On a Crest of A Wave . . .

The Search for Moby . . .

littlebird — Wed, 7 Sep 2011 10:03:00 GMT

Sophie and I spent the day wandering through a wet Central Park. We ploughed through the puddles with all the excitment of an eager tourist searching for those places that we had seen on movies and TV and have read about. We saw the main broadwalk that is seen in so many movies; Strawberry Fields and the building where Lennon lived and got shot outside of; Madonna's bench; the statue of Hans Christian Anderson - put there for the children who had lost a parent on 9/11; the statue of Alice in onderland.

Sophie nearly tred on a homeless man in a tunnel and grabbing hold of each other we practically legged it out of there! On the search for a toilet - sorry restroom! - we met a posing seal, asked an 'American' where to see the statues who promptly told us whilst I was getting licked to death by his dogs - albeit they were cute - that he didn't even know that they existed!We got lost but Sophie was a star in the map reading. Before we headed home we experienced the delicacy that is the huge pretzel it was salty and far too big to eat!

That night Emma was told that there was a free Moby concer in Washington Square. SO with another girl Christine, who we had met, we went in search for him via the big floor piano that was used in the film 'Big' - something that Christine had searched for I think a day - well it sounded like she had searched for it for 24 hours! That night Emma found out the hard way that short dresses - however quick they may dry from rain - are not a good combo for New York city grills on the ground! Though the men behind did not grumble about it!

Moby it seemed was rained off - so we sat in a little pizza place, for about 1 1/2 hours eating pizza and chatting. We got absolutely drenched on the walk home, Oh and we learn't that the doors of the Metro are relentless and don't give away prisoners easily, admist some girly screams and giggles we saved Christine and Emma from them!

Back at the hostel, this poor guy had been put into our 'girly' room obviously a hostel mistake his face was priceless when he realised that hw was in a room full of Intrepid touring girls but we let him sleep there - after all he needed a bed for the night.

Couldn't sleep so went in the room with Sarah, Emma and Christine. Met Chloe a little, smily Aussie and a German Kirstine - both doing the same tour. On entering my room I fell over a suitcase and giggled over the sight of my bottom in the air before going to bed to try and sleep! Tomorrow our journey begins . . .

New York, New York, Waterfalls and Fights . . .

littlebird — Tue, 6 Sep 2011 12:11:00 GMT

I met my roomie Emma during the night. After chatting we realised that we were doing the same Intrepid tour. We woke to a New York sky full of rain and as girls do debated at lengths on whether or not to wear a jacket. We did which with the rain being the tail ned of Hurricane Irene it turned out to be a wise decision - the rain was relentless. I wanted to check out the Statue of Liberty just to see if I wasn't cheated the last time I came to this city and was truly disappointed. My aim? To get closer.

Emma who by now thanks to having a one-to-one tour with a guy she met whilst biking in Central Park was a New York Metro expert. Or so I thought when I followed her down the street until she stopped and confessed that we had gone past the station. I recognised the street we were on from my previous visit so suggested that we go to Port Terminal the nearest station to where we were. Again I followed Emma and hopped onto the train happily behind her. The train carried on past 59th street where Emma smiled and said, 'that's where we should have got on.' Wait a minute? Didn't we walk past that stop? It dawned on me that we were heading North and not South.

'Emma we're going the wrong way.' She smiles after a moments thought and nods!

Because the train is an express one the next stop is somehwere in Harlem - 125th Street. We get off and after a few minutes of longing for the 'simple' London UNderground with an older couple who had done the exact same thing, we head on a train that is going to the right destination.

The rain is now heavy has we book tickets for the New York water taxi - the Circle Ferry seems to be closed. We wait with coffee - Emma is a huge fan or is that a fellow addict of caffeine?

It's choppy on the water and somehow it seems there is more water on the water taxi than in the Hudson, however we brave the elements and head out on the deck happily snapping away with the tourist equivalent to the swiss-army knife for a survival expert - our cameras!

'Come and stand over here,' Emma waves me under a ledge. Again, I follow her instructions, do as I am told and suddenly my left leg as been drowned by a gush of water. I move from under the ledge.

'Emma you're standing under a waterfall,' I tell her as a huge gush of water falls over the ledge. We laugh even though we are both drenched.

The Statue of Liberty looms up from out of the mist. I am closer and she looks everything that she supposed to. The moment however is slightly spoiled as one of the water taxi staff tries to get that perfect touristy snap - yes the one where the tourist looks like they're holding the famous landmark - the photo proves that he had failed!

We took the metro back (no worries this time) and wandered to a miserable looking Times Square. Emma wanted tickets for The Lion King show, asked a man who was selling them but he rambled on and on before she could tell him that she only wanted one of the tickets. He got really angry and started to shout at us. We exited the light show of Times Square his words of fury behind us. We did not look back!

Before heading back to the hostel - mainly for dry clothing - I took Emma to see the Empire State Building. We went shopping for yes you've guessed it - coffee and when we got back to the hostel, we had a new roomie, Sophie, who looked bewildered after her long flight to the states. It turned out that Sophie too was doing our tour.

Emma and I cooked pizza and sat in the lounge where a girl, Sarah motioned for us that there was space near her on the sofa. Sarah, with a confident and chilled persona chatted to us and was really interested in what we were doing and our lives. And when she said that she was also on our tour I just knew that I would get on well with her. Everybody I had met have been so nice and I couldn't wait for the adventure on the road to begin and to share some memoriable experiences with them.

Start of the Big Trip - London to New York and Good Karma

littlebird — Mon, 5 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

5th of September has finally arrived and after giving a couple of people directions in Heathrow I was boarding. I have now endured a fairly 'normal' and boring flight on a British Airways aeroplane but I must admit I did have a few giggles watching everyone trying to manage their cups of juice/wine etc when we went through several periods of turbulance.

Met a guy who was sat next to me (he was unaware that he was actually in the wrong seat but nobody else came!). He was from France and after a few minutes chatting we realised that he was going to the same New York hostel as me.

Now this is where my good karma will come from - at the airport I arranged for him to come on my airport transfer shuttle bus after all we were going to the same place. How nice of me!

Glorious sunshine met us at JFK airport and the journey to the hostel was long and this is where I have some more good karma coming to me. Helped a guy who was going to his Jewish university who only had a 100 dollar bill, was starting to panic because the shuttle guy would not change it. Yes, you've guessed super Rachel to the rescue I am sure I saw my sign in the sky too just like Batman! Changed his 100 dollar bill for him then panicked about how I could spend it - I'm sure I would find a way!

Hostel was friendly but compact. Somebody was in my room but I had not met them before I zonked out on the bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!