New York
After breakfast in the hostel, our first act was to go purchase a lock for our room's locker so we wouldn't have to carry as much with us. With Spanish on most of the advertising posters, and as subtitles to all the signs and labels in the shop we were in, I venture the guess that we are perhaps in a Hispanic part of the city.
Most of the day was spent being very touristy. We went to Battery park to take the ferry out to Liberty Island to see the famous statue. While waiting in line for the ferry, we passed three musicians all playing inordinately cheerful Caribbean music. If this was not enough to make you smile, there was a man wearing a rainbow wig, a rainbow tie-dye shirt, who exhorted all who passed him to be happy and to enjoy the sunny day.
It was there that my first of two encounters with 'philosopher kid' occurred.
Behind me in line was a boy of about 8 years old, eating a sponge bob square pants ice cream treat of a somewhat frightening appearance. The rainbow man asked him how the sponge bob was, and received an unhesitating answer that it was tasty. When wished a happy life the boy returned wish. Rainbow man remarking on what a successful interaction it had been, and further exhorted the boy, that in addition to a happy life, that he should do something great with himself. Philosopher kid thanked rainbow man for his sound advice.
It was very hot today in New York. Our line to be processed through 'airport' like security moved along fairly rapidly. Shortly before we passed into the tent with the metal detectors and bomb sniffers, philosopher boy dropped his ice cream. "Oh well. It is not as if I am only going to eat one ice cream in my life". At this observation, I turned and remarked to him that he was the most philosophical kid I had ever encountered. He replied that he was also addicted to coffee.
The airport like security we passed through was unexpected. Alfy lost his multi-tool and pocket knife. They missed my multi-tool. Still in possession of one two inch multi-tool, our evil plier related schemes remained un-thwarted. Alfy's eee was also swabbed for volatile nitrogen compounds, in case it was an explosive.
The statue of liberty itself was both bigger and smaller than expected. I had been told it was smaller than you would think it was, and to a certain extent it was. Yet the engineering feat of building such a statue remained.
Yesterday, we tried HFC sweetened coke, and were appalled. Today we tried HFC sweetened fountain cola, and remained appalled.
The Sakura trees on Liberty island are in full bloom, gently raining pink blossoms. A most pleasant two minutes was spent lying in its shade.
Back on the ferry and onwards to Ellis island. The facility they used to process immigrants in has been restored and is a museum to, well, itself. I was not aware just how open the immigration policy of the US was until 1923.
Back at Battery park we headed for Chinatown on foot, passing the Bull of wall street on our way. We got lost finding Chinatown, then got lost in Chinatown. Then a bird pooped on me.
Why me? This is twice in a reasonably short period of time. What is that I do?
We tried to find little Italy; but the part of our map marked little Italy appeared to be a continuation of Chinatown. Now exhausted, we stumbled into a restaurant on the edge of Greenwich Village, and proceed to drink roughly a pitcher of water apiece over the course of our meal. Tired, sore, and I slightly sunburnt, we went back to our Hostel for an early night.
Most of the day was spent being very touristy. We went to Battery park to take the ferry out to Liberty Island to see the famous statue. While waiting in line for the ferry, we passed three musicians all playing inordinately cheerful Caribbean music. If this was not enough to make you smile, there was a man wearing a rainbow wig, a rainbow tie-dye shirt, who exhorted all who passed him to be happy and to enjoy the sunny day.
It was there that my first of two encounters with 'philosopher kid' occurred.
Behind me in line was a boy of about 8 years old, eating a sponge bob square pants ice cream treat of a somewhat frightening appearance. The rainbow man asked him how the sponge bob was, and received an unhesitating answer that it was tasty. When wished a happy life the boy returned wish. Rainbow man remarking on what a successful interaction it had been, and further exhorted the boy, that in addition to a happy life, that he should do something great with himself. Philosopher kid thanked rainbow man for his sound advice.
It was very hot today in New York. Our line to be processed through 'airport' like security moved along fairly rapidly. Shortly before we passed into the tent with the metal detectors and bomb sniffers, philosopher boy dropped his ice cream. "Oh well. It is not as if I am only going to eat one ice cream in my life". At this observation, I turned and remarked to him that he was the most philosophical kid I had ever encountered. He replied that he was also addicted to coffee.
The airport like security we passed through was unexpected. Alfy lost his multi-tool and pocket knife. They missed my multi-tool. Still in possession of one two inch multi-tool, our evil plier related schemes remained un-thwarted. Alfy's eee was also swabbed for volatile nitrogen compounds, in case it was an explosive.
The statue of liberty itself was both bigger and smaller than expected. I had been told it was smaller than you would think it was, and to a certain extent it was. Yet the engineering feat of building such a statue remained.
Yesterday, we tried HFC sweetened coke, and were appalled. Today we tried HFC sweetened fountain cola, and remained appalled.
The Sakura trees on Liberty island are in full bloom, gently raining pink blossoms. A most pleasant two minutes was spent lying in its shade.
Back on the ferry and onwards to Ellis island. The facility they used to process immigrants in has been restored and is a museum to, well, itself. I was not aware just how open the immigration policy of the US was until 1923.
Back at Battery park we headed for Chinatown on foot, passing the Bull of wall street on our way. We got lost finding Chinatown, then got lost in Chinatown. Then a bird pooped on me.
Why me? This is twice in a reasonably short period of time. What is that I do?
We tried to find little Italy; but the part of our map marked little Italy appeared to be a continuation of Chinatown. Now exhausted, we stumbled into a restaurant on the edge of Greenwich Village, and proceed to drink roughly a pitcher of water apiece over the course of our meal. Tired, sore, and I slightly sunburnt, we went back to our Hostel for an early night.