October 29, 2001: Hometown Washington
Mr. Tsukamoto surprised me by saying "It's just two degrees C this morning, TV says." "It's just an entrance of real coldness, though. We will soon have colder days with snow", Mrs. Tsukamoto laughed. Yes, it could be so here in Long Island. The weather just before the harsh time is really beautiful and the sky is endlessly in deep blue, however.
I saw off Mr. Tsukamoto to office. Thank you very much this time to provided us of a good base in Washington DC during our long travel period. Much more, we appreciate Mrs. Tsukamoto who kindly welcomed us here in New York together with this lovely cat Luna.
I could enjoy talking with Mrs. Tsukamoto until the rush hour was over. She taught me that the train fare in off-peak differs from that of peak-hour. Now, we must say the last good-bye to Mrs. Tsukamoto who kindly sent us to the nearest station. We will be back from Penn to Union station by Amtrak.
Good-bye, my favorite New York streets and buildings. See you again, the Empire State Building.
The large electric bulletin board in the hall tells me ready to go.
The express quickly passed through the Big Apple and head to Washington DC. I could see Empire State Building in the far distance beyond the winter-colored marshland.
The beautiful sunset put me in the melting mood; can I get on the train again? Many memories of the travel come and go on the shadow-picture lantern in my heart.
We arrived the Union station and got on a sub to the apartment, now our "old home." We prepared the dinner and enjoyed it.
October 30, 2001: Arlington National Cemetery
Well, today is the last day in the US and Germany. I hope to stay here longer, but I can't do so. I washed cloths and cleaned up the room in the morning. We then decided to visit Arlington National Cemetery in the afternoon. It is just two stations away from home.
We got on a tour bus and visited the burial site of President John F. Kennedy. The eternity fire burns today as usual. I can see the Capitol Hill and Washington Memorial across Potomac River.
The tour bus like this goes through the vast graveyard covered with green lawn dotted with many white grave markers. The tall trees in the yard have already turned to the last autumnal color.
Haiku: "A whips of breeze makes autumnal leaves flutter down on thousands of white stones."
The next spot was Tomb of the Unknowns, just east of the amphitheater. A sentinel of the Third U.S. Infantry maintains the vigil around the clock. The sentinel paces 21 steps down the mat before the tomb, pauses 21 seconds, and returns. The changing of the guard takes place every hour.
This is Arlington House of General Lee of Confederate. Just under the hill is Potomac River and downtown DC beyond it. The House is clean and open to public.
I was surprised to see Pentagon through the forest. What should a visitor to the Cemetery think of the attack on September 11?
The US is in wartime actually. In a cemetery where the victims sleep, I deeply think when mankind can eliminate war entirely.
I found a miniature procession of the funeral service for J.F.Kennedy. The world once hated the terror at that time. This time, people all around the world wish to wipe out the terrorists. Is there any other way of crush the terrorists out of existence than retaliation? Arlington National Cemetery is the most appropriate place to visit at the end of our long travel this time.
In the evening, we assembled all our belongings and cleaned up the room. We will leave tomorrow early in the morning. Thank you very much to all who supported us in the US.
