New York, New York

The city never sleeps, but unfortunately I need to! There is just so much to do, I barely have time to squeeze in a few hours of sleep, hence the lack of blogging. I've decided to try to blog early in the morning. So today I will give an update of yesterday's activities and tomorrow I will try to recount today's activities, which may be boring, considering we came home with lots of shopping bags this evening and very few pictures!

After looking at the weather forecast for the week, we decided that on Monday we should try to do the Statue of Liberty, since Tuesday and Wednesday would be rainy days.

We woke up to a beautiful morning and I decided to take a run in Central Park, which was a great experience. Hashanti decided to pass on the run, but Mairi joined me. The park was filled with people running, cycling, taking part in little "housewife boot camps" complete with exercise mats and weights, people taking their dogs for a walk, and of course tourists.

We didn't feel so much like tourists, since we didn't have the cameras and we were running there right alongside the locals. Central Park is a wonderful oasis right in the middle of the city. I believe I ran along the same path that Charlotte from "Sex and the City" usually runs.

After the run and a lazy shower and breakfast, it was already after 11 by the time we left the house. We got to the ticket sales booth for the Statue of Liberty trip, to find a queue longer than I've ever seen! We were told that AFTER we bought I tickets, there would be a 90 min to 2 hour wait before we could board the boat to Liberty Island! We couldn't see where the queue started or ended.

Since it was already around 12, we decided to just buy our city passes, which include tickets to the Liberty Island and a few museums and other attractions around New York. For the time being we had to be satisfied with the fake statues in the park and with seeing Lady Liberty across the river.

We decided not to waste the trip all the way downtown altogether, so we jumped on the Staten Island Ferry, which is free, just for the view.

During the trip on the Staten Island Ferry, you do get a teeny bit closer to the Statue of Liberty than you are while on land.

After the little ferry trip, we opted to go shopping. In New York, shopping is one thing you can do all day. Some stores are actually open 24/7, like at least 2 of the Apple stores, and even some hair dressing salons! We went into a discount store of course, where you can find brand names at better prices, but you have to be willing to really look, and sometimes even rummage, through some bad stuff, before you're lucky enough to find some really good stuff.

Before we realised it, we were running late for the baseball game. We had gotten tickets for a historic game in THE Yankee stadium in the Bronx: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox. (The Yankees are also known as the Bronx Bombers, the Yankee stadium has always been in the Bronx. The current stadium is newly built, but is not far from the original one.)

The game was epic. I have to admit that it was much bigger and rowdier than the game we went to in Washington. The fans of these teams are SERIOUS about their sport. There was some genuine rivalry during the game. Security even had to break up a fist fight between two girls!! This is the home of the Yankees, but there were a few brave Red Sox supporters who dared to wear their red and white amongst all the navy blue and white.

Since we were in New York, we were Yankee supporters of course, all the way! It was a tight game. The Yankees started off with a bang: Alex Rodriguez took the score to 5-0 in the very first inning and the Yankees kept the lead until around the 7th inning, but halfway through the 9th (and last) inning, the Red Sox were leading 9-7. Again A. Rod. stepped up to the plate and saved the day. The Yankees won by the skin of their teeth: 10-9!

As the normal fans left the stadium, us temporary fans stopped to watch as the field and the stadium was being prepared for the next game.

After the game we took the subway all the way downtown back into Manhattan to 5th Avenue and met a friend of my aunt's, who lives in Brooklyn, for a drink at a very trendy bar. The bar is in a garden on the roof of a building just opposite the Empire State Building. So as you sip on your cocktail you have a beautiful view. Since it was a little bit chilly last night, as you walked into the bar, there were racks of fluffy red gowns. You could help yourself to a gown and wrap yourself in it if your drink wasn't hot enough. There were also blankets and heaters. It's one of the only bars open from 16h00 to 04h00 Monday to Sunday, come rain or shine in New York.

We left the bar around 1h30 and walked down the street to catch the subway train. It felt a bit surreal to be walking around at that time of the night and especially to be getting on a train.

You've got to love New York!