New York, New York

After a four hour delay leaving Rome, and bumping into Michelle Emmett, I was in the air and fast asleep, that is, until like a battery hen, I was fed. Flying - we wait, we get searched, we get on board, we sit, we eat, we sit, we eat! See, just like a battery hen. It was a good flight and the staff on American were very good. Here is my first day wake up view from my room. A bit different from Rome huh?

I was actually glad of the delay as I was trying to reclaim some VAT $$$ at the airport, and didn't that become a drama. Each layer of Italian Customs do not quite know what each other does, and nor do they know where each office is located within the airport complex. There are signs with good pictures, but when arriving at the said sign, another piece of paper needs to be stamped by someone in another office, which as it turned out for me, was in another part of the airport. I was not going to be defeated. I wanted my $$$. Actually, I needed my $$$, they were mine and I was going to get them back come hell or high water. I caught a train, a bus and another train all around the airport, only to end up one floor below where I started, and one escalator away from the airport train that takes me to the departure gate. I had to get up at 5.00am for all this, without a cup of tea, without knowing where I was going and what I was doing. So the extra four hours came in handy, all for my few $$$. I had victory though.

As soon as I arrived in New York, things went smoothly through Immigration and Customs then onto my hotel.

I began my day, after prayers of course, by walking to the harbourside. I saw a helicopter and yes, I jumped in. Now you know why I needed my $$$. While I have been to NYC before, this is the first time I have ever done anything like this. Fantastic - better than the double decker scenic bus tour! Here are some pics of the obvious, including my first views of Ground Zero or "Ground Hero" as it is called here. The aircraft is the last Concorde alongside the retired USS Intrepid.aircraft carrier.

Then off to a show or two. Bonus! I managed to get a good ticket to Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. Love this city as a visitor.

This page is dedicated to the hungry and homeless of New York and the world. I stuff my backpack with fruit from the hotel breakfast, to try to make a small difference.