Day 1: The Beginning of Our Story (continued)

Ok I know I said I was going to update this thing everyday, but the laptop has been dead, and we've been too busy to get on the computer anyway.

So to continue from where we left off... We pretty much just rambled about the city for quite a while not really knowing where we were going. We ended up in the Amtrak station, which was massive and quite impressive. I have never been in a real train station before. The ceilings
were no doubt 50 or 60 ft high. It was a very neat place. Some on-duty officers helped us with directions to the Mutter and we were on our way.

The Mutter Museum was started quite some time ago as a place for physicians and doctors to study strange human anomalies and deformities. Now it is pretty much just a place for people with a taste for the deranged to see some freaks and babies in jars. Definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart, however I was expected it to be a little more edgey. I mean there was one little girl there who did not like what she was seeing and her extremely matter-of-fact grandmother had to take her out of one display.

I did end up buying a "Box O' Bones," but guess what... nobody left me any Philly ideas. So... don't be expecting any consolation prizes. Yeah that's right. You get nothing!

Back to the Mutter: Probably not too surprising, but after a while that place will make you sick. Not from seeing the hideous deformities but mostly from breathing in air tainted with hudred-year-old formaldehyde. As soon as we walked outside and took in one breath of fresh air we instantly felt better.

After the Mutter we still had quite a bit of time to kill before our plane was to take off. So why not see the Liberty Bell? That would seem like a good idea wouldn't it? Well looking at the map is quite different from actually walking the distance (about 16 blocks) Keep in mind we've already walked 10 at least. But we've got time so why not? After a bit of walking we realized we were not on the right street, we had some how got disoriented and turned while going through some construction areas. But while lost we discovered that the people of Philadelphia are quite nice. No less than 3 people stopped us and asked "Hey, what are you looking for?" We were just walking looking at a map. It was surprising and nice.

Walking for so long we got a bit tired and stopped off at an Irish pub, drank whiskey ate Ruebens and sat. It was good. On to the Liberty Bell. Let me just warn you.. if you're thinking of taking a trip to see such a grand monument... don't. It's pretty boring and enclosed in a building that you are not even allowed to go in. You get to look at it through a window. Disappointment ensued. Especially after walking who-knows-how-many-miles.

Now to the airport...