DCdyssey 3: Teh Zooman Cometh

[bzarcher]

The national zoo was, in fact, really lovely. I really liked the fact that we may or may not have entered without paying. (We just walked in through the Connecticut ave. gate and nobody asked us for money or stopped us, so either that's normal or someone slipped...)

Sadly, I fogot my USB cable, but I will forewarn / imply that I have special and significant pictures I took for worldmegan and dklegman which they must fear.

Also, for as cute and neat as the pandas were, I actually really dug the aviary, and I thought the Sloth Bears were, in general, friendlier. But I suppose with the pandas being media darlings, it's easy for them to get a bit burnt out. (One in particular spent most of her time sprawling on a set of rocks and I swear to god she would reach a paw up and bat listlessly at the air every time a little girl yelled "PAN-DA!" at her, like a burnt out David Bowie trying to shoo away an admirer.)

Sadly, the zoo closed at 4:30 today instead of staying open for the zoo lights, for a "Special Event" (which seemed to be a fancy soiree for rich people to come out and see...the zoo lights. Oh, well.)

We walked down into Woodley Park on Andy's sage advice, and found a really good Italian place right across from the Metro (Cafe Paradiso?) where we ate lunch/dinner. While it was really good, the key part of the meal came in a very Bourdain-esque moment where a busboy had set a bucket of water right in front of the doors to the kitchen.

This was resolved pretty quickly when a server charged through at top speed, his ankle landing in (and I suspect twisting) in the bucket and flying headfirst through the door with a vaugely accented StupidMotherfucker!fuckfuckfuckfuckow! that you heard pretty easily from our table. He stomped/half limped to the bar a few minutes later and didn't seem too much the worse for wear, fortunately.

Maiming aside, the food was very tasty and they had some neat dessert presentations, and we certainly went away satisfied.

Back at the hotel, we may try doing a moonlight monument tour, but personally I'm feeling a bit worn down, and I think so is everyone else. The monument tour as an idea seems more of a "That would be lovely!" concept than an actual idea we'll be able to take on.

Edit:
Oh - talking to mscongeniality reminded me about something.

If your little sister is absolutely committed to seeing them feed the Giant Octopus? Refuse. It is the stuff of your darkest cthonic nightmares. Tentacles should not be able to unleah a ballooning skirt of entrapping tissue to consume their prey. *shudder*

Comments

[buschap.livejournal.com]

The zoo is part of the Smithsonian, and thus has no admission charge.

Except your federal taxes.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

I did see a sign about ticket sales, though?

Perhaps that's only for the lights.

[buschap.livejournal.com]

Ah, indeed that is ticketed.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

This explains much.

[mithikall.livejournal.com]

Hey baby, you can borrow my USB cable anytime. ;-P

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

*grins* Oh, you know how exciting that is.

[buschap.livejournal.com]

I've never seen them feed it, but I got to see them weigh the octopus once. They put it in a laundry basket attached to a scale kind of like what you'd use to weigh a fish. But it reported in kilograms, and some kid wanted to know that in pounds. The zoo employees, in charge of weighing the octopus did not know the conversion, to say nothing of whether they could have multiplied by 2.2.

[worldmegan.livejournal.com]

Eeee, octopus!

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Her name is Caroline, and she is a lady.

A lady who engulfs her prey in rapidly expanding and enveloping tentacles to feed her ungodly maw. Aaaaaaaaaaaa

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Given they're all volunteers, I think that can mostly be forgiven, but it is funny.

I was kinda sad about the zoo volunteers, actually. Some (at the Sloth Bear and Octopus especially) were very helpful and informative, and some were nowhere to be found (pandas) or when asked questions would just shrug and walk off (aviary).