MichaelGuo.com

I was originally writing on the bus from DC to NYC, but then, the wireless cut out. Now, I’m on the bus to Boston after a pit stop in NYC where I ate some falafel and just sat around for a while.

I’ve noticed the buses getting progressively fuller on each trip (except for the trip down to DC for some reason). Megabus must be really marketing the heck out of this. I did notice an ad on the Q train today.

DC is currently not the best place to be. It’s hot and humid, and for the last couple days, it’s been very rainy. As a result, I decided to make yesterday a day of museums and beer, sandwiching visits to the Air and Space Museum and the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum in between refueling at The Brickskeller and Capitol City Brewery.

Philly was unexpectedly nicer than I remembered, and there have been a lot of changes since I was last there. I did do the touristy thing and saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, etc. I also stuffed myself full of burger and fries at Five Guys and went to Monk’s Cafe.

I’m actually writing this post from a bus headed to Philly from NYC. A couple months ago, I’d heard about Megabus’s new routes on the eastern seaboard and that they were completely free for the first week (except for a $0.50 booking fee). I immediately figured out a crazy route for that week that would take me from Boston->NYC, NYC->Philly, Philly->NYC, NYC->DC, DC->NYC, and NYC->Boston that cost me a total of $0.50. I’m now on day three of the trip after hanging out in NYC for two nights.

NYC was good fun. I got a chance to catch up with a number of friends, some whom I hadn’t seen in years, and I drank plenty of great beer at the Brooklyn Brewery and at St. Marks Ale House. I also shared a couple great pizzas at Fornina, ate Thai at SEA (which was apparently at the beginning of “Garden State”), and a really good very un-kosher bagel at Absolute Bagels.

I don’t really know many people in Philly, so I think I’ll do the touristy thing there. I haven’t seen that big bell with a crack in it or other stuff since I was maybe ten years old, so that should be interesting. Of course, I’ll stuff myself with a couple cheesesteaks, too. And then, there’s all the good street food I remember from ages ago.

Well, I’m now set to leave for Paris in a couple weeks and to get back a month later. I’ll probably figure out where to go once I’m there, though I already have a general idea of what I want to see this time around.

What’s possibly more exciting, though, is my plans for traveling a bit on the Eastern Seaboard here in the US. Megabus recently announced new routes, mostly between New York and a ton of other cities, and from May 30 to June 5, all travel is free. There’s just a $0.50 reservation fee. After hours of searching, I came up with an itinerary for myself that involves going to New York, Philly, and DC for two nights each all for only fifty cents! What a freaking steal! Sure, I have to put up with riding a bus, but spending fifty cents for that compared to spending hundreds on comparable plane tickets is a no-brainer to me. I was trying to work Toronto into the trip, but there doesn’t appear to be a way to get back from Toronto until after the promotion period ends. However, even after the first week, travel still seems to be an incredible bargain. If you can travel at off-peak hours and book a month-and-a-half in advance, trips often just cost one buck, including trips between Boston and New York. This should really give Fung Wah and Greyhound a run for their money.

Fifty freaking cents! Unbelievable! I can’t even travel to the next stop on the T for that much.