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The first decision of the day; pay a huge toll to cross over into NYC in little time or go the scenic route and take 2.5 hours?
In the end the scenic route took a little over 3 hours cos we kept stopping at viewpoints. Upstate NJ was a bit of a revelation to me, nothing like the NJ I remember. Mind you, I was always in the area close to Manhattan so it shouldn't have been a surprise. Some spectacular views over the Hudson to NY that could only have been better if the day were sunny not overcast and as murky as it was.
We went all the way up to Bear Mtn to cross, for those who've been reading my blogs, still no bears lol. All we saw were deer grazing by the road. The crossing at Bear Mtn wasn't the Geo Washington bridge but then again it was a tenth the price too and the getting there far prettier :-)
We found our Harlem B&B easily enough thanks to the GPS, finding a park was a little harder. We shifted the car a couple of times and did a few loops of the local blocks. The streets around the B&B are all one way and have confusing signs re when you can and can't park there. We finally worked it out with the assistance of a local pastor who was hosing down his church stoop. Our instructions worked to get us in the building but then room 3, per instructions, didn't exist. The owners sister in law arrived and pointed out we had been changed to room 2 and they'd begun reno's on what had been assigned to us. We think they've only just finished doing room 2 cos it smells of paint and varnish, has no door handles anywhere, no towel rails, no TV and no fridge. We questioned the last two and thought they understood us - they're all Russian.
We got our gear in, had some lunch and set off on the big adventure that is NYC. One block down we found the subway per the map app and we were heading downtown with no set stop in mind. There was the mandatory crazy on the train ranting and raving, gotta love NY lol. We heard Times Square stop announced and thought that'd be a good start.
Up on the street and for me, there it all was just as it had been 28 years ago. Hot dog stands, the lights of Times Square, the honking of horns, screeching of brakes and wailing of sirens; ah yes it all came back to me.
We walked a lot of blocks, all the way up to the start of Central Park sticking our noses into everything that interested us.
We took a break and sat n the steps of the NY library and watched some young men doing their thing. It was the 2013 version of the old break dancers, loud music and each taking turns to do their thing, very entertaining.
All the usual suspects were there, the high fashion princesses, Rastas, prancers and posers, the über rich and the super poor.
The hapless tourists are there to be fleeced, there are Tricycles priced at $4 per minute! The classic NY must do for some, a horse and carriage ride around Central Park priced at $50 for the first 20 mins then $20 every 10 mins after, crazy.
We checked out the biggies, Times Square, the Empire State Building and Rockerfeller Centre. We bought tickets for the top of the rock, Pete was dragging his heels at $27 each but after showing his ex-military ID we got it for $28 for both of us, bargain!
Going up the 68 floors they light up the shaft and theres quite a show though the clear lift ceiling. It was awesome, we went up just on dark and the view was spectacular. Unlike the Empire State which, as I recall it, is only one level of observation deck the Rock is 3. Loads of people but an really fab view.
We wandered a bit more, had a kebab for dinner from a street cart, very good it was too :-) Pete had to check out the M&M shop and buy some for desert.
Then we worked out where to get the metro back up to Harlem and headed home for the night. We got back to find a TV there but it wasn't connected so I guess we go a night without any hope of news :-(
We should see someone at breakfast so with luck we will sort out all the probs then. The bed is set on a platform and is so high I had to use a stool to get into it lol
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