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Published: December 25th 2005
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Got up tired again!! Only 2hrs sleep, it doesn’t seem to stop or get any better!!
Going to Annapolis, the Capital of Maryland and home to the US Naval Academy, we were all fairly quiet and not particularly energetic. The town was preparing for the Memorial Day Parade.
We went for a quick walk then back on the bus, crossed the Potomac and stopped in to see the ‘Rocky’ Statue in Philadelphia. Richard Gere is from Phili.
We made our way through Philadelphia where we went and saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, (although it was a little disappointing that the queue was too long to go inside) - which is where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution where signed - these are founding documents of the USA. The bell was brought to Phili in 1752 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges. The first ringing of the bell caused it to crack, and therefore causing it to be recased a second and third time by John Stow and John Pass. Thus the inscription ‘Pass & Stow’ on the bell. The bell symbolises ‘American Freedom’.
Phili was the capital for a
while before Washington D.C took over as capital.
Finally we arrived in New York. I decided to go with the group for our farewell dinner... it was terrible saying goodbye to the friends that we had made over the past 24 days.
I exited quickly in an effort to try and see a couple of the sights of New York before heading to the Bahamas.
I managed to catch the subway on my own at night (Don't worry mum!!) down to the closest point without going across to the island, to see if I could catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty - I managed to get a look with the help of my video camera zoom! Then I walked briefly on the river walk up to where the World Trade Centre once stood...Ground Zero. Before I got there I could see where it was missing from the sky. The sheer size of the gap leaves you feeling quiet sad on the approach. I felt an overwhelming sense of grief yet could not avert my eyes… It’s not easy to see the site as it is brightly flood lite and there is fencing all around with
meshing. It is hard to believe that massive skyscrapers fell on this very spot and that this was the home of the September 11 attacks which I sat on my lounge room floor almost 5 years ago and watched on the TV in horror. They aren't calling it Ground Zero now, they are calling it the World Trade Centre Construction site since construction on the memorial and new buildings has begun. It is hard to image what the scene would have looked like back on September 11th. I stood out front of the World Trade Centre Station (Subway) which is now closed, for a very long time… I thought about all of the lives this tragedy affected.
It was now almost 10pm so I then jumped on the subway and went back uptown to my hotel and packed for the Bahamas. I was surprised how not scared I was compared to walking around Dallas and Memphis. I had expected New York to feel scary. I got the lines wrong on my train back uptown though, mine split around the wrong side of the park so I had to leave the train and catch a cab back but it was
all good!!
I missed Central Park - I hope to do the horse and carriage ride around it when I return and to catch the Empire State Building then also.
Was just about to go to bed when Natalie rang, her and Anna wanted me to go to Mozart Café to meet them, apparently the best desert place they’d ever seen and they assured me it was not to be missed!!!
I walked down and they were right! 69 different desserts!! We ordered order one thing each and once we were all sufficiently sick from eating the deserts we retired back to our room and I made it to bed at midnight then had to pack so no sleep again!!! Arrggghhh!!
I had to get up at 3.30am, so surviving on 2 hours sleep I was off again. My shuttle was late and didn’t collect me until 4.15am, they then dropped me at the wrong airline and after a very long trek I arrived where I needed to be about 3 hours before my flight and there was no internet access and then all of the flights were delayed so I had a bit of time
to phone home and talk to dad which was great! Although staying in bed a while longer wouldn’t have been bad either!
It really was sad to leave some of the guys from our tour last night and I do kinda wish I was doing the Big Apple explorer with everyone else, but I could also use the rest!!
Bahamas here I come!!!!!
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