I always try to share some of the great things about living wherever I live. This is my list of great things about life in the Washington, DC, area. (I will write about some of the “realities” of life in DC).
The historical sites: There is so much history here that one can visit for free. Most of the museums are free. There is a lot of history here even if it is not as old as in Rome.
Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria: These two small towns are part of the bigger town but they are old (for America) and were some of the first towns built in this area. They both retain that old time feel.
The national parks: So many of the parks are free.
The nature: So much greenery and nature available. There are trees everywhere.
Free things: Like the concerts at the Kennedy Center. There are many free events and that is a nice thing.
Transportation: Most cities in the United States do not have good public transportation. Washington has a metro system that is a combination of the subway and buses. It works (although slowly at times). Also, with Uber, Lyft, and Empower, it’s easy to get around without your own car. With three airports serving this city, it is easy to get a flight. National Airport is on the subway system (metro) and it is quite close to the downtown. Dulles is on the metro as well.
The immigrants: This area has some decent Ethiopian, Korean, Salvadoran, and Vietnamese food thanks to the immigrants from these countries.
The Internet: Decent speed and steady (most of the time).
Delivery: One can get almost anything delivered to one’s door.
The electricity: Same thing. Steady. Most of the time.
The water: It’s potable and most of it tastes okay.
The language: English is spoken by almost everyone.
You might wonder how, in a big place like Washington, DC, if it’s possible to shop local. Washington is a touristy place, just like Rome or Istanbul. While the shopping is not on the level of Istanbul’s market, there is shopping to be found here.
Made in DC is a local chain selling items about Washington, DC, or by artists from the greater metropolitan area of Washington, DC.
Made in ALX (made in Alexandria) is a local shop in Alexandria, Virginia. They feature items by local artists from the greater metropolitan DC area.
Shop DC, located in Adams Morgan in DC, is sort of the same type of shop, but they do not exclusively carry locally made items.
Eastern Market is the farmers market on Capital Hill and features items by local artisans. There is a food hall and market as well.
Farmers markets abound in the DC area and many feature art by local artists. There is probably a farmers market for every day of the week, but most are on the weekends.
Sometimes a place is just what the neighborhood needed. The Turkish Coffee Lady cafe is just such a place. It’s located in Alexandria, Virginia, on a main street in the old part of town.
Inside the Turkish Coffee Lady cafe.
The place is on a corner, up a few steps, and into a whole different world of ottomans and chatty laughter. The tableware is sumptuous and the food is elegant. There is not only the normal bite size baklava but large wedges of it as well. Who knew?
Lifting the lid on the Turkish delight.
The Turkish coffee is served on a golden tray with a delicate handle connecting the three small parts — one for the cup of coffee, one for the miniature decorated glass of water, and one for the miniature gold pot of ‘lokum’ or Turkish delight.
This place transports you to a different world. Maybe not all the way to Turkiye, but at least to a world of warmth and hospitality.
The corner location is a good one.
I look forward to trying out cafes in Turkiye when I move there…
But order the west African food (the food is fairly meh but the west African food was not bad — the current cook is from there. I had jerk chicken and jollof rice). And take an easily embarrassed preteen with you (No preteens were harmed in writing this).
Gadsby’s Tavern is famous being one of the restaurants where the likes of George Washington ate. If you want that tourist experience, then go.
The actor who is dressed in period costume and makes his rounds speaking in “olde English” does a pretty good job of riffing in the moment (insert embarrassing comments to parents and preteen).
As Jeeves said, “It makes for light entertainment.”
Radical open plan living was shocking in the 1930s in Pennsylvania. This is one of the things you learn when visiting Falling Waters, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Falling Waters is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The inside living area was low, cool, and open.
Visiting Falling Waters makes for a long day trip (a 3.5 hour drive each way) from Washington, DC. Falling water is a popular site so make sure to buy tickets beforehand. The tour is about an hour. Be warned that there are many steps.
The house is built over a water fall and one can see how this was a calming retreat from the bustle of the big city.
The amenities are super. The visitors center is well designed and has a cafe, shop, bathrooms, and lots of comfy chairs.
Falling Water is so secluded that your cell phones will not work out there. The WIFI is spotty at best.
The building is being renovated.
We visited during off season which was cool and peaceful.
In the district of Flores is an island called Isla de Flores and it is a picturesque place to visit. It is not just a stop on the way to Tikal.
A side street on Isla de Flores.
Before I went to Guatemala, friends who had lived there told me to spend the night in Flores because it’s quite a party town… well, let me sign myself for that! We went on a Saturday night and I can attest that the nightlife was booming (through the hot sticky tropical night) all the way to my air conditioned room.
In a traffic circle near the airport.
We were in Isla de Flores because we flew from Guatemala City to Isla de Flores airport, or Mundo Maya International Airport. I was surprised that the Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City had signed in Spanish, English, and Korean. But, we did see lots of Koreans even on our domestic flight (the Koreans are in Guatemala due to the textile industry).
Domestic terminal in Guatemala City.
I was entertained on the plane with the amount of advertising (see photo).
The plane to Flores is not so small.
I had arranged for us to be picked up from the airport to the hotel. It was overpriced at $20 but on the way back, we took a mototaxi for 15 Quetzal ($2). Isla de Flores even has an electric bus which is like a large blue and yellow golf cart.
The first day that we were in Isla de Flores, we were caught in a sudden rain storm. We hailed a mototaxi to go back to the hotel. When I got in and tried to shut the half door, it came off in my hand. So I held it against the side of the mototaxi while we whizzed around the island on an unintentional “windshield tour” as the rain splashed around us and on my arm, holding the door… I wish I had video of it, but it didn’t occur to me to film it until afterwards.
The mototaxis have signs listing the price glued to the side of the vehicle.
The town of Isla de Flores is on a small island and it’s possible to walk around it several times in an hour or so. The buildings are painted in many colors and there are many hotels, hostels, restaurants, cafes, and tourist shops. Clearly this place hosts many tourists during prime season.
Walking around the island was fun. I am curious about the PITZ sports bar (see photo) that has been around since 1400 BC.
Another thing we discovered in Isla de Flores was how good the food is in Guatemala. We had food from Mangos/Achiote and it was excellent. Delicious fried chicken tenders (Pollo Campero is from Guatemala).
Tourist stuff. A street going up.
We were there during low season so had a relatively quiet walk around the town. It was fun to see that there are boats and barges that ferry motorcycles and trucks back and forth to the “rich” shore of the lake (which incidentally is the second largest lake in Guatemala).
A local walking by.More locals walking.
I find the people watching the most interesting, although I do love small windy streets and alleys.
The Washington Monument was supposed to be 600 feet tall to honor George Washington (who was 6 feet 2 inches). It is not quite that tall because of structural concerns.
Life size statue of George Washington.
To visit, one has to reserve free tickets online (the use the national parks app). I was invited to go up.
The security is like airport security (including no liquids).
View to the east and the capitol building.
The elevator ride up is 70 seconds and my ears popped. The ranger who rode with us told us interesting facts.
Useful signs.
The top offers good views all around DC. There is also a small museum.
The ride down is two minutes stopping at times for views of the inside of the monument. When the elevator makes these stops, the lights dim… they should warn people about this… so they don’t panic (when the elevator was built, it was steam powered and women were not allowed to take it because supposedly the steam would be too much for them). The modern elevator is large and pleasant, except for those unexpected moments when the lights dim.
Just as one has destination weddings, one can have destinations weaving shops. Am I being too clever? Yeah, maybe. Also, what is “roosterkoek”? (in the photo).
A view of the drive to or from Barrydale.
Back when I was planning my trip to South Africa, I dove into YouTube. I watched a video from “Tourist in My Own Country” about Barrydale, a town along the Garden Route and Route 62. Barrydale and Route 62 are a bit like those towns one finds in the Southwest USA, a bit hippy, a bit rural, a bit artsy. The drive to get there is beautiful. Stop to take photos. It’s a proper “drive” and you should enjoy it.
I want it so much that my heart hurts a bit.
Once you get there, stop in at Barrydale Weavers. Maybe do a gin tasting. Buy some blankets and table linens. Watch a weaver at the loom. Everything is hand woven.
Bar inside Barrydale Weavers.
Almost all the photos are from Barrydale Weavers because that’s the reason I went to that town.
The loom.So much to buy.
There are also normal touristy shops and lots of quirky restaurants. You can try “roosterkoek” (translation is “grill cake”) which is a type of yeasty bread roll that gets griddled/toasted so that it is marked from the grill. You may remember that I love yeasty toasted bread so this was right up my alley.
Roosterkoek bread with grill marks.
We ate at Camel Horse. It was cute and the food was good. Not overly busy and excellent diffused light out on the deck.
First, what is authentic? Is the indicator that only people of that nationality are eating at the restaurant? Only Chinese people at a Chinese place? Only Thai at a Thai place? “Chinese New Year” or lunar new year, celebrated in many parts of Asia, was on January 29 this year. There is a “Chinatown” in Washington, DC, but it’s not as “authentic” as “Little Vietnam” — Eden Center, out in Falls Church, Virginia.
Back to the idea of authentic Asian food. It’s been tough finding food that meets the standards of my “authentic like it’s 1985 kind of way” friend. But we have found a few places, some listed on my favorite places list: Y Noodles, Mumaroi, Mandu Erang, and the mala tang place in the 99 Ranch store in Centreville. Plus some of the places in Eden Center. At Eden Center, I like the Huong Viet, Thanh Son Tofu (only take out tofu and desserts), Hai Duong, and some of the other places out there. You can follow my Instagram account to see more of my recommendations.
From 99 Ranch: the dry version. Woo was that spicy!
Mainly, all this talk of “authentic” makes me ponder the nature of food culture. The food of the diaspora is probably more “authentic” if you are looking for the food of 40 years ago. For example, Korean food now includes cheese in the ramyun and rice cake dish. What horror! Not to everyone. Times move on and the food becomes “fusion” or “Americanized” or “de-constructed” — but it’s all good unless you want it the way it used to taste.
Meanwhile, for lunar new year, the “authentic” food is tea cakes. I prefer spicy noodles.
South Africa is known for safaris, Capetown, penguins, the garden route, where the two oceans meet, and wine country. If you want to get inspired, I recommend a South African Youtube channel called “Like a Tourist” (I think they may soon run tours as well). Get inspired by the lesser known parts of South Africa, shown with excellent cinematic skill, by a native. I got inspired to go to Barrydale Hand Weavers, but otherwise, I relied on the recommendations of a friend who lives there… If you want to do what I did, then I’ve listed it below. Note: I will write about these places in separate blog postings in the next six months.
My itinerary:
You might make eye contact with a lion.
Safari –– Four night safari at Madikwe Hills: Madikwe is a private game reserve to the north of Pretoria. It is a four hour drive of which the last hour or so is inside the game reserve (so you will be on your own game drive!). Madikwe Hills is a luxury safari lodge (Think in the $500 per night and up range). I will write more about Madikwe in a separate article. I highly recommend them. I will write about safari in a separate article.
The view of the “game drive” vehicle at our luxury lodge.
The Garden Route — two nights in each — Capetown, Hermanus, and Knysna:
Breakfast view of the back of Table Mountain, at the Vineyard Constantia hotel.
Capetown: We stayed at the Vineyard, not in downtown Capetown, and it was a lovely hotel with views of table mountain. While in Capetown, we went to the Cape of Good Hope (the “southernmost” point of Africa — actually location is Cape Agulhus which is 90 miles away), we did fancy dinners (Chef’s Table at the Beau Constantia Vineyard and Belly of the Beast). We took Uber (your account will work here too) as to avoid driving, drinking and driving, and parking nightmares. We flew to Capetown on Safair, a domestic airline, and two things to note about that — it is possible to take liquids onto your domestic flights so load up on your coffee or tea — and you can reserve the middle seat for not so much money thus making it a pleasant flight. While in Capetown, you can go up the cable car to Table Mountain. Some days you will see nothing but we were lucky with sunshine. The cool thing about the funicular is that it rotates! So you will get a good view wherever you are standing when you get in. The ride is short (five minutes?) but the line is long (buy the VIP passes). Check out the botanical gardens.
There is also a restaurant at the botanical gardens.
Hermanus: We drove to a secret spot to see penguins (Betty’s Bay, on the way to Hermanus, and park at the Stony Point Penguin Colony entrance — you will still see penguins even when the colony is closed. It’s an insider’s secret!), did wine tastings (more to come on those later), and stayed at the Marine One hotel. The staff are helpful, the penthouse is large with a view of the whale-filled bay, but there are no elevators). The staff there can help you get to your whale watching and wine tasting. This is the place for whale watching.
Penguins hanging out on the beach. Amazing views along the Garden Route.
Knysna (‘nice-naw’): This is a place to see the Knysna Headlands (I really liked the East Head Cafe), enjoy a sailboat ride, eat seafood, shop at Old Nick Village (a small outdoor shopping area including Mungo and their workshop), visit Barrydale for the drive and the shopping, and explore other shopping opportunities such as a farmers market. We stayed at Mount Knysna which has amazing views (and an elevator) and very nice rooms (the presidential suite has an extra bedroom).
View of the Heads from Mount Knysna hotel.
Another national park and small town — Clarens: Not on my list, but I went along with it. The town is known for being a cute artsy town, for the local hikes, amazing vistas in the national park (Golden Gate is not just in California), and a fun pitstop on the way to Lesotho. We stayed at the Marriott in town because then the town square and delicious restaurants were within walking distance (five minutes), but you can stay at a castle or a palace, or something more rural. Up to you. There is lots of do in Clarens, from dinosaur hunting, hiking, gin tasting, brewpub visiting, and cheese tasting. I had the most delicious Italian food there. The owner is from Bologna.
Golden Gate park in Clarens.
Pretoria: See the government building and giant statue of Mandela, have clothes made (or not), enjoy the malls, the low prices for steak ($20 for a steak dinner) and other meat. Enjoy the jacaranda trees in bloom in spring.
Tender meat at cheap prices everywhere! This was a happy hour snack while on safari.
What time of year to visit? I went in October which is spring but the temperature varied depending on where we were. Some days it was unseasonably hot in the 90s F (35 C) and other days it was down to 50 F (15 C). The baby elephants and jacarandas are a springtime thing. Whale watching is in the spring.
I went to South Africa. I saw, did, and ate many things. One of the things was the Garden Route. I had never heard of it. There are artsy small towns along the way. The Garden Route starts in a big town, Cape Town, and you can drive it for days along the western cape.
At sunset from the Mount Knysna hotel.
Before visiting South Africa, I had watched a video about a blanket shop in Barrydale. So that became a destination along the route.
Capetown: We stayed at the Vineyard, not in downtown Capetown, and it was a lovely hotel with views of table mountain. While in Capetown, we went to the Cape of Good Hope (the “southernmost” point of Africa — actually location is Cape Agulhus which is 90 miles away), we did fancy dinners (Chef’s Table at the Beau Constantia Vineyard and Belly of the Beast). We took Uber as to avoid driving, drinking and driving, and parking nightmares. We flew to Capetown on Safair, a domestic airline, and two things to note about that — it is possible to take liquids onto your domestic flights so load up on your coffee or tea — and you can reserve the middle seat for not so much money thus making it a pleasant flight. While in Capetown, you can go up the cable car to Table Mountain. Some days you will see nothing but we were lucky with sunshine. The cool thing about the funicular is that it rotates! So you will get a good view wherever you are standing when you get in. The ride is short (five minutes?) but the line is long (buy the VIP passes). Check out the botanical gardens.
The crew will save your life when it gets rocky going through the heads.
Hermanus: We drove to a secret spot to see penguins (Betty’s Bay, on the way to Hermanus, and park at the Stony Point Penguin Colony entrance — you will still see penguins even when the colony is closed. It’s an insider’s secret!), did wine tastings (more to come on those later), and stayed at the One Marine Drive hotel. The staff are helpful, the penthouse is large with a view of the whale-filled bay, but there are no elevators). The staff there can help you get to your whale watching and wine tasting. This is the place for whale watching.
East Head Cafe.
Knysna (‘nice-naw’): This is a place to see the Knysna Headlands (I really liked the East Head Cafe), enjoy a sailboat ride, eat seafood, shop at Old Nick Village (a small outdoor shopping area including Mungo and their workshop), visit Barrydale for the drive and the shopping, and explore other shopping opportunities such as a farmers market. We stayed at Mount Knysna which has amazing views (and an elevator) and very nice rooms (the presidential suite has an extra bedroom).
And the East Head Cafe is educational!
A thing to note about the Garden Route (coastal areas) is that it is fun to drive past the baboons. We did not want any baboon encounters. Apparently that is a thing.
