New York marked the ending point of my first tour - the Grand Southern - with Contiki and with my new Contiki Family. I have made some new friends and some new family on this trip.
When we left Washington D.C. we headed north to Philadelphia. Our first stop was lunch, and when in Philadelphia, you have to try a Phillie Cheese Steak. It's a french stick sandwich with roasted meat and melted cheese, plus mushrooms, capsicum and onions if you want. It was goooood!
After Philadelphia we hit the road north again to New York and the end of the tour. As you can imagine it was mixed emotions on the bus - excitement for finally being in New York and sadness at leaving our new friends. But, with such wonderful technology as Facey-book we have stayed in touch while in the big city and now that we have gone our seperate ways too.
In New York I had a new roomie - Zoe and a new tour. This was the New York Uncovered tour, still with Contiki, but a little different, as it was all in the one city and only for a few days. Rather than a coach bus to travel from place to place we walked or caught the subway. And, New York was having a heatwave - high 30's/40's every day with high humidity. I don't think I've ever sweated so much my life. Plus I was tired. So very tired. After 26 full on days on tour, I wanted a sleep in.
Alas, the tour of New York started the very next day and I didn't get my sleep in until the third morning. It might seem slightly silly to waste half a morning in NEW YORK on sleep, but I needed it, desperately. And here's why. You tell me you wouldn't need a sleep in after doing all this in the heat after a 26 day tour:
- Did a city tour on a coach bus
- Visited a church in Harlem
- Dropped by the Apollo theatre
- Had lunch at Grand Central Station
- Paid my respects at the 9/11 Memorial
- Took a 25 minute Helicopter around the island of Manhattan
- Had dinner at a pub in Times Square
- Soaked up the atmosphere in Times Square at night
- Caught yellow taxi cabs
- Rode the subway
- Cruised out to the Statue of Liberty
- Did a food cart tour around Downtown, Manhattan
- Saw 'Newsies' on Broadway!
- Ate at Red Lobster
- Had a picnic in Central Park
- Shopped at Tiffany & Co on 5th Avenue
- Walked through Rockerfeller Centre
- Experienced a typical Jewish dinner at a local kosher deli
- Went up the Empire State Building at night
New York felt a lot safer than I thought it would and despite the warnings of unfriendly Americans, I didn't really experience that. The island of Manhattan is so packed in it's crazy. Every inch of the island is jam packed. It's also fairly well labelled - it's chronological for the most part, making it way to navigate for tourists such as myself. There is so much to do and see, you'd need several weeks at the least to see everything you could, but that would cost a fortune! So, the tour around the city was a great way to see as much as possible, and make the most of the few days I had there.
I'll have to come back though, there is so much more to see and experience. Mark my words, I'll be back to this amazing city!
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