Amazing.... Just when you think that the whole travel bug has totally gone from the system, you go somewhere new and get really excited about being there. That's exactly what NEW YORK has done for me.
The plane landed at JFK airport at 10:30 at night and then I had to get myself into Manhattan. This wasnt too bad as I had been told exactly which lines on the Subway to take. I arrived at the hostel by 12:30 at night and it was the only time that I have slept with my money belt inside the sleeping bag. I had no idea what the people were like. Morning was completely different as I found that the place was just the same as any other that I had been staying at. In fact, I once again got into a conversation with someone else who was from Australia and we decided to go check out New York together because it would be one hell of a lot more fun.
First stop on the agenda was the Brooklyn bridge. What a sight from the middle looking both downtown and uptown Manhattan. This is also where City Hall is. It was unusually busy, as there was supposed to be a transport strike on that day (The first one since 1980) so cameras and TV crews were EVERYWHERE.
Then downtown we went to catch a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty. The guide books are definatly right. It costs $10 to go to the Island and the statue was actually closed. So instead, you can catch the FREE Return Staten Island Ferry which passed very close to the statue anyway. That was quite good for me. http://www.nps.gov/stli/
Once back at Manhattan. We decided to just walk around Downtown to get a feel for the place. Along Wall street and past the Federal Reserve Bank. Stopped off for a New York hotdog. and went walking up 6th ave towards Ground Zero (The sight of the World Trade Centre Complex).
I was absolutely blown away by the amount of t-shirts, flowers and things that were still out as memorials to those who died. There is so much more to the incident than most people actually realised. We were lucky that there was a former Trade Centre tour guide giving free information on how many buildings were destroyed, the amount of damage for several blocks around and the fact that there were a lot more than just those 2 twin towers that were destroyed on Sept. 11. I was also completely astounded by the absolutely remarkable effort that had been done to repair all of the damage. Buildings looking untouched, where almost every single piece of glass had been shattered, and the outside of the building was completely covered in glass. Great holes that had been carved into buildings from falling debris were repaired as if they had never existed. And the HUGE area in which the buildings all fell and so many people died. Although there is no longer any trace of the original buildings, the area really does have to be seen to be believed.
What a way to spend most of a day. As the sun was already starting to set, it was back to the back to the brooklyn bridge for some absolutely spectacular sunset shots. Can't wait to get home to show everyone those. After dark, went out to catch a live band and 3 of us went for a train ride and walk around Uptown Manhatten. More about that later.