Aug 30th2018
The first week of my trip , was spent in sunny Boston.
I landed in Boston Aug 30, and checked into an AirBnB in Roxbury.
It was a cosy home on the suburbs of Boston – not too far away from downtown Boston, well connected through the T line of trains. My hosts were super friendly and had two cute cats and a foster dog to keep me company. They made me feel at home immediately.
My conference started Tuesday and I had a good 4 days to spend in Boston. I figured out some basic logistic must haves. Here they are.
Three things you should have to get around the big cities:
a) Have Lyft and Uber installed on your phone, with your travel card attached to them. Very handy to take a cab. I still prefer travelling by train for most of the time, as cabs are expensive.
b) Have a GoCity pass – my friend recommended this and I am so happy I took it - first to see things around Boston and then I got the same for NYC as well. It is a simple pass that let’s you get around all of a city’s attractions at great discounts.
c) Get yourself the subway pass : Go to the nearest subway station and get a pass for a week or a few days – depending on the number of days you wish to stay. I took the Charlie pass for a week at Boston.
My first day started at Harvard University at Cambridge, Massachusetts. I took a subway train to Harvard Square and headed straight for the Official student led history tour of Harvard. To get here, just go to Harvard Square at Cambridge and you will find students with straw hats like the one Andy’s wearing the in the picture.
That’s our host – Andy – a sprightly student
The Harvard dining hall which inspired the Hogwarts hall
Once you've reached the HBS tour place, get a token and follow the group led by the students. They take you on a nice tour of all the entire campus spread over 42 acres with 35 buildings; the monstrous library, the graduation ceremony area, the houses were students stay, etc. The Widener library had its own history and has 1.5 million books.
Mr.Widener after whom the library is named, sank with the Titanic, but the books he collected made their way to build this library. There are six floors with books underground! Too bad they do not let you go inside – students only. Each big building has its own history and the students do a good job of dramatizing the stories, leading you into the tour. If you thought, a history tour with old buildings would be boring, this tour is anything but that.
I did not fully believe Andy when she told us about the primal scream. To blow off steam before the exams (!), students gather the night before the exams, run naked around the yard and end with a group scream. (How this relaxes exam nerves, is beyond me).
Kirkland house- where Mark Zuckerberg stayed till be dropped out (Recall the movie Social Network?)
Winthrop House - another building refurbished in recent times. Notice how houses have their own flags and emblem.
One of their oldest houses/dorms. Could there be a better setting to do some serious studying?
The Harvard Lampoon building.
At the end of the tour, they lead you to a Harvard story, with official merchandise. I got some caps and t-shirts to take back home.
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