Empire State...

Finally made it to NYC…..

After a long flight (sitting on a stand still plane) I made it to New York, I got a cab and met Rach at the hotel in the lobby was so funny to finally see her again. Then we headed down to time square which was just round the corner we walked past hotel carter and I said oh heaps of people from camp are staying there and next thing you know I see three people from camp Natalie, Katie and Tom it was so bizarre then from the hotel comes Carl, Abbie and Jess was really cool to see them again and how crazy to bump into them in the big apple. We then walked thru time square to T.G.I.F were we met Simon, Leonie and Mike so cool to spend time with New Zealanders they said the word jandels and I expected someone to say no flip flops haha. We then went to a little bar and then back to the hotel about 2am ish.

Day One in the Empire State

We woke up about ten am and headed across the road from breakfast, we then caught the subway from time square down to Spring Street in Soho and walked around Soho, we nearly missed the Kardashian's store it had the smallest signs but we went inside and had a look around, we had to get let in by security and then they had another security guard inside, for a tiny shop it seems a bit extreme but I guess they are who they are and everyone knows them. We then continued to walk through Little Italy basically just a few streets with a lots of Italian restaurants and shops saw a lot of handbags, then we walked through Chinatown not that exciting just a street full of Chinese shops, from there we walked to the Brooklyn bridge which was super busy but it was so cool, we walked all the way to Brooklyn and went to a little pizza place which had a huge queue out the front but Rach and Si had already been so they knew to ring and order, we then got our pizza and headed down the street to Brooklyn Bridge park, we sat in the park overlooking the bridge and the city eating our pizza.

After lunch we then walked back across the bridge and down to the 9/11 Memorial Site where they have a lots of info and artefacts and the plans for what is being built there, it was really sad. We then walked past were ground zero was, it just looks like a giant building site. From there we walked around the waterfront to the ferry terminals and caught the free Staten Island ferry, we went right past the statue of Liberty then on the way back the sun was setting over the harbour it looked gorgeous. By this time we were all exhausted from all the walking we had done so it was nice to sit down.

When we got back to Manhattan we caught the subway up to Grand Central station and it was most defenelty Grand, didn’t realise it was as amazing as it was, for a train station it was beautiful. From there we walked up to the Empire State Building, the queue was seriously long to go up to the observatory deck but we toughed it out and made it up and we were so glad we did it was dark by this time and the city lights were amazing a 360 degree view of the city a definite must if you come to New York. From there we caught a taxi back to the hotel and chilled for a bit, then we headed down to McDs to use the internet, were I bumped into Natalie, Katie and Tom again such a big city yet I bumped into them twice. Then it was time for bed after our long day of walking.

Day Two in the big Apple..

We woke up similar time, got organised and then started walking this time we headed from the hotel up toward central park, we detoured thru Rockefeller centre which was so cool, in winter they had a ice skating rink in the middle, it is a bar in the summer, apparently they have the xmas lights there as well, we walked around then headed down 5^th Avenue, for those who love to shop this is the place to go all the big names, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Harry Winston, Trump Tower, we didn’t go into any shops but it was amazing just to walk down the street and see them all, we then found FAO Schwartz with the giant piano, so of course we had to have a play on it, they had some amazing toys in that shop, a Barbie foosball table if you’re willing for $25,000.

From there we headed across the road to the Plaza hotel Rach and I walked into the lobby it was very fancy if only we could afford to eat there. We then wondered over to Central Park, so amazing a huge big park in the middle of a giant city, there were lots of people there eating their lunch and sunbathing running thru the park, it was nice to walk thru the trees and the fresh air. We walked up about ¾ of the way then grabbed some lunch then headed back down the other side we stopped outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a photo then back into the park to find the boathouse and the mall (frequent movie appearances you’ll see from the photos) we then walked back to the hotel from central park, Rach, Si and Leonie headed down to lower Manhattan to have dinner with a friend and I caught up with my friends from camp for dinner, we went to planet Hollywood then to an Irish Pub.

Off to DC now will update asap, ps on the Bus to DC using the internet weird free WiFi loving it!!! xxx