Our travel tour of New York

Another insane adventure to add to our experiences in the States!

When we landed in the US and started making travel plans, we decided to go to New York as soon as possible because I have a friend from engineering college who stays there and knows the place well. And if not for him, we would’ve burned a nice huge hole in our pockets by staying at a hotel there! He had plans to leave New York soon, and so he kept urging us to come immediately. Initially we had planned only a two day stay. But then the weekend tickets to New York are really expensive. So we ended up leaving on Friday morning and returning on Monday morning!

We planned it a few weeks in advance and were very excited and all! And then, just when we were packing and preparing to set off, my friend called us and told us that a tropical storm had hit New York and that it was pouring and would continue to throughout the weekend! This really dampened all our spirits and our hopes of enjoying the city.

But we decided to go nonetheless. So we woke up early in the morning, got into a cab and headed for the Airport. Checked in, and hoping that the flight didn’t get cancelled, we sat huddled.. waiting for the announcement. Luckily, we were asked to board right on time. Delighted, we headed for the aircraft, settled into our seats and let our minds drift off to dreams of the city we were headed to :) About half an hour later, we realized that we hadn’t really moved. The plane I mean. And we started getting worried. Just then the Pilot’s chirpy voice came over the speakers and announced that we are now ready for take off. The aircraft eased onto the runway and began accelerating. And then decelerating! And then it stopped! Right there! And the Pilot announced that New York wasn’t clearing us for landing there and so we were gonna have to wait till they thought we could start.

And so we waited.

For two whole hours. Right there on the runway! And when we finally took off, we were just relieved that they hadn’t cancelled the flight.
The flight was 3 hours late due to the weather but we finally reached. Took a bus as per my friends directions and reached his place – Manhattan!!! Thankfully the rain had ceased but the sky was still overcast.. threatening to ruin our trip :(

We set off right away to explore Manhattan and went visiting the various tourist spots.. walked all around. And the metro system is so good! The hubby and I are experts now – but we walked more than we’ve ever walked in our lives. And at the end of our trip, I was just ready to die!! :D

We went on a ferry and saw The Statue of Liberty .. went to Times Square .. Central Park (which is a HUGE park with a reservoir and all, right in the middle of the city) .. Brooklyn Bridge .. Wall Street.. the site of the Twin Towers ( World Trade Center )

Unfortunately, since the sky was not clear, we didn’t go to the top of the Empire State Building to see the view from there. But looking at the lovely Manhattan skyline from the ferry and also from Brooklyn Bridge was very nice.. It looked so alive, and so full of action!

And it really is, you know. We were out everyday till about 3:30 in the morning. And all the streets were crowded, all the trains were full! That city really never sleeps. I think I was at Times Square every single night at midnight!

We went and saw a Stand up Comedy show which was excellent – The highlight of our trip to New York, really! The hubby has still not gotten over it and insists on repeating the jokes over and over again. Especially the marriage jokes! The comedian on the stage said “Its very easy to spot married couples” and then he looked at a couple in the crowd and asked them if they were married. And they said they weren’t. To which he replied “I knew it! You’re too close to each other! If you were married you would be a foot apart!”

At this point the Hubby and I looked at each other and saw that we weren’t really sticking to each other – And we laughed!

The comedian carried on to mimic on when the wife comes close to the husband, the husband would wail” “ Get away from me! I just saw you this morning!”

The jokes were told really really well. No one could help but fall over laughing. Of course, the major portion of the jokes were the type that I would not be caught repeating in public! ;) But in the dusty little basement where the show was held, it was absolutely no holds barred. Nothing was sacred. Nothing was unmentionable.
Everyone could be made fun of. And everyone was expected to laugh at themselves when that happened!

I wanted to watch a broadway musical.. but it was way too expensive. So we didn’t go for that.. But we freaked out on food! That place is paradise for food lovers. Reasonable prices.. extensive options.. and all conveniently located. We had almost every cuisine possible – Fabulous food! Till the time the Hubby and I visited New York, we had been kinda frugal where eating out was concerned. But Manhattan changed all that. I think I ate almost every cuisine imaginable! From Indian to Mexican.. from hard core American steak and Pizza to deserts like Cold Stone’s Icecream and Magnolia’s cup cakes! And of course, not to forget, the fantastic Falafel that I savored at the Village! Awesome!!!! :D

Then we went to a pub called “Café Wha?”where there was a live band playing. The Hubby didn’t enjoy that too much so we didn’t stay long. :) But I thoroughly enjoyed it! Again, it was one of those low key places with none of the grandeur of a hi fi hotel, but all the excitement of a low key party! The band was like, 5 feet away from us! And they were fabulous! Simple amazing. And I danced as long as I could!