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Published: August 13th 2006
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Liberty Bell
Symbol of enduring freedom, despite the crack. The short journey by train to Philadelphia meant we arrived at about 3pm. We made our way to the HI Hostel near the centre of town, and as we arrived the hostel was just opening. Inside it was very clean, the common areas consisted of a TV lounge and a pool table. The hostel put a film on every night at 9pm, this at first sounded like a good way to meet other travellers but we found out that people don’t talk they just watch the TV. For dinner we ordered a pizza and took it back to the hostel. We did meet an English guy called Dan who was spending a short amount of time in the States. We chatted to him and played some pool before going to bed.
The next day we headed to the information centre, we needed to pick up free tickets to go see independence hall. Inside the information centre was the constitution cow, literally a cow with the American constitution written on it. Bizarre!
Independence Hall was for me another injection of American history and heritage. For Ben it was another reason to complain. The area which independence hall stood was a
Philadelphia skyline
The view from the Rocky steps. A very attractive city. national park site, and it was really good to see where the Continental Congress sat and where the Declaration if Independence was first conceived and then signed. The scale of the building felt humbling and it helped to understand how the founding fathers must have felt when discussing such treasonous ideas. Had the British won the Independence War it is highly likely these men would have been hung for treason. It was a brave move!
After exploring Independence Hall and the surrounding buildings we headed back out front to the Liberty Bell. The most renowned symbol of American freedoms and values, rung on July 4 1776 to signify America’s cessation from the British Empire, is on display just 100ft from the Bell tower in Independence Hall where it once hung. Replaced by the Centennial Bell in 1876 after irreparable cracks started to appear in the Liberty Bell it is now guarded by rigorous security checks. After a photo next to the bell we headed towards the famous Rocky steps.
The Rocky steps are the steps Sly Stallone (Rocky Balboa) runs up at the end of his training session and indicate his readiness to commence boxing. Ben replicated the scene
The Constitution Cow
Ben violating the Constitution Cow. and we moved onto the library nearby to spend some time on the internet.
When we returned to the hostel we asked the guy on the desk what he recommended we ate he suggested a Falafel from a local Israeli restaurant. I had never had falafel before but it was good. After that we played a little more pool, watched the nightly film and called it a day.
The next day the three of us went to the Philadelphia Mint. Cameras were not allowed inside so I offered to stay with them as the other two went around. Whilst outside I chatted with the security guard, he was an ex-police man and he was telling me stories about being in the force, and how he was once confronted with a guy with a machete. Sounded like violent stuff but he was an interesting man. Like many others he first thought I was Australian, which isn’t strange many Americans have thought we were Aussies, I guess its like me not being able to tell the differences between a Canadian and an American accent. We have also been misidentified as South African and one guy seriously thought we were Japanese,
Independance Hall
Independance Hall, home to the Continental Congress and location where the Declaration of Independance was signed. I think he must have been severely stoned!
Anyway the security guard after accusing us as Australians seemed that Australia, New Zealand and Britain were all the same thing and that they were located next to each other in the world. And people say Americans are ignorant and insular!
During my conversations with the security guard a large parade protesting against the increasing restrictions on Mexican immigration walked by, peaceful enough and interesting to see. When Ben and Dan final appeared I gave them the cameras and went around the mint myself. Although interesting, you were limited to what you could see and free souvenirs were not forth coming.
For the afternoon we wondered around some of the local markets and shops getting a taste for local life. Philadelphia is a fun city and is a very attractive city. Unlike a lot of American cities this one had a much more British feel about it. Small cobbled streets and brick built buildings made it feel like a home way from home. Philadelphia is certainly a very beautiful place.
When we returned to the Hostel we all decided that for dinner we would try a real authentic Philly
Centennial Bell
The Bell tower in Independance Hall where the Liberty Bell once hung and where it rang out to declare America's Independance. Now the home to the Centennial Bell. Cheese steak at Jim’s Steaks, one of the original cheese steak restaurants. The experience was well worth it, the restaurant was decorated with celebrity pictures and the cheese steak was to die for. I was now hooked on cheese steak!
That evening we played yet more pool and met a guy called Owen Williams a solicitor who works at Clarke and Willmott in Bristol; he was travelling the globe and had some interesting stories to tell.
After the evening film we said our goodbyes and went to bed. The next day we had to be up very early in order to catch the train to Niagara Falls.
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