Day 19 Philadelphia Continued

Terror Behind the Walls! The old state penitentiary, an enormous, spooky, castle-like prison in Philadelphia is the site of one of the best haunted houses in the country and we went on the second day it was opened. And with the two for one special it was only $15 each, a bargain for what you get.

I cannot say enough of how scary the prison is in the first place with its rundown stone construction and rusted wrought iron bars. Add in intentionally scary lighting or at times, lack of light at all. Throw in 40-50 people dressed as gory undead guards and prisoners, and have them yell at, scream at, chase, or whisper to you as you are inducted as new prisoners running a guantlet that includes gun fire, countless loud noises, blast of air, and horrifying scenes including Abu-Graib prison reenactment, hanging dead bodies meat locker style--that you have to push through, very dark fog filled rooms with the undead looming close, whispering in your ear, a 3-D section (with glasses) that was very bizarre and fascinating, and countless bloody visages popping out at every corner. It was truly scary. What made it even better was Patricia screaming the whole time and nearly drawing blood with her death grip on my arm.

Afterward, we went across the street to Jack's Firehouse Bar and watched people expertly swing dance to a great live band. I had delicious pulled pork on sweet corn chips, very delicious with a few pints and a tapping foot. It was a good finish to the day.

Day 18 Philidelphia and Questioned Patriotism

After a three and one half hour bus ride to Philadelphia ($30) we took a taxi to the Club Quarters Hotel, arriving at almost 10pm. It is a nice little boutique hotel and my room was on the penthouse floor; sounds impressive, no? Quickly, I understood why my room was so inexpensive. It was right next to the hall bathrooms that serve the meeting/party rooms on that floor and I got to listen to people slamming the doors and talking loudly until midnight. The room itself was small, but nicely appointed. The best part was the supposedly inoperable window that lifted out of its frame, giving me access my own large and entirely private rooftop balcony with a great view of Philadelphia’s downtown (see the gallery photos). We had a quick dinner of Chinese food and retired.

The next day we went to the see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. As an American I was moved to feelings of patriotism and pride in my country to personally view such tangible history and walk through the very places where our forefathers risked their lives to create a republic where people could be truly free. I stood in the same places as George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and so many other great idealistic men. To stand in their places and imagine their struggle, which has brought us so much, cannot fail to touch the American heart. Other hearts are another story.

I was initially taken aback by the reaction of my Brazilian friend Patricia. She could not understand why Americans are so fascinated with these bits of history or why they are so nationalistic. Not having ever explained this before, I struggled to find words to express my feelings. What I came up with was something like this:

It is our democracy that gives us our freedoms and rights. We are brought up believing in that each one of us can make a difference in our government if we want to change it. Yes the impact of one individual is limited, but with a group of like-minded people the effect can be huge. We identify the struggle of our forefathers as a fight for what is fair and just, a fight of the few overcoming tyranny--very American ideals. Democracy is all about personal empowerment for the betterment of society. I added that even though it may be contrary to world opinion and sometimes history, Americans see their country as a force for good in the world. Even when we disagree with our current administration, we wholeheartedly believe in our form of government. Other countries have had very different histories and much less or no democratic government and so it is understandable that those peoples cannot understand the personal identification Americans have with democracy.

Well, I said something like that. Whether I answered her question satisfactorily, I don’t know.