Friday 19 January - Boston to Washington DC

After a full day of work (not chargeable), it was off to Washington DC on an hour and a half flight with JetBlue (the US version of JetStar) at 8:30, accompanied by Becky. The flights only cost us $50 – PLUS taxes. Taxes are a killer here. Most goods are quoted without state tax included. Massachusetts state tax is 5% it appears. For flights, taxes end up adding about 30% onto the price.

Despite being a low-cost / discount carrier, Jet Blue’s plane was far more modern than the American Airlines flight we caught from LA to Boston. Included in this was a TV screen in the back of each seat, equipped with a live 35-odd channel cable TV connection (this was to prove a huge winner on the flight back). Really looking forward to the days when this connection is put into Australian planes. In particular, having coverage of the second day’s play of the Boxing Day Test when we flew from Sydney to LA on 27 December would have been a little balltearer.

Don’t know how, but Becky & Rebecca McDonald (Brisbane secondee) somehow did not receive the room with 2 double beds as they booked. Instead, the arrived at the Quincy in Washington to be told their room contained 1 double. Wasn’t much fun when we were all looking forward to hit the hay, and I’d just called an 8am start tomorrow morning for sightseeing. Libe & myself were reunited after the week apart and settled into our hotel, a mere block from the White House. Fancy that, I’d never been to this city but already I knew somebody who lived here, and where they lived. But my mate George never answered my calls, thus we weren’t able to crash at his place and were forced to rent a room instead.