Day 275 to 278 USA, NYC

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Hello everyone!!!



We arrived in JFK New York around 9am; we had to make our way to Flushing Meadows on the tube system where we were staying; it was easy really. We took the JFK loop train to Jamaica Street then changed to the brown line until Jackson Street, here we changed to the 7 line to 111^th Street and then it was just a 5 min walk to the Holiday Inn we were staying in. My cousin Paul had really helped us out and sorted us out two free nights here via his reward points. Thanks again Paul!!!



The room was amazing, we had a penthouse room and it was huge! It had a King bed, a bath, free coffee machine, TV, and a great view. We stayed in the hotel for a little bit phoning home and using the wifi before heading out to the city.



We got the 7 line back in all the way to Times Square, we didn’t have to change train which is great for our travels to and from here. We have plans to meet Vicky’s friend Koyanna (who she met at Camp in Pennsylvania back in 2008) for dinner and to pick up the keys to her place where we will be staying from the 22^nd and 23^rd nights (thanks Koyanna!).



We walked around Times Square and then headed to 5^th Ave to look at shops for Vick, heading towards the restaurant where we were meeting. New York is crazy, so busy and a million shops, we finally walked down to 17th street and to the restaurant ‘Lilies’. We got there before the others so we had a drink and got a table. Koyanna and her boyfriend turned up and had 6 mates with her, so we moved to a bigger table. We chatted, drank beer and had a really nice meal there. It was good catching up with her after all these years. She also gave us a spare set of key for her flat so we can stay on Saturday and Sunday night. Afterward the meal we headed in different directions back home.



We got back late and had a nice cuddle in our King bed as we seemed to get lost in the size of it!! After spending every night for the past 10 months in a dorm room or a box private, this is complete luxury.



Over the next three days in NYC we spent most of the time walking around shops and different streets/avenues. It was easy to catch the metro in to Manhattan from Queens, and then from Koyanna’s flat in Brooklyn.



We had no problems dropping our things off at her flat Saturday morning, she wasn’t in as she was spending the weekend at a camp reunion, so it was really good of her to let us stay. She has other flat mates, who are really friendly.



We didn’t do many sights as I have done most of the major attractions, but we did walk to ground zero, which now has a new build and a huge fountain memorial sight. We found our favourite shops, including LuluLemon, TJmax, expensive designers; we looked at loads of street art, drank beer in cafes, and ate delicious food in Whole Foods Market.





We sorted through some clothes and a bag we weren’t going to need again for the trip or even back home as they were worn through. Instead of chucking them out though we gave them to a homeless man we saw, who really seemed to appreciate it!



I really love NYC, apart from all the people, I love the compactness and the fact that you have everything you could possibly ask for in such easy reach. We love Central Park and all the hidden gardens you can just sit in and watch the world go by.



We left Koyanna’s flat about 10am on Monday 24^th August, heading for the Crowne Plaza, Newark. We caught the metro back into Times Sqaure and then paid for a bus to Elizabeth. We paid $9 but this was the full ticket until the end stop, which we found out afterwards that we were getting off at the first stop (30 minutes later) but we weren’t sure-never mind. We found the hotel easily as it was stood up over everything. We arrived about 11.30am and had to wait about an hour and a half until we could get a room that was ready (check-in was actually 3pm so we were lucky). While we waited I went to the gym there and Neil played with his new toy: Samsung S6.



Once we dropped our bags off in our gorgeous hotel room (though it didn’t feel quite as good as the Holiday Inn, as this time we had to pay for it) and then went across the road to get some lunch. It was a bit of a treat as it was fairly expensive for our budget but we though ‘it’s our last meal before camping/camp food for the rest of our trip’, there was also not any supermarkets around the area as we are on the ring road of Newark airport.



After lunch we stayed in the hotel, using the pool, having a bath, watching TV etc. We messaged everyone in our group who we were finally meeting tomorrow, but everyone was quite tired it seemed as most had flown in today from England, so were all a bit jet lagged.



I found out later in the evening that I had been scheduled in for an Excel test first thing tomorrow (as in 6am, to accommodate the time difference). So I spent the last few hours before bed watching YouTube clips on the basic in Excel.





Good night everyone!!! The last leg of our trip is here!!!







Love N&V X

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Comments

[Home and Away]

Welcome to the U.S.A....
I'm really looking forward to reading your blogs about your time here.