NEW YORK, NEW YORK, LOVE IT!!

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SO THE FIRST DAY WE TOOK THE TRAIN FROM LINDEN IN NEW JERSEY TO NEW YORK PENN STATION IN NEW YORK CITY. THE JOURNEY WAS QUICK, ONLY 25MINUTES AND A BARGAIN AT $6. THE TRAINS ARE PRETTY MUCH LIKE AT HOME, BUT THE CONDUCTORS UNIFORM IS VERY SCARY AND OLD FASHIONED! ALSO YOU BUY YOUR TICKET AT THE MACHINE THEN THE CONDUCTOR TAKES IT FROM YOU AND SLIPS A LITTLE RECIEPT UNDER THE HEADREST INFRONT OF YOU AND THEN THEY COME TO TAKE IT AWAY BEFORE YOU REACH YOUR DESTINATION. STRANGE!


WE STROLL OUT FROM THE PLATFORM AND GRAB A FEW LEAFLETS, A FREE NY MAP AND A SUBWAY MAP AND OFF WE WENT, NO GUIDE BOOKS FOR THIS BIT, GREAT!


UNCLE JOE HAD TOLD US THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE WOULD BE POSSIBLE ON FOOT FROM NEW YORK PENN STATION AS IT WAS ALL IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. NO NEED TO USE THE SUBWAY SO WE SAVED MONEY THERE TOO!


WE CHECKED OUT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE SAME SITE AS NEW YORK PENN AND IF YOU ARE NOT WATCHING A GIG OR SPORTING EVENT , PERSONALLY I THINK GIVE IT A MISS, THERES NOTHING MUCH TO SEE. WE WALKED A LITTLE WAY DOWN THE STREET AND STUMBLED ON THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TICKETING OPTIONS BUT WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE A WANDER AROUND AND OBVIOUSLY SEE THE VIEWS FROM THE TOP. IT WAS A LOVELY DAY, HOT FOR NEW YORKERS, BUT PERFECT FOR US AND THE VIEWS OVER MANHATTAN TO ELLIS ISLAND AND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY WERE GREAT.YOU CAN SEE OVER THE RIVER TO NEW JERSEY AND ALL THE MAJOR LANDMARKS, LIKE THE CHYRSLER BUILDING, TRUMP TOWER AND GROUND ZERO.ALL IN ALL WE SPEND A HOUR IN THERE.


NEW YORK SO FAR SEEMED, DARE I SAY IT PRETTY QUIET! THE CLOTHES PEOPLE WERE WEARING WERE VERY RELAXED COMPARED TO LONDON OR EUROPEAN MAJOR CITIES, ITS RELAXED AND EASY TO GET AROUND, BUT CROSSING THE ROAD REMINDED ME A BIT OF HONG KONG, IN THAT YOU ALMOST HAVE TO WAIT OR PEOPLE TUT AT YOU!NO PROBLEMS SO FAR WITH TAXI DRIVERS, THERE WERE HOT DOG STANDS, PRETZEL STANDS, HALAL FOOD STALLS AT EVERY CORNER, THE POLICE PRESENCE IS PRETTY BIG, WHICH WAS GREAT FOR ME AS I GOT TO SEE MOUNTED POLICE CROSSING BROADWAY AS WE WANDERED UP TO TIMES SQUARE FOR A PIT STOP.

BEFORE I GOT TO NEW YORK I THOUGHT THE WHOLE 'LEXINGTON AND 14TH' THING WOULD DO MY HEAD IN , BUT ITS SO EASY, ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET LOST, LOVE THAT GRID SYSTEM!


WE WENT TO RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, WHERE I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT THEY PUT ON THE MOST AMAZING CHRISTMAS PRODUCTIONS WITH CRAZY SPECIAL EFFECTS, ROCKERFELLER CENTRE WE DIDN'T BOTHER WITH, ITS ALL SHOPS AND CAFES, AGAIN UNLESS THERES SOMETHING SPECIFIC YOU WANT TO GO THERE FOR I WOULDN'T BOTHER.


FITH AVENUE WAS GREAT ,GREAT AND HEARING ALL THE NEW YORK ACCENTS CHATTING LOUDLY TO COLLEAGUES OR INTO MOBILE PHONES MADE US CHUCKLE.


WHAT I REALLY LIKED ABOUT NEW YORK WAS THE ETHNIC MIX, I THINK THERE ARE LITTERALLY PEOPLE FROM EVERY PART OF THE WORLD IN NY AND THEY ALL HAVE LITTLE CORNERS, THE MOST NOTABLE ON OUR VISIT WAS THE HUGE PERCENTAGE OF LATIN AMERICANS AND BRAZILIANS, AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN, INDIAN, ITALIAN, POLISH AND CHINESE. FOR ME IT WAS WEIRD TO HAVE SO MANY OLIVE SKINNED DARK HAIRED PEOPLE ALL AROUND, IN THE STREETS, ON THE SUBWAY AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WENT TO THE THEATRE!!


OH YEAH WE WENT TO SEE WEST SIDE STORY ON BROADWAY WHICH WAS FANTASTIC , IT WAS A REVISED SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION AND FOR ME IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE TO GO TO WATCH IT ON BROADWAY. THE TYPICAL ROMEO AND JULIET STORY BUT WITH THE BACKDROP OF RACIAL UNREST BETWEEN THE PUERTO RICANS AND THE LOCALS AND OF COURSE ITS VERY SETTING BEING THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY IN THE 50'S MADE ITFOR ME.


THEY MAY BE RELAXED DURING THE DAY BUT BOY DO THOSE NEW YORKERS LIKE TO DRESS UP AT NIGHT, A TOTALLY DIFFERENT VIBE, TRENDY, INDIVIDUAL AND IMAGINE ME STILL SURVIVING IN MY TRAVELLERS GEAR!!

STRUTTING DOWN FITH AVENUE LIKE CARRY BRADSHAW WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL OUR NEXT TRIP, I THINK WE TRUDGED TO BE HONEST IN OUR FLIP FLOPS! BUT IT WAS GREAT A REALLY NICE WALK, NO HASSLE, WIDE PAVEMENTS, NO RUBBISH AND FANTASTIC SIGHT SEEING ALONG THE WAY!


YOU SEE ALL THE BIG DESIGNER NAMES IN NEW YORK BUT THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME, I LIKED ALL THE LITTLE THRIFT STORES THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY BARTER IN!ESP DOWN ON 14TH STREET.



FAO SWARTZ IS A GREAT TOY STORE AND IT HOUSES THE GIANT PIANO THAT TOM HANKS DANCED ON IN THE MOVIE'BIG', WELL WE HAD A GO ON THAT, WE HAD TO PUSH SOME PRINCESSES OUT OF THE WAY MIND YOU!

THE APPLE STORE RIGHT OUTSIDE IS A FREAKILY DESIGNED STORE, ITS ONLY UNDERGROUND AND THE ABOVE GROUND PART IS A TRANSPARENT SUSPENDED CUBE, VERY COOL.


WE SAW BREAK DANCING, BIBLE BASHING, MADMEN MUMBLING, ARTISTS PAINTING AND DRAWING, PEOPLE BLOWING GIANT BUBBLES, PEDICABS, CARRIAGE RIDES, HUGE PORTIONS OF FOOD, GIANT PRETZELS, THE TRUMP TOWER, TIFFANYS, MACEYS, BARNEYS, GRAND CENTRAL STATION, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE GORGEOUS ST PATRICKS, THE SUITED DOORMAN OF PARK AVENUE AND THE STORES ON MADDISON AVENUE, WE SAW NUMEROUS SETS FROM SEX AND THE CITY, THE SOPRANOS AND HEROES, CENTRAL PARK WITH ITS JOGGERS AND BASEBALL GAMES, LITTLE ITALY AND THE SMELL OF THAT AMAZING FOOD, CHINATOWN AND BEING ABLE TO WALK IN AND ORDER SOMETHING REALLY CHINESE WITHOUT GUESSING, NEW YORK PLAYGROUNDS, THE JUSTICE BUILDING, THE GUGGENHIEM, BROADWAY, TIMES SQUARE.


ITS ALL FABULOUS!!


WE DID USE THE SUBWAY ONE DAY AS WE NEEDED TO SAVE TIME AND BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO GET OUT TO THE BRONX TO THE NEW YANKEE STADIUM TO WATCH THE YANKEES PLAY THE TEXAS RANGERS(THE NEW STADIUM IS JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE OLD!).



WELL, WE BOTH LOVED GOING TO WATCH THE YANKEES, ITS A TYPICAL THING FOR NEW YORKERS TO DO, BUT NOT SO MUCH TOURISTS. THE GAMES CAN BE LONG OR SHORT, THERES CONSTANT FOOD AND DRINK AVAILABLE, THE BIG SCREENS ATTEMPT TO KEEP YOU AMUSED WHEN THE PLAY IS SLOW AND THEY HAVE THEIR CHANTING , BUT THEY WERE PRETTY UNINVENTIVE!!IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE DID DURING THE WHOLE TRIP. AFTER THE GAME WE WENT TO GET DAN A MCDONALDS AND THE GIRL WHO SERVED US NEARLY SCREAMED THE HOUSE DOWN WHEN SHE HEARD OUR ACCENTS AND SHE COULDN'T GET OVER THAT WE HAD GOT THE TRAIN FROM LINDEN TO MANHATTAN AND THEN COME ALL THE WAY TO THE BRONX TO SEE THE GAME, IT FREAKED HER OUT!!WE SAW JACK NICOLSON AND PAUL MCCARTNEY AS THE GAME AND THE ITALIANS NEXT TO US ACTUALLY SAID 'BADA BING' DURING THE GAME, BRILLIANT!!!


NOT AS SCARY HOWEVER AS GETTING THE TRAIN BACK TO LINDEN THAT NIGHT AND HAVING TO SHARE THE CARRIAGE WITH 12 YEAR OLD TAYLOR SWIFT (NEXT BRITNEY)FANS. HIDEOUS WITH ALL THAT 'I LOVE TAYLOR' SCRAWLED ALONG THEIR CHEEKS IN MAGIC MARKER, GROSS.


MY FAVOURITE BIT WAS HEARING TWO GIRLS FLICK THROUGH A MAGAZINE AND SLAG OFF THE PEOPLE IN IT FOR BEING 'OH MY GOD SHE'S JUST LIKE SO UGLY' WELL WHAT A PAIR OF MINGERS THOSE TWO WERE SO I DREAD TO THINK WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THAT MAG OF THEIRS!!


YEAH, THEY LOOOOOOOOOOOVE THE WORD LIKE, THEY USE IT ALL THE TIME, I OVERHEARD ONE GIRL USE IT 18 TIMES, I HAD TO GET UP AND MOVE SEATS!!


WE TRIED TO GO TO GROUND ZERO WHILST WE WERE IN NEW YORK, BUT THE WEATHER WAS REALLY TERRIBLE AND WE KNOW THAT WE WILL GO BACK SO WE WILL GO NEXT TIME.


THE LAST THING WE DID IN NEW YORK BEFORE WE LEFT WAS TAKE THE MISS NEW JERSEY FERRY TO ELLIS ISLAND AND THEN ONTO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, THE WEATHER WAS REALLY TERRIBLE BUT IT MADE FOR SOME GREAT MOODY PICTURES, NOT LIKE THE TYPICAL POSTCARD SHOTS SO I WAS HAPPY. ANOTHER DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME , I ALWAYS IMAGINED WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARRIVING BY BOAT TO SEE AND THEN SAIL PAST THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, NO MONEY, NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, BUT WITH DREAMS OF A GREAT AND FREE NEW LIFE AND NOW I'D SEEN HER THROUGH THEIR EYES AND SHE WAS LOVELY!!

THE RIDE FROM THE DOCKS WAS PRETTY MISERABLE AS THE WEATHER WAS TERRIBLE AND I WAS DREADING SAYING GOODBYE TO UNCLE JOE.THERE WAS A BIG BLUBBING GOODBYE OUTSIDE JFK AND THEN A HUGE WAIT FOR THE FLIGHT WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT WE MIGHT MISS!!WE HAD AN OFFER TO CHANGE OUR FLIGHTS TO THE NEXT DAY WHICH WE DECLINED.

CONTEMPLATING THE END OF OUR ADVENTURE WAS FRIGHTENING!!MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND NEVER KNOWING WHERE WE MIGHT END UP OR WITH WHO HAD BEEN THRILLING AND TIRING ALL AT ONCE. WE HAD JUST EXPERIENCED PROBABLY THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF FREEDOM WE ARE EVER LIKELY TO HAVE IN OUR LIVES. THE PROSPECT OF GOING BACK TO NINE TO FIVE JOBS AND SELLING OUR TIME FOR MONEY
SEEMED ALIEN AND SLIGHLY DERANGED!!WE HAVE SEEN, DONE AND EXPERIENCED SOME AMAZING THINGS WHICH I'M SURE IN TIME WILL BECOME SUCH FAR AWAY MEMORIES WE MAY WELL FEEL THAT WE WERE NEVER THERE AT ALL, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT, NOT TO BE SCARED AND TO TRY NEW THINGS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, TO TRAVEL TO WEIRD AND WONDERFUL LANDS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN A WHITE FACE AND WHERE YOU CANNOT COMMUNICATE EXCEPT WITH A SMILE. A MOST FANTASTIC ADVENTURE WITH A STRANGE MIX OF SIGHTS, SMELLS, SMILES, COLOUR,MUSIC, ADRENALINE, DREAMS AND BEAUTY THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME(OR AT LEAST UNTIL WE SAVE THE MONEY TO GO AGAIN!)XXX

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