Hey, got to NEw York on Sunday evening about 7pm, our hostel was located on West 88th St (upper west side). We walked to Times Square and went to Hooters Bar (famous?) The waitresses all wore tiny orange hotpants and white vest tops. Got a bit awkward when we didn't leave enough for the tip (10% instead of 15%, we didn't have enough cash. So awkward when they basically warned us that in NYC 'we tip 15%').

The next day we went to the Natural history Museum in the morning (where they filmed Night at the Museum) which was good, lots of american schoolkids on school trips, bit annoying. Afterwards we took a bus tour of the West side of Manhattenn - Empire state building, Madison Square gardens, Macy's, Times Square, chinatown etc etc. We got off at one World Trade as Anna had booked tickets for Ground Zero. Spent an hour looking at the two memorials where the towers used to be - taken photographs, they're building a museum there too which opens in 2014 I think. That evening we decided to head out to chinatown but given our lack of familiarity with the city were couldn't find anywhere and ended up walking through the backstreets of the area and through little italy (which seemed quite nice and pretty with little italian restaurants). Ended up in some bar in little Italy with sharks hanging off the walls and met some interesting people then went to the meatpacking district in search of a club and missed seeing Beyonce Knowles by LITERALLY a split second - saw her car door closing and she was behind it, very close. After wandering around for a bit we decided to go back to hostel as was getting cold. 'The city that never sleeps' is not quite true.

Next day it was raining, but we did another city tour of the upper east side. We also went on the Statten Island ferry and saw the statue of liberty. In the evening we went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway which was good, despite some embarrassing English accents from the American child actors. Afterwards we got some dinner in a diner at the bottom of the New York Times office and then got a cab home as we had to be up early for the train this morning. Stayed in different place (West 87th St), watched Friends. Got to Washington this morning at 11.30am and have been along the mall, visited American museum of national history, then it started to rain ALOT. Saw the White House, Jefferson library, Washington Monument, Capitol Building, went to the zoo but hardly any animals were out and we got, and currently are, drenched after walking back.

Tonight we are hoping to go out for an Ethiopian meal and are hoping to see memorials (lincoln Memorial, Korean War, Vietnam war, WW2) which are lit up at night, although it is still raining.

Train to charleston tomorrow morning will blog again soon. Hope all is well back home xx