NY

Monday 21st April Day 10

Packed and went on up to American Natural History Museum. But first got told it would cost $20 to cloak our bags after staying there for 8 nights!- We got them down to $12. In New York everything is negotiable...We had to queue with our prepurchased tickets to get into the Museum. This took about half an hour - and we only had about 1hr 15mins before we had to scoot back to the hotel and cab it to the airport. It was very busy. We managed to see the North American Animal and Indian exhibits and the planetarium show - about space collisions. Robert Redford was narrator. Wonderful show. The centre is enormous and we will be back <:
Sat next to Dmitri on the Plane. He is travelling to Moscow, we are off to Helsinki. Dmitri emigrated to NYC wth his Russian parents when 8 in 1987. Loves New York - to a degree.
He is an environmental officer and works cleaning the 9/11 site and surrounds and has done for 7 years. They still haven't worked out the insurance for all of it. He normally walked through the World Trade Centre every day at 8.45am, but stayed at his girlfriend's on that fateful morning and thus was saved. So he married her and now they have a 4 year old son. He doesn't want to bring his son up in NYC and is looking at going back to work in Moscow and bring his son up there. He told us of the many social problems just on the boundaries of NYC and how social cohesion seems wonderful on Manhattan but all is not happy families once you hit the outer burroughs. Can't wait for Bush to get out and wants Obama to win.

Things we have learnt in New York.
How to cross the road - fast and early, watch for cabs
If in doubt honk.
How to get the train (subway). A,C,E and 1 or 6
How to walk down the pavement with 300,000 others (keep right).
How to cheer at the Basketball and Baseball (CCCCCharge)
Those giant pretzels with sugar on top - it's actually a year's supply of salt
Macy's food hall is great for fresh roasted and steamed vegies
You can get healthy soup along any block
10 blocks is about a mile
40F is chilly
A beanie is called a cap
Any small space, even tiny, is an advertising opportunity.
You can read a book at midnight in Times square
The people of New York are very hospitable, helpful and polite.
You really can go non stop 24/7 in this town - we gave it our best shot
We Love New York



With apologies to Henry Moore, Sex and the City and The Pope and his followers for any offence caused.

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