Suntrek Trip- Day 6- New York City- Times Square

We wrapped up our trek in the Big Apple spending our last day checking out the some tourist spots on offer.
Number one on the list was Times Square, the hub of entertainment and the iconic landmark of the city. The first thing that hits you is the immense size of the billboards and flashing lights from the vibrant advertisement. After spending about five minutes here it is hard to come away not craving a Coke Cola after being coaxed in by the ads begging you to cash on in the American Dream.

The Square seemed like it was bulging at the seams because of the amount of people here and it was hard to get anywhere in a group at a good speed. We found it easier to navigate the crowds by breaking into smaller groups. Walking down Broadway section of Times Square it is hard to avoid the street vendors that line the road selling their wares ranging from honey roast peanuts to fake Gucci Bags. This made buying gifts for people back home a great delight because
nothing can beat buying two bags for $30 and still have enough money to satisfy you own handbag fix. It is important not to forget the power of haggling, most peddlers are willing to go lower from the original asking price, so stick to your guns!
For people with cash to burn or those wanting to escape from the summer humidity, air conditioned shops can be a huge relief. Although in exchange for cool air you may have to use all your self control when entering shops that are honey pots for tourists. The biggest of them all are Virgin Mega Store and Toys R Us. Virgin Mega Store has three floors dedicated to music, film and books and would be hard pressed to find an artist they do not have. There are also frequent opportunities to go to a CD signing, if you are willing to queue. When I was visiting Justin Timberlake was in town and I met some girls who had queued up the night before to be guaranteed a meeting with their idol.

Toys R Us is another huge store that has four floors and looks like it could easily take up a block of its own. Inside is home to a 60ft tall Ferris wheel. On the third floor there is a three ton and 20ft high animatronic T-Rex that is taken from the film Jurassic Park.

*Top Tip- Macy’s offers an 11% discount for all tourists. Simply visit the customer service desk on the first floor. You will need to bring your passport for proof of nationality and you will presented with your discount card, which can be used for however long you are staying.
Macy’s Herald Square, 151 West 34th Street


*Top Tip -Free tickets for The Late Show with David Letterman. Obtain tickets by visiting the theater and submit an in person request. The theatre is located on 1697 Broadway. You can get tickets for you and three others and you can apply for more than one show to better your chances.
Another way, is to be randomly approached in the street by a show representative and they will ask simple question about the show. (It’s a nice surprise someone wanting to give you something, rather than trying to make you part with you cash). I tragically messed up this simple question and even more tragically begged to have another go and was refused.

Swiftly moving on, for theatre lovers’ half price tickets can be obtained for many popular shows including Rent and Les Miserable from the Broadway Ticket Center located at 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th streets. Queues here can be very long but be patient, appearances can be deceiving and these lines are pretty fast moving.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
1501 Broadway

While finding somewhere to eat here there is a possibility you could go hungry from indecisiveness due to being spoilt for choice. We chose the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a restaurant based on the film Forrest Gump, about a man who finds himself present in the most historic moments of America's history.
The entire place is dedicated to the film and the walls are filled with film props and memorabilia. For those who unfamiliar with the film like I was, there are televisions screening the film complete with subtitles. This can give you a little inspiration for what you can order, whether it’s a Run Chicken Run or Boat Trash, which I’m sure it is tastier then it sounds!

Ordering food adds to the novelty of the restaurant. On the table there is a 'Run Forest Run' sign. You keep the sign on 'Run Forest' until your ready to order flip the sign to 'Stop' and wait for the next available waiter to pass your table.

Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. That- that's about it.- Bubba

Cocktails are another specialty. Unfortunately due to being under 21 I could not take advantage of the alcoholic beverages but could still pick from a full menu of drinks that didn’t include any hard liqueur.
Another feature that made eating here memorable, was having the food served in little wicker baskets that were lined with newspaper. And on the paper were news stories that were related to the film, a small touch that brought the film to life for us.

All god things must come to an end

As the trek was coming to an end and we were dropped off at our hostels. It was a massive tug at the heart strings to know that I probably would never see these people again. Despite only knowing each other for a few days we got to share experiences that were unique to our group.I will always look back with a fondness at our cramped bus, trying to make a fire in torrential rain and running in terror from a skunk that had invaded our camp site.

I would suggest to anyone travelling alone for the first time to take a tour from Suntrek. I chose to travel along the East Coats because I had just finished camp and my budget would not allow for a domestic flight to California.
But the choice of tours is more wide-ranging on the West Coast. There are opportunities to go horse back riding, take a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon and visiting Ghost Towns of the old West.


For more information visit the Suntrek website
www.suntrek.com

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