Having walked about 22 kms yesterday, and getting six hours sleep, at our room with a view of a back wall of a building, albeit very quiet for New York, we got the subway to something avenue and w something street we are going on a TOUR... a real tour, with a bus and a guide and stuff we don't have to find out ourselves......
Breakfast at the Europa Cafe W53 and Broadway before the tour.
Saying goodby to the tour after six or so long hours, we walked up Broadway to Central Park, hired some bikes, and then got lost in Central Park for two hours on the bikes. It is a huge park, used by hundreds of thousands of people daily, had a number of big lakes where boats are hired out. It looked like a midget Amanda, but way less organised. There are huge grassed areas. Where the New Yorkers just take a picnic blanket, something to throw, some food and veg out on the lawns.
Geoff Tour Guide...
We think tour is his middle name.
"Interesting" "Facts" about Manhattan and New York
41 000 police
18,000 taxis @ $700k for each tag. Which is literally screwed or riveted to the bonnet
Hotels can not refuse people acces to their rest rooms
All Manhattan eateries must have menu in windows, and their latest health ratings.. A(blue) is good stay away from the B (green.)
North to south twenty blocks equal a mile and east to west 100 yards equal 1 block.East to west.
22,000 restaurants in Manhattan
Soho stands for south of Houston (House ton) street
Can't honk horn $350 fine...and it works
Can't stop and leave car or truck idling $2000.00 fine
The Episcopalian Trinity Church church in Wall Street is worth $2b because of the land it sits on.
Most of the shops on fifth avenue don't make a profit, they are there for prestige.
There were 178 unborn children listed at the WTC site.
Also visited Central Park and the adjacent place that John Lennon was murdered
The front of the Dakota building.
We went across on the Staten Island ferry where we great views of the SOL
SOL without stilts
Including the armed coast guard escort, which follows every ferry.
And the explosives detector dogs too
The fence at Central Park.
Some of the park trying to show the thousands of people.
It is a place that will require much more close examination.
Then to a Mexican restaurant near Times Square, which took the liberty of adding the gratuity to the bill....only in America. Having said that the meal was good and service very good...but bit of a cheek.
Fajita and other Mexican stuff
After a pit stop for a shower and a change of undies..very hit and humid today, headed out at about 9 pm on the subway to the WTC to see it at night. Got there, and surprisingly it was dark...closed up, not lit up at all...oh well.... Make that a point in favour of the American habit of making the structures more important than the memorial they represent.
On the way back we sidled by the Madison Square Graden, which is A. Not square B. Not a garden C. Nowhere near Madison ave. but very impressive.
Walked about 20 ks today, rode about 10 -15 ks.
Go home tomorrow. Précis and wrap up to be done in due course goodnight.
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