Bobo and I had a superlative trip (can't find another word to describe it) to Washington DC. I am listing the summary of the trip now, and will hopefully follow up with more details.
Day One: I woke up at 6am, finished cleaning and headed off to Park and Shuttle. We switched flight in Chicargo and arrived in DC at 7:00pm. As soon as we got situated on the second flight, Bobo noticed something and commented: I like the flight from Chicargo to DC better. It's much cleaner, bigger and feels better.
After we got out of the terminal while we were waiting for my friend Lin to pick us up, Bobo turned to me and said: Mommy, I think the air here feels different. It feels a little bit thicker.
Life with Bobo is just that, awe inspiring from the littlest things, constantly and unexpectly. Maybe it's not her but because in my mind, the sun does rise and set on her. Either way, it's a happy feeling and a very happy way of life. I know then my little trip companion is going to enrich my trip in many different ways in the next nine days.
Day Two: Elaine drove us to Washington Zoo. It was a busy place, and we waited long to see Panda Taishan and Tientien. Upon the first glance, we were all wondering if the panda we saw were real or not. Sprawling on the floor in an unlikely posture, it looks like an old used and loosely filled black and white stuffed animal. After a long pause, I realized that the tummy of this blob is actually up and down with breath.
We saw Red Panda, just like Shifu in Kongfu Panda. She might be pregnant. The zoo keepers do not know till when they deliver. Panda has hormon changes after mating even if they are not really prenant. We had only enough to visite the Bird trail and the Asian trail.
Day Three: Bobo has not changed her time clock, not sleeping till mid-night and not up till late morning. I rented a car and we took off to Great Falls National Park. Bobo had her mind set with riding horses today because I told her that from reading the web site. It's only after we got there, we realized that you could ride horse or bike or boat there, if you bring them yourself. Ha ha... Bobo and I managed to find it funny. We met a corn snake at the Visitor center, bought a national Park passport book. Besides the grand view of the Great Falls, Bobo and I climbed the rocks to reach the Potomac river bank. Bobo was so proud of herself finding her path amidth the confusion and honestly fear from me, she suggested us keeping climbing rocks and boulders for two hours. Bobo, the time police, requested to leave the park before the sunset because she read upon entering that the park it is open till sunset. It's good to have disciplined travel companion for a never exhausted traveling hawk like me.
Day Four: Bobo and I drove to Metro station, parked and got on the grand DC Metro. During our ride, Bobo predicted that visiting Mesuem, she would be dashing to next station while I tediously wanting to read more. After much discussion, we agreed to the agreement of reading at two spots of my choice in each Museum, and dash at least two times at her request. We were quiet for no more than two minutes when I noticed some Wink wink, giggle giggle, a little more wink wink and some goofy goofy gestures. Bobo was making friends with a girl of her size but two rows ahead of us.
We moved our seats and chatted with the family. Bobo proceeded with offering chewing gum to start their conversation. Her chewing gum diplomacy was signature move throughout this trip. If there is ever a kid close to her age at Metro, buses, or the waiting lines, the chewing gun diplomacy prevails and created new friendships and giggles with no failure.
But Bobo was wrong this time. At Museum of Natural History, she dwelled at the Insect exhibit for two hours, and told me more information about them than what I could read. She touched insects, read about the formation of the Solar system and on and on.
On the way to Air and Space Museum, Bobo dropped her jaw and rounded her eyes in disbelief at the sight of the capital and the Castle. she was so overtaken that I never saw that expression on that face before, not even when she first say Disney World. Even though she was fascinated by the spaceships exhibit, videos and artifacts of moon exploration, and played at every station on How Things Fly hall in Air and Space Museum, when we came out, she still wanted to walk to the Capital as if she would only believe it if she could get just that little closer.
We ended up hopping on to a double decker bus and did a sunset tour. The wind was kissing our face and hair; the fairies painted the sky with hues of pink, purple and gold. It was dreamy and pretty. Bobo listed agenda of places she wanted to hit in the coming days: the Capital, Lincoln Memorial and the Monument...