The skies are crying...

Last day. I go home today. The weather looked fairly promising, it wasn't too bad and as the day progressed it got brighter and warmer. 

I mulled about Sam's and packed the last of my stuff. I had a bath, cooked some lunch and a fresh batch of cookies. I made sure my room was all tidy and folded up the bed sheets ready to be washed. I left the door open to the room and the cats instantly reclaimed it as their own. I looked in, the bed all clear my clothes and suitcase all gone and I felt really rather sad. It was now obvious that I was leaving.

I played some Guild Wars with Debbie for a bit and managed to get my monthy and daily achievements done, so I was very pleased with myself by the time Sam returned home. There was no rush, she was early and everything was packed up ready to go. We sat on the sofa for a bit and just kind of reflected. Then it was time to leave. 

To start with it felt like just another evening out. We were in the car heading out, I wonder where we will eat tonight? But no, we drove past the airport and turned into the car park, I really was leaving, the three weeks really were over. I pulled my suitcase towards the check in and Sam followed, the weather had turned fairly nice now and the sun was out. We didn't say a lot as we qued or the check in desk. 

Delayed? For how long? Possibly two hours?! This wasn't good, not good at all. If I was delayed that long I would miss my main flight to London. We sat out side and smoked. Sam suggested contacting my brother to let him know the situation I case I did miss my main flight, so I could send a text to my mum with my taxi details and have he inform my taxi the following morning. This was now starting to get a little too stressful and I was getting extremely anxious. I was out of my comfort zone as it is, I was going to be on my own and I started to get a little panicy. Luckily Sam was still there to help me rationalise the situation. We checked back half hour later and the delay had lessened, things were looking up. A few more smokes and it was time to go to security. 

A porter arrived with a wheelchair and I said my goodbyes to Sam, I didn't want her to cry this time. She is awfully fond of doing that it seems. This time, however, she didn't and I was wheeled off through security. 

I arrived at my gate and the were very few people waiting, the delay had now lessened to half an hour, so things weren't going to be so bad. The weather had started to close in as I sat on the airport wifi and skyped with my friends and Sam, who had started crying by the time she'd gotten home. We boarded the half hour late and I was feeling good. Half an hour is nothing when I was going to have to wait and hour the other side for my main flight anyway. 

Trouble is, the weather had now gotten pretty bad, thunder, lightning and heavy rain. The plane had to sit on the runway to let as. Much of the weather to pass as possible. Another half hour. It was ok, the flight is only half an hour anyway, I should just about catch my main flight. 

The twin prop plane finally took off with the half dozen passengers bound for Newark. It wasn't as bumpy a ride as we had expected but for some reason it was taking a lot longer than it should of done. There's that anxiety again. An hour flight that should of been half hour and we finally landed in Newark. 

I checked the time and it was close. As long as I didn't have to go far to the main flight I may just make it if it too had been delayed. The porter who was pushing me from the air crafted checked at a desk.... No, the plane had left already. Ok now I started to get upset. I was panicked and started texting my mum the details of my taxi. I also texted Sam so she could put details on my blog just in case. Was my phone going to let me down? It had a few times already, not sent the messages or whatever. The message went through. I had no time, the terminal was the other end of the airport! The first porter was waiting on a powered car to take me, it was too far to push me, apparently, and she had to go home. Typical! Another freaking "Jobs worth". I was gonna miss this flight too because some idiot porter didn't want to push me across the air port Because it was time to go home?! Seriously?! 

She left me at the power car office and strolled off. I was fuming and panic. This flight was apparently already boarding! The guy in the office, black with really cool dreds I might add was on the phone trying to get me a car. He came out of the office and his words were something like "damn car drivers, lets do this!" And that dude pushed me clear across the airport at one hell of a pace!  He wasn't even a porter, he was the guy that organised the porters and cars and yet here he was half sprinting across Newark airport pushing me to the terminal. We got to the plane and I wasn't gonna let him leave before stuffing some greens in his palm. More than I probably would of given any other porter and I boarded the plane. 

It was full.

It seemed I was one of the very last to get a seat and we were crammed in like battery hens. That's when I got a text from my mum. It was 2:30 in the morning for her and she'd woken up when my text went through, called the cab company, rearranged the pick up time and went back to sleep. Thank you mum! Due to the fact we had to turn phones off during the flight, I was going to have no way of knowing that she got my text and called the cab company in the morning until I actually landed and that was weighing on my mind. When I got that text, it felt like a weight had been lifted and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I settled down with my iPad and the films within and, although cramped settled in for the long flight home. 

It was now dark but we flew east and soon the sun started to peek over the horizon.

We still had a way to go, so I closed the blind and continued watching my films. 

Eventually the sky map showed us over England. Blew us was old blighty! I opened the blind to check that out and sure enough, there she was in all her glory!

What did you expect? It's England down there. Somewhere. 

Landed! Through customs, collected luggage and found my taxi driver all really quickly and he drove for another hour till I was finally waiting outside my gate with key in hand. I hate travelling and I was exhausted and relieved it was over. Opening the gate I saw my garden really had sprung to life while I was gone. Time for that later, I needed sleep. 

I walked into my flat and tried to find my kitties. They were well hidden. I found scamp hiding under the throw blanket on the sofa. I tickled it and out came this really pitiful, sorry meow and she scampered under the sofa. I found bumble hidden in the shelves by my bathroom. I poked my head in and she meowed. She then realised it was me, came out and strolled happily back into the living room. I got into bed and bumble jumped up into the window. All seemed normal there. Scamp slyly came and hopped up onto the bed and was letting out quiet, pitiful meows, as if she had lost her voice but hadn't. It was so sad, it was like she was crying. She purred and fussed and meowed and laid down right next to me. 

When I awoke, she was still there and got up and wandered back and forth crying meows and fussing against everything. She now won't leave my side, poor thing. He little meow is slowly returning to normal but I have a feeling both my little ninjas missed me, even just a little bit. 

It now feels such a long time ago that I was sat in Sam's living room waiting to go to the airport, even longer ago we were hailing cabs in Manhattan and even longer ago we were on our Jaws tour! I have thoroughly enjoyed the last three weeks. It's been more than just a holiday, I have been living with my friend Sam and doing normal American things as well as mixing in some general touristy stuff along the way too. 

I have enjoyed meeting old friends and new ones and look forward to seeing them all again in the future. I have built up some brilliant memories and seen some exceptional things. I think I still have some adventures yet to come.

Sam still has some pictures she took from the visit and once she emails them to me, I will make one last post on this blog of "unseen footage" if you will and that will be it, until the next time I wish to punish myself by getting on a plane. 

Tis the last day

Today is my last full day in America. Again, it was another day that Sam has to work unfortunately. So I busied myself around the house with a few chores, pre-packing and tidying my room. 

I then sat on Guild wars till Sam came home. I played with Debbie and Tethyi for a few hours.

When Sam came home, we performed, what has now become, tradition when I come to New York and that's to have my last meal at the Old English pub. A pint of fosters and a fish and chip dinner. Delicious! After grabbing a few essentials at the gas station we headed home. 

There seemed to be some excitement when we got back. 6 police cars, 2 of them un marked and one a dog van, were parked up along the street. They didn't have their lights flashing so we didn't think it was an emergency or anything. Nether the less, we sat on the porch and watched the proceedings. Not a lot happened, they soon drove off, leaving us wondering what excitement we had missed. 

We got back and rented a movie, Django. I rather enjoyed it but Sam got really tired about 20 mins from the end and just had to turn in. I followed once the film had ended.

I laid in bed for a while, listening to the rain and the street noises outside, thinking that tonight is going to be my last night. I thought about all the wonderful things we done these last few weeks. From cape cod, to the Jaws tour, lifestyle week, New York City, meeting old friends and new. Another set of amazing memories have been created. I soon drifted off to sleep, ready to face the long day tomorrow and the flight back home.

Hey, where's your flag?

Today is Memorial Day, a national holiday where Americans remember the heros from their past wars. Much like our memorial Sunday but they get a day off work. They also have memorial marathon on television, war film after war film. I'm told all sorts of events go on, on this day but we took it easy in the morning. Sam took some laundry in to be done and we generally just relaxed in the morning. 

Sam made a chocolate cream log with strawberrys, because that evening we were going to another one of her friend's for an evening BBQ. 

The weather had cleared up incredibly. The last few days were cold, wet and windy and suddenly, for Memorial Day, the clouds vaporised, the rain vanished and the sun shone brightly. How do they do that? Great weather for a bank holiday?! 

Around 5 we arrived at Sam's friend's. another typical American suburb. It reminded me of the estate in ET. Huge houses with room to swing at least two cats, loads of land  and not a fence in sight. Each house back onto woods and the streets were dotted with basketball hoops. 

Our hosts had a two year old son and it was immensely entertaining watching him run around and play bubbles. We sat out in the sun and enjoyed really great BBQ chicken and vegetables. With my holiday and time in America coming to an end, it was a great way to wind down, meeting new people, great food in the sunshine on a national holiday. 

Conversation stretched from American history to conkers and everything in between. Around 8:30 the little man started to get cranky and Sam and I took that as our que to leave and let them get him settled. 

When we returned home we settled in on the sofa and rented "lock, stock and two smoking barrels" from Netflix. A British gangsta film Sam hadn't seen. I was unsure if she would enjoy it and I had to explain some of the Cockney rhyming slang to her. We enjoyed it but the ending really got to Sam as it wasn't quite an ending, she needed closure. I hope it didn't play on her mind too much as she wouldn't be able to sleep. 

It was a really great day and a great almost-ending to my three weeks in America. 

Big chief look over walls.

Today both Sam and I were feeling pretty stiff and tired. It was arranged for Nina, Ryan and Ron to come over and we go visit the New York State museum. However Sam opted to be left behind and have a quiet day. I don't say I blame her. Seeing as it was Nina and crew's last day here, I went with them, leaving Sam behind for a day of naps and guild wars. She deserved it. 

I done the museum last time I was here and saw all the old, familiar things. I didn't think at first Ryan would enjoy a museum but he was running around looking at everything, reading the cards and asking questions. He is so smart and eager to learn. 

Here he is at a memorial to the search and rescue dogs from 9/11

And we got the evil eye from Oscar the grouch.

We checked out the Indian exhibit and we came up with Indian names for the models, we also gave Ron the name big chief look over walls because he is darn tall and he managed to lead us to the best villages to pillage and best places to go hunt. Our tribe couldn't fail with big chief look over walls leading us. 

We found the kids zone and Ryan spent ages brushing off fossils and trying to work out what we have found. 

He took his little brush and swept away all the first to reveal a raptor. Trying to keep up with that little fella was a real challenge. 

We came to the end of the time at the museum, I was really aching and decided to get back to Sam's rather than go get food with Nina and crew. This trip really has taken its toll on me and I'm looking forward to really resting up when I get home. While I'm still here, however, I'll try to squeeze as much as I can out of the last few days of my trip. 

I said good bye to Nina, Ryan and Ron and they set off for their journey home. I stumbled indoors and we done nothing but relax on the sofa, watching films for the rest of the evening. 

Another great day, another set of amazing memories. 

I got a bag of dirt, I got a bag of dirt....

Today Nina, her son Ryan and her friend Ron we driving up from white plains to spend a couple of days with us in Albany. The drive took them about 2 and a half hours and they arrived about 1pm. That morning had been filled with housework and preparation. When they arrived Sam laid out a fantastic lunch of burgers, hot dogs, salad and pasta. After Ryan had finished chasing the cats, we sat down for lunch. 

Our plans were to visit Howe Caverns. It was cold and wet so visiting a cavern system would keep us dry at least we could also be geologists and archeologists for a day! We arrived at Howe and it was indeed raining, windy and cold. Well, I didn't find it cold as much as the others did. A little bit of rain, temperature drop and some wind and these guys think its mid winter. To me, it's an average day on Dartmoor. As my ol' pappy used to say "what have you got running through your veins? Water?".

The weather looks good in this picture but dont tell anyone, this is a picture of a postcard. Shhhhh! 

It was pretty busy, probably because of the wet conditions. We bought our tickets and were told we had a 45 min wait until our tour. So we decided to check out the fossil and rock activity centre across the way. That was surprisingly quiet. It was only across the car park but I guess most other people didn't fancy stepping out into the arctic conditions to visit it. Or were too busy stuffing their faces in the canteen to even notice it existed because the canteen was packed solid! 

Ryan bought a rock from the shop, I forget the geological term for such a rock but it looked like any ordinary rock but he was told he could crack it open to see what was inside. Oh this was too exciting to pass up! He was led to some massive nut cracker and the guide proceeded to help him crack that sucker open. 

After a few turns there was a surprisingly loud crack and we got our first view inside a rock that was millions of years old and got to see what Father Time had left for us to discover. 

It was full of tiny crystals, all white and silver and glistening. Pretty amazing really, especially to think we were the first humans to EVER lay eyes on that rock's hidden secrets. 

We could also go panning for fossils or gemstones. Both Ryan and myself were bought a bag of dirt each and we went panning. Long troughs of running water were built in this activity centre with sieves down their lengths. We had to pour in some of the dirt and use the water to wash away the dirt to see what we could find. I had a fossil bag and I can see why Nina bought that particular type of bag for me, it was jam packed with fossilised sharks' teeth! From sharks that are long extinct. Ryan got a gemstone bag and found loads of brightly coloured stones. 

We both were very pleased with our 'loot bags'.

Sam took some pictures of us panning for these great finds so look out for those pictures when I get home. 

It was then our turn to visit the caverns. Before we went in, I got to see another OCC motorcycle. I saw one at the Statue of Liberty last time and now there was one here, built to commemorate the anniversary of the discovery of the caverns. 

Pretty good job, Sam said "That's a necro bike if ever I saw one."

So, into the caverns we went. 

A guy named Howe discovered these caves. During the summer, the cows he used to keep would wander up a hill and stand, chewing grass around a pile of limestone rocks on his neighbour's land. He wondered why they would go all the way up there and stand in the open on such warm days, rather than sit in the shade of the trees. So he decided to investigate. He looked around the limestone mound and found a cool breeze coming from a hole in the stones. He took a closer look and saw the hole went down very deep. 

Luckily he was friends with the neighbour who's land this was on and they both went exploring. Every day they went a little deeper and found better and better geological discoveries. One day Howe decided to buy the land from his friend for a princely sum of $100 in cash! And thus, it was known as Howe Caverns.

However, some time later Howe came into financial difficulties and had to sell part of the caverns. Limestone is a huge ingredient, needed in the production of concrete, so he unwillingly sold off part of his love to a cement company. They saw dollar signs and opened a quarry nearby. However, the caverns were formed by water pouring into the ground and there was still a stream running through them, so the quarry had to dam off part of the caverns to stop the water flooding their works. The water backed up and formed an underground lake, which would be part of the tour... In boats! 

Luckily, the caverns were later preserved and now no longer allowed to be exploited in such a way. We were told not to even touch some of the ... Some of the... Errr ... 'White stuff' on the cavern walls. I don't remember what it's called but its white and it forms the stalagmites within the cave. If people touch it, the grease and salt on their hands will ruin the process which takes a hundred years to grow a single inch! 

Now, I'd like to point out a little piece of irony here. We're not allowed to touch the cavern walls where these formations are occurring because the formation could suffer and yet, the caverns have been filled with pathways, stone walls and even dams redirecting the water away from the path structure. Even the artificial lights lights inside have been fixed to the walls. With water being redirected, it can not  erode the limestone as it was intended, formations that would of been eroded are now 'protected' and the lights are even causing fungus to grow where none would grow previously. So you see, the natural formation of the caverns have already been greatly disrupted before we even think about touching the rocks. Just wanted to share that opinion as Sam just looked at me with that blank look on her face when I tried to explain it. 

Anyhoooo...

I tried to take some shots of the great cave formations but the best I got was this,

So, I cheated and purchased a pack of postcards and photographed them instead. However these postcards do not even begin to do the cave justice. There were some really great formations and I think there could be some much better postcards.

Looks like these were taken before the age of Face Book!

We really enjoyed our tour of the caverns and when we got top side it was almost 7pm! 

We went back to Nina's hotel to get them checked in and headed to the Olive Garden for a meal. More pasta, seafood and Italian, it was delicious and very reasonably priced. Nina picked up the tab and for that, we all thank her, thank you for a great meal Nina! 

The party of explorers then parted ways and we went home. 

It really was a wonderful day. It was great to see Nina again, as always. Ryan really has grown since I last saw him but he is still as adorable as ever, a little mischievous, always mocking my accent and surprisingly well I might add and ever curious. Ron was also a great guy, a good laugh and we got on very well. I find it amazing that had it not been for the Internet, I wouldn't of met these great people and had such a fabulous time. 

To boldly go......

First day back in Albany and it was raining. All day! Sam was working from home today so we couldn't do anything during the day. That was fine by me, I'm on holiday and rather enjoyed the laziness of it all.  I played a little Guild Wars, chatted on Skype with some friends, napped and watched television until Sam had finished. 

At about 6:30 we left the house to go to the cinema again. This time we watched Startrek Into Darkness. I was hoping it was the 3d version, but the local cinema is very small and it wasn't showing on the 3d screens. The screen it was on was even smaller than the one for ironman. It had just one line of seats from front to back. Even so, the movie was awesome. 

I'm not a huge trek fan but I do enjoy a good sci-fi film. I can see why old style Trekkies may have disliked it, those die hard nerds eh? But it referenced the old films and even reflected them in some cases. I know the time line had changed (due to the first new trek film) but it showed that even though the time line changed, some things remain the same or similar. I dont want to give too much away for those who haven't seen it but I think those who remember some of the older films will see reflections in the time line, as it were. 

The effects were amazing and, as Sam said afterwards, "there was a hell of a lot going on in that film". Very impressed. I am loving the direction the new trek films are going. There were a few references to one older trek film in particular that on the way home we instantly decided to grab some more beer and rent it on Netflix! Again, I will not say what film it was as I don't want to spoil it too much. So when we got home we ordered Chinese food and watched wrath of khan..... Oh bugger! Sorry! 

Midnight turned around with a surprised tone from Sam, "oh my god it's midnight!" I replied with " yep, see, it turned midnight and you didn't turn into a pumpkin". I think now she knows that turning into a pumpkin isn't a threat if she stays awake after midnight, she may enjoy a few more late nights. Maybe but I doubt it. 

Tickets please.

After only 4 hours sleep, there was a tap on the door, it was housekeeping. Half asleep I said "not yet thanks" and they went away. Looking at the clock, 9:30. I could get another hours sleep or so I thought. Until Sam pointed out that we need to be checked out by 11:30. Uh oh. Slightly hungover I managed to pack everything away and was ready to leave a clear half an hour before the time limit. However our train tickets were for the 2:30 train. 

It was muggy again and as much as I didn't t mind the heat too much, I didn't fancy lugging my suitcase around while feeling a bit hungover still. 

It was suggested we try to get our tickets changed for an earlier train and put our luggage in the lockers till we boarded the train. We arrived at Pen station about 10:40 and managed to chance our tickets for the 11:20 train. We didn't t have to wait around long before we boarded. That was a real stroke of luck. Had we wanted to leave on Friday, we'd of never got an earlier train. 

We sat in our seats and watched the train pull out of Pen station and leave manhattan. The train rides along the banks of the Hudson and I saw one of the many bridges we went under on our boat tour a few days before. 

By this time, it had started to cloud over New Jersey and just as we left the island, it started to rain. It had rained the day we got there but soon stopped and despite the weather forecast threatening to rain everyday we were there, it held off and we had great weather, if not a little muggy. 

I am going to miss New York. Despite the heat and the rush of people, it is a beautiful city with so much to do. I am so glad I was there for my birthday. 

We passed through the rain and exactly two and a half hours later, we arrived in Albany. It wasn't as hot nor as muggy. We pulled into a super market and done a little shopping, also grabbed a Chinese for dinner. 

We got home, unpacked the shopping and ate our food. I then decided I needed a nap. The four hours sleep I had the night before was catching up on me. I was woken up by a huge thunderstorm and heavy rain. 

I sat down stairs with Sam and we watched some film on television before we both breathed a heavy sigh and decided it was truly time for bed. 

I really did have such a wonderful time in the city and I would like to thank Sam for taking me there, even though it was clear, she isn't too fond of being right smack in the middle of all those buildings. I'd also like to thank Nina and Nadira for meeting me there and making this birthday an extra special one. 

I slept like a log that night.

Lemme open the door damnit! I'm an Englishman, its what we do.

Wednesday, work day for Sam. Some how she managed to sneak out of the hotel room, without so much as a wave goodbye.... Rude!

I woke up late and had intentions to not do a great deal today. The weather has been great, so warm although the humidity has been a real thorn in Sam's side; "it's like living in a swamp". When I asked if anything makes her happy I got a response, " well it's not so much happiness, more the lack of misery." it's all very amusing. 

However the heat has been an issue to myself too. My leg sweats, even after the smallest of exertions and if left unchecked for long, can cause sores and tenderness. Something which, indeed, was occurring even after building time into our days to return to the hotel and wash and rest up. So I decided I would take a day off from New York. Sad really seeing as it was my last full day. Also being alone didn't help but that was out weighed by the fact I wanted to be able to walk the next week. 

So the day was mostly full of lazing about, watching movies on HBO and sitting outside occasionally chatting on Skype and watching the world go by. I also figured out how the whirlpool actually worked, so a nice long soak in the bath was on the agenda. 

Sam arrived back to the hotel a little before 5, seems it was a hard day and she was not happy. We were supposed to go and see the 9/11 memorial that evening. Our reservations were at 7 but the prospect of leaving the hotel room for the heat and bustle of the city seemed to fill poor Sam with dred.  I told her it was fine and that we didn't have to go and join the swamp rat race and that she should just relax, take a bath and be cool. That cheered her up, or rather, removed some of the misery. 

That evening, I was to meet a friend from Guild Wars. Nadira. I was also supposed to meet Elonzo but he couldn't make it that night, so it was just myself and Nadira. We were meeting in a bar called the Sly Fox, somewhere off of second avenue in the east village. I 'thought' I done my homework....

Turns out I hadn't. Sam was staying in that night so I was on my own in the city! I hailed a cab and arrived in st marks. I walked up and down the street looking for the bar but I couldn't find it. I did, however, find a street jam packed full of bars and restaurants with a vast array of different cultures and people. I drank in the diversity before I started to get a little frustrated. In the end I but the bullet and called Sam. This phone call wasn't gonna be cheap! Turns out, the bar wasn't ON st marks but on second avenue. Relieved as I finally I found it, I wished Sam good night and walked in. 

It was a small place with a bar running the full length. I had to walk down a small ramp to get in and it was much like Cheers only a lot smaller. Nadira was at the bar already and getting a little concerned as to where I was. Nadira is a very pretty, petite Hispanic girl and, in her very own words, a full 4 inches too tall to be classified a midget. I swear, that's exactly what she told me. I was a little shy to begin with but after a little while we seemed to get on like a house on fire. The barmaid was also huge fun. A blonde girl from Eastern Europe but she'd been in New York long enough to have acquired the rather endearing New York energetic attitude. 

I made sure Nadira didn't have to put her hand In her purse for nothing and we had a fantastic evening. The drinks kept coming and the time flew. We started to get a little hungry and decided to take a stroll to the 7-11 for some food. I opened the door for Nadira just as she opened it for me, that awkward moment when neither of us step through because we each want the other to go first. However I wasn't about to let this independent young lady stand in the way of me being a gentleman. So I stuck to my guns. It's when a guy already in the 7 - 11 got involved in the conversation did the endearing Hispanic attitude cause a rather entertaining conversation. The munchies were on me and we returned to the bar to eat them. 

The night flew by and too soon it was closing time. Back in England, last orders is generally about 11:00 and closing time at 11:30, however, in the city that never sleeps, it's much much later. So my natural internal clock was a bit off. Turns out it was much much later. 

Nadira knew the barmaid well, they were very good friends so she helped clear the bar out and we left when the barmaid did. After locking up, she bid us farewell and headed off. Poor girl had an exam in the morning and it was already really early, or late, which ever way you look at it, she wasn't going to get much sleep. 

Nadira and I walked a couple of blocks and found a late night pizza bar. I bought her a huge slice of pizza and a water, I took a coke. Walking down the street a little further and found a set of steps to sit on. The night was still very warm and sitting on the steps didn't even bring on a chill but the fresh air, well as fresh as it gets in New York, was welcomed. We continued to talk and laugh while the streets and avenues still buzzed with taxis. The city doesn't seem to slow down. It just changes colour. It was soon 4am and as much as we didn't want it, we had to part ways to get home. A cab was hailed and I was packed off back to the hotel.

I haven't known Nadira long, she's a member of our guild in GW2 and that's the only place I knew her from. She has always been fun to play with and always a good laugh. After having met her for real, I am privileged to call her a friend. I am really glad we met and had a fantastic evening. Thank you Nadira. 

I got back to the hotel and the front door was locked so I had to use my room key to get in. It didn't work. Again, nothing. I rang the bell and the night porter let me in. The intention was to sneak into the room while Sam slept, I didn't want to wake her and I knew she was a very heavy sleeper so sneaking in shouldn't be a problem. However, the room keys had been changed, unknown to me. So as I stood there trying to open door but again the key car didn't work, the door opened and there stood Sam. I felt like a kid being caught by his parents trying to sneak in the front door after a late night. I gulped. 

Sam done her best grumble face and explained that the keys had to be changed but seeing as I was still out when this happened, Sam was gonna have to open the door for me. So it turns out, it wasn't my fault. But still I felt so bad for having to have kept Sam up. Turns out she was only up for an hour before I came in. She still wasn't happy but come the morning it turned out she was just teasing me as she realised it wasn't my fault either. Phew! 

What a great night! 

Happy birthday to me!

Today is my birthday! What better way to spend it than in New York, in the sun with my friend Sam. We wanted a fairly restful day today mainly because my leg hurt like crazy after yesterday, so the decision was made to take the circle line boat cruise around Manhattan. We didn't rush there, took our time as the weather was very hot and humid. I have been hotter but Sam doesn't like the heat too much. We arrived and bought our tickets. There was going to be over an hour wait till our boarding so we sat on the pier and enjoyed the shade with an ice cold coke. 

There were people sunbathing on the green to the left of the shot. I don't just mean like people do back home and chill out in the park I mean bikinis and bathing shorts, sun cream the lot. Any piece of green in New York can be considered a place to top up the tan. 

We boarded our boat and were very lucky. We got boarded first because I was considered disabled. I hate playing that card but if I was on my feet for too long today, things would of got painful. Our seat was perfect, on the left at the back of the boat, outside but under shade. Perfect!

We started of heading south, around the tip of manhattan and got some great views of the city. 

We can see the new world trade tower. Finally topped out and awesome to see at this stage of completion. When I was last here, it was barely cladded but now, it really stands tall and proud over manhattan. The Woolworth building is there too. When built, Woolworth wanted the tallest building and wanted to live in the penthouse at the top, so no one could ever look down on him again. Great story from humble beginnings as a nickel and dime store owner to some one with enough money to build the tallest tower in CASH! However, now, woolworths has gone bust but the tower still stands. 

I took some shots that will hopefully be put together as a panoramic, look out for those when I get home. 

I love this photo, Manhattan, the island of prosperity, seen as an island. Originally Native American tribes came from all over to trade furs on this island until the Dutch found it and found the enormous amount of wealth that could be made from the furs. They took Manhattan as their own and shipped many furs back to Europe, making a vast amount of money. This caught the attention of the English, who went over there and, in the words of the tours guide, made a deal with the Dutch to take Manhattan. I tend to think that 'deal' included the words "we got more ships than you!" Therefore manhattan now belonged to the English until it was .... Liberated. Maybe. 

Speaking of liberty... Here's the lady herself. Ellis island, next door, the island of immigration was unfortunately damaged after hurricane Sandy and is closed indefinitely. The lady, however, still being worked on, was well protected from the storm, because of the old fort she is mounted on. Therefore, she will hopefully be open for the 4th of July. 

Another shot I like, manhattan on the right 'eye balling' New Jersey on the left. It's like city face off. 

Me, looking back out to manhattan. 

We rounded the tip of the city for yet more breathtaking views of the skyline. You can see the Stanford Island ferry. A young boy set up a ferry using his dad's boat and shuffled people back and forth for a few dollars, when his father wasn't using his boat. When he had enough money, he bought his own boat and continued the ferry service. It still runs to this day but is now a free service. 

I'm missing out a lot of photos as I have a fair few. I was snap snap snapping the whole cruise. This is the Brooklyn bridge. The technology of suspensions cables was used in the invention of the elevator, which made building skyscrapers possible and gave birth to America's industrial revolution. Just a few years behind our own.

This gorgeous steel suspension bridge is the Manhattan bridge. We were going to pass under (and in one case, through) 23 bridges, or so I recall. Seeing as Brooklyn got its own bridge, Manhattan needed one too and this is it. 

If it wasn't for the tour guide telling us to look behind the boat, I would never would of seen this. It's an amazing scene, we have Manhattan on the right, Brooklyn on the left, both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges linking the two and in the centre, in the distance, the Statue of Liberty. 

This is the Washington bridge. Named after George Washington. Easy way to remember the name of these bridges is BMW - Brooklyn, Manhattan, Washington. 

We sailed up the east side of the island. There is a penthouse on one of the buildings just right of centre shot that seems to be a mansion dumped onto of a skyscraper. Complete with chimney, front gardens and pitched roofs. I liked this penthouse, I put a bid in for it. Although I think it will be going for more than $20. 

More views of an awesome suspension bridge. I took so many shots, I'm forgetting which was which and what was what but I think you'll agree, the view is amazing. 

From a construction point of view and a long interest in bridges, I really love the steel lattice work of these giants. 

This is the first raised road way over the east coast manhattan parks. 

The tour was almost over and we sailed back to the pier, just around the corner from the air and space museum. And right there is concord. In the hanger above it, is the space shuttle. That hanger was damaged in the hurricane and that exhibit is closed, unfortunately. 

After the tour, we took a taxi to the city library. This was the library that was the main focus of the movie "the day after tomorrow". 

One very snooty lion, looking down his up turned nose at all the people taking pics of him. Bryant park was right behind the library and we spent a while sat in the shade watching the people go about their daily business from the Paris Hilton types, to students, business men to tourists. We decided that women's shoes with, what seem like, blocks of wood on the soles are the fashion this year. 

We returned to the hotel and rested up. We didn't do much walking today but it was very warm and a wash up and rest was welcomed. After which we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, a few drinks and sat in the park across the street, more people watching and talking about the buildings. It was still fairly warm even at night. I'd also like to add that, for once, on my birthday, it didn't rain. 

Sam got stabby!

The day started a little overcast but still fairly warm. Having watched the weather the night before, it seemed today was going to be the better day, with the possibility of showers. It was, therefore, decided to do the outdoor stuff today as best we can and Sam was intent on using the bus and trains more. There was a subway station just by the hotel which is where we got our metro tickets and headed off to Central Park. We passed by the apple store to begin with. 

The store, apparently, is underground, under the big glass cube. Kind of interesting. 

Took a moment to look about and snap a few snaps before wandering into Central Park. 

We then went to Central Park zoo. It's a small zoo in comparison with most other zoos, but its packed with great animals. The first stop was the tropical enclosure. As soon as we walked in, we were hit by very high humid temperatures and I think both me and Sam broke into instant sweat. But it was great. It was a huge avert and birds flew freely inside with enclosures on the side for those animals not trusted to wander around, like...... Snakes.

I do like my birdies. There were some very pretty species and a couple we would be familiar with. I took a look in some of the offshoot enclosures but Sam didn't, a little afraid they'd be snakes in there. Don't say I blame her, I'm the same with spiders but I did find some cute little fellas. 

No he's not dead he's just very very laaaaaaazy. 

Lots of lazy lazy animals in the tropics. 

It was a relief to come out of the tropical zone into the heat of the city and continue our zoo visit. 

Here is a snow monkey eating the berries that fell into the lake. 

Nesting crane. Shhhhhh don't disturb her. 

Red panda, typical he looked he the wrong way as I clicked. 

Snow leopard. What's with all this laziness? 

And this is the best picture I could get of the polar bear. He was cowering for shade in the heat, I felt bad for him and hatched a plan to break him free and send him back to the North Pole but it was hot and I was lazy, so, I left him alone. 

Quack! 

Here are some empower penguins discussing the issues they face, living side by side with penguins from other ethnic origins. 

While here, we see one such empower penguins getting on famously with on such penguins from another ethnic background. Lesson here is, don't be hatin' just eat yer fish and squawk! 

I tried to take one of those cool penguin underwater swimming shots and this happened...

Then this.

I don't think I'll get that job with the BBC wildlife photography department. As I was deleting the tonne of crappier shots from my iPad, one just swam by in the perfect place. He was mocking me, so I ate an egg sandwich right in front of him. Ha! Well, in my mind I was.

Some more ducks and puffins, yay! It was not breeding season, so they didn't have their brightly coloured bills but they were great to watch as they frolicked in the water. 

This is an owl. My mum likes owls. This owl is for mum..... Moving on..

The famous Central Park soon clock doing its thing at mid day. 

I loved this shot. Just to remind me, this zoo and the beautiful park is smack bang in the middle of one of the world's largest city's. as if I could forget. 

The seal lions were being shy as well I don't think he liked me though. I went up to the water's edge and started humming the jaws theme tune at him. Just when he thought he was safe! After that, he didn't swim my way again, so here we have a shot of his pool and no sea loin. Sorry.

Instead of getting cloudier with potential showers, as predicted, it cleared up a gorgeous blue sky and got warmer. It was time to see another park, the high line. After using two buses, Sam was all over the busses, we found it. The high line was an old railroad cutting down the side of the city that is no longer In use. So rather than tear is down, the turned it into a park. Not only is it well done, but it gives people walking to and from work or whatever a slice of green without having to worry about crossing streets. They are continuously adding to it and we only managed a small slice, taking rest stops as often as we could find one. 

It's rather strange. You are aware your elevated and off the ground but your in a park, with trees and plants

The trouble is, we hadn't done an excessive amount of walking, we had been resting regularly all day but my leg was starting to feel really sore. I would of loved to do more of the park but I had to get off my leg before I done too much damage. I had some days to go, I didn't need to be laid up for the rest of my time here. 

We got a cab back to the hotel and I took a bath, which Sam broke the whirlpool part of it the night before, so I claim, as it didn't work. 

We were supposed to see the 9/11 monument that night but we wouldn't get there now, so it was rescheduled. Instead, once I felt recovered, it was decided to climb the Empire State Building again. This time at about sunset so I could take some photos of the city with its lights on. We done it before and it was mainly queuing and lifts so, shouldn't bee too much strain. 

WRONG!

We bought our tickets online so we avoided most of the ticket que. Security wasn't an issue but it took forever to get through. The lifts were packed and when we finally got to the top, the observation deck was solid. So difficult to get anywhere near the edge to get any good shots and moving around the deck was pushing and shoving room only. 

That's about as good as it got. I found Sam after leaving her in a safe place to go try get some shots of my own. Something she was happy to do, wait, that is. I decided that was enough it was time to get down. Unless I was going to wait for hours to get to the front of the line I doubt I'll ever get a shot better. Getting back down was just as bad as getting up. 

I have decided that New York has no idea how to organise anything where volumes of people are included. On the way down I could see Sam's teeth grinding especially when we were stuck by the tour guide asking for his audio guides back in that chipper happy kinda way and I was kinda glad Sam didn't bring her penknife else things could of got.... Bloody!

I was told that after the 9/11 first attack, the Empire State Building was evacuated but judging by the way these people were packed in, there is no way that happened in a reasonable, safe time. I am glad that I managed to get up the Empire State in November as this experience of it was not great. 

Stabby stabby!

I think we're were also tired so that didn't help matters. We headed back to the hotel for a couple of drinks and then, it was time for bed.