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So after savaging my hand last night, we wake up to hear room 113 making sexual noises from next door. They were at it the night before rather loudly and this morning they thought they would be nice and make us feel part of the party. Our wall was vibrating and we came to the conclusion that she may well have been Chinese as the shrill cries resembled something you would hear when ya local take away reads your order back to you. Not a pleasant alarm clock...
I popped next door to get more bagels from dunkin donuts and bought em back to our room and watched the end of Harry Potter. Soon after Becca felt the full after effects of a few busy days and began to act strangely....inventing a new dance called the Camel Toe and dancing around to MC Hammer in her onesie. They must have put something drug related in her bagel!
When then checked out of the hotel formally known as Red Carpet Inn and said goodbye to our friends next door who were having sex in the city. We ordered a cab to take us to the Journal Square subway station but then changed our mind last minute and decided to try and attempt to check in at the Hilton....another $45 later and we were there. Luckily we were able to check in early so we put our bags in to our luxurious room, stuffed some left over coronas in an ice bucket and then decided to head into New York again to use up our hop on bus passes.
We got a shuttle bus from the hotel to Newark airport to get the train into New York. The trains in America are a lot different to the trains in England. For a start they are double decker (to which I forgot and assumed the people downstairs were actually travelling underground as opposed to us actually being above the ground) and the seats are actually comfortable and have leg room. Southeastern. Take note.
We arrived at Penn Station by Madison Square Garden and stopped for Pizza Hut although I was distracted by a Taco Bell next door. As I wasn't that hungry, I figured it best to wait until a starving time so I could really enjoy the best food in the world. We then walked to 34th street to collect our tour bus Uptown to check out Central Park, Harlem and the Museum of the City of New York. Our tour guide was amazing. A very animated guy who Becca thought sounded like Hattie May Pearce from Big Mamma`s house and she wasn't far off!
Although Downtown was more to see sight wise, Uptown was probably more interesting as there was more historic sights and we saw the houses of Denzel Washington, Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Roberta Flack.....and....probably the most famous of all.....Heather Mills.....Or not....Also saw where Marilyn Monroe and Katherine Hepburn used to live, and probably a little more depressing but we also saw the exact place where John Lennon was shot and killed. Cheery.
Harlem was also an interesting place to go through. The Projects were just how I imagined them to be. Big tall buildings with a load of kids from the neighbourhood outside playing basketball and many shops that sold designer gear like Louis Vuitton bags for $5.
We got off the bus a bit later to go to this Museum that we got told we could go in for free (otherwise I wouldn't have been seen dead in there). Now I know if something free is offered to you (as taught by Becca) take it, but in the case I was still highly dubious as I am not fond of Museums as my attention wavers easily. Setting foot in this place and I instantly knew why I bore easily. The `City of New York` museum was the most boring thing I have ever done. There was like 1 mini exhibition per floor (there were 3 floors) and although Becca tried to act cultural, even she gave up after a while thinking some shiny lights were the most exciting thing in there. The free WiFi was the most exciting thing for me.
We hopped on the bus again and got off at Central Park to take some photos of trees, trees and a lot more trees. Oh, and squirrels. Managed to snap Big Bird from Sesame Street taking a casual stroll by the lake. Random. A lovely place though and has a really relaxing atmosphere.
By the time we got off the last bus it was roughly around 7pm so we decided to head back to the hotel in Newark to meet the people from our tour group who we will be spending the next 2 months of our lives with. I nearly ended up stranding myself and Becca at another station when I told us to get off at the wrong stop until Becca asked the ticket inspector where we were and was a good job she did (although I'm too proud to admit that to her)
Arriving back at the hotel around 8.15pm, we met the others in the lobby for first time. Waiting for us there were Dannielle from Scotland, George from Cornwall, Katy from Surrey, Emily from Hampshire, Isle from London, Ben from Surrey and a lady (who cannot remember name for life of me) from Australia...who is 38. They were all really nice but due to a combo of jet lag/tiredness and stuffing themselves with the fattest pizza ever I think everyone just wanted there beds...and I was one of them. More joined in later but everyone made their ways up to bed. What a grand first meet :-|.
As I am writing this I am falling asleep so will update tomorrow on Day 1 of the tour!!!
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