So that was something about my trip to Washington D.C, now I didn't tell you about all the fun we had besides going to memorials like the Vietnam memorial and from the Korean war but I'm sure you can emagine how that was. Here are some great pictures that I have from Washington D.C, enjoy!