Boston, the Cradle of Liberty

When I arrived past 1am, I was surprised to hear that the subway line closed at 12:30am. This came as a shock, since I had just come from New York City. Not only this, the guy who told me this pronounced the time as not "twelve thirty" but more like "twelve thoity". I realized that this must be the Boston, or "Boaarston", accent everyone was on about before I got here.

The area east of Boston, called Cambridge, was where I first went the next morning. This place is famous for its youthful vitality and for being the birthplace of higher education in America, housing two of the top universities in the world - Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I took an unofficial tour of Harvard, or "Hahvahd" as they pronounced it. The institution is the oldest in the USA. The tour guides (who were Harvard students) were as eccentric and verbally literate as one could imagine, speaking almost like they came right out of a Shakespearean play. The buildings, especially ones in Harvard Square (the main quad of Harvard) were very old and prestigious. Since the tour was unofficial, we as the audience learned various inside secrets behind Harvard's long history.

There were many student-inclined shops lining Massachusetts Ave right next to Harvard, all the way down to MIT. MIT was also very nice, teeming with very scholarly students indeed. The Charles River separated Cambridge from main Boston, and it sure was a good sight.

I had hotdogs at Downtown Crossing in the Boston CBD, which honestly didn't feel like a CBD at all. Roads were cobbled, very narrow and cars didn't seem to exist. It felt like it was almost impossible to get run over by a vehicle. It was that safe. Boston also had this thing for donuts. I saw a Dunkin Donuts almost at every other intersection.

I then walked over to Boston Common and the Public Garden, which were both very nice.

After seeing this, I followed the Freedom Trail using my travel "bible"as a guide. The Freedom Trail follows historic landmarks along a route through Boston that symbolizes the path to America's independence. It started in Boston Common, and ended in Bunker Hill in Charlestown, which was across the Charles River. On the way, there were many historically important buildings with interesting architecture, including the Massachusetts State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, and Old North Church. The USS Constitution was also one of the stops, being probably the most famous vessels in the history of the US Navy.

A water taxi carried me back to Boston with good views and a fresh breeze to cool me off.

To end things at Boston, I had a light stroll down the Esplanada, which is an area/path right next to the Charles River through which runners, rollerbladers, cyclists and walkers kept fit. I could tell that this area was a popular exercise spot for Harvard and MIT students.

Personally, I loved Boston. Its student culture, serenity and friendliness made it my favourite city of them all.