25th - The day of the Devil

After leaving the hotel the course was set towards Grand Central Station so see the fabled interior. Obviously the classic shot with sun rays coming in through the windows did not occur at this point but we had a walk around and still managed to get quite a few shots.

Seen from the outside. 

Inside.

The ceiling.

Continued south again this time to visit the 9/11 memorial museum. On arrival at the location we found that there was a 30-45 minute queue outside, and not knowing anything about the museum (quality, what it showed etc.) it was quickly decided to leave and maybe try some other time instead. Took the subway north to Central Park where we had a short walk before starting to return to the hotel.

Before arriving we stopped by a diner that according to several top-10 lists had amazing cheesecakes. I decided for the one called Devil’s Food which was defined as a chocolate cheesecake. It sounded good so I definitely needed a piece of it. I was not prepared – at all. Imagine a layered chocolate cake in three layers which a layer of heavy icing and chocolate shavings. The layers are thick; every layer (cake and cream in between) app. 1 inch thick. The cream was best described as a mix between chocolate mousse and marshmallows. The second cake layer was maybe a 1½-2 inches thick layer of cheese. It was heart attack on a plate. It was horrific. It was absolutely amazing. The best thing I have had in a very long time. And I must shamefully admit I could not finish the entire piece.

That cake was a heart attack on a plate. Exactly how I liked it.

The strawberry milkshake was a massive letdown; horrifically synthetic and had never seen a strawberry in it's life.

Thanks to Lisa for taking the shot.

Coming back to the room at the hotel we spent an hour to recover after that monstrosity. Next step was taking a train to New Jersey where we had tickets for a hockey game between the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. Outside NFL season we might as well go the second best. Not knowing much about hockey (“You get that black thingy into the goal of the opposing team, right?”) it was still fairly entertaining to watch. Despite it being horribly boring – not because I didn’t know anything but when a game goes into overtime because the score is 0-0 the action throughout a game has been limited.

We returned to Manhattan and the hotel where we picked up cameras and warm clothes and next step was Empire State Building and their observation platform. It was cold and windy but the views were magnificent from 88^th floor.

Looking east.

Looking north.

The spire of Empire State Building.

Looking south.

Came back down and arrived safe and sound at the hotel around 0130. A bit of a long day today.

24th - Looking for phantoms

We left the hotel around 1000 and went south to see the Flatiron building in daylight. To be honest apart from the design it’s an ordinary building; shops in the ground floor and otherwise apartments and/or offices in the rest. If it hadn’t looked like a huge wedge no one would have given it a second look.

The Flatiron building.

Continued and followed the northern half of the High Line and on the way north afterwards we stopped by a diner called Tick Tock to have lunch. I had waffle with eggs and sausages (which had turned into bacon when it arrived). Plenty to eat but realizing they had cheesecake on the menu I didn’t really have a choice. Despite what some parents might want you to believe the world does not end just because you have waffles for lunch.

We returned to the hotel around 1330 as we had tickets for The Phantom of the Opera at 1400 at the Majestic. The theater was located in the same block as the hotel which so it only required a walk of a couple of minutes to get there. Great show and worth the 75 USD per ticket we had to pay. It’s worth mentioning that a normal price for a show is around 150 USD for the cheapest tickets which admittedly was the main reason why I didn’t go to other shows. The Phantom was 2½ hours, and those I considered going were 1-1½ hours so the time/price ratio was not very optimal and price-wise therefore a bit too steep for my taste.

After the show we took the subway (my first subway ride – everything before this was walks which I started being able to feel at this point) just across East River to Brooklyn to get some shots of the Lower Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. The weather wasn’t too good as the clouds were descending on top of the tallest buildings. We had a short walk to wait until it got dark to try and get some good shots both with the bridge in the foreground and of the skyline when walking across the bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge with Lower Manhattan in the background.

Crossing the bridge.

Back on Manhattan we went through Chinatown where we had dinner and walked home from there. The dinner started with 8 steamed dumplings which they are known for. The meat inside was bigger than normal and there was also soup wrapped inside the dough making the entire thing amazing. The 8 could have been enough for a small dinner but it was followed by crispy shredded beef which was at least just as amazing.

Like Burger Joint this restaurant was found in the Lonely Planet guide so it is fairly well know and there was also a queue here. As opposed to Burger Joint, though, we didn’t have to wait more than 5-10 minutes before they had a table for us. And the wait was absolutely worth it.

23rd - Nerding and ferrying

Today started with waking up at 0939 after an uninterrupted night of sleep. Success!

I left an hour later and started towards Lower Manhattan again. This time with a top priority goal; to visit B&H Photo and Video, a large photo/video/AV/etc. shop with an enormous inventory. Too bad most of the fun stuff (i.e. Nikon lenses – and lenses in general) was stacked/stored behind counters and hard to see. I got to see the Sigma 200-500 f2.8 up close though. No wonder reviewers often compare it to a small anti-armor weapon.

From there I went west and had a stroll through Chelsea Market, a former cookie factory turned into a shopping mall (sorry; concourse) with shops and plenty of eateries. It all seemed generally high-end compared to average in the city, best comparison would be Torvehallerne in Copenhagen. From there I took a walk down the High Line, an elevated set of tracks now decommissioned and been made to a walkway in green surroundings. Unfortunately, due to the time of year there was no green so it felt a bit bare. If I ever came back during the summer this would definitely be a place to revisit.

The High Line.

From there I started heading southeast to see Wall Street which I managed to miss on the way north yesterday. On the way I stopped at a Mexican restaurant and a great burrito. Arriving at Wall Street I realized that it has become a huge tourist attraction – surprise! The stock exchange was there, a couple of historical buildings but otherwise exclusive shops and office buildings (which are probably considered exclusive solely due to the location). None of the business charm/coolness one could have hoped for.

Saw this closed corner shop on the way to Wall St.

New York Stock Exchange.

George Washington in front of Federal Hall.

World Trade Center One with one of the memorials in front 

(there are two placed where the old buildings were located).

I went out and sat at East River for a while, overlooking Brooklyn Bridge, realizing that the day had heated up sufficiently that you could easily walk around without a jacket. Got up and went back west, saw the World Trade Center and the memorial before going down south again and finding the ferry to Staten Island. The ferry is free and gives a great view of the New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines with Lady Liberty in front. I took the first return back to Manhattan, having nothing planned or to do on Staten Island. Standing in the terminal and hearing the announcement that the boarding is to start soon a massive stampede occurs when people rush to the gate. It could have had something to do with it being rush hour, though. It seems like most people are commuters as the outside areas where you can photograph without glass ruining the shot don’t get too filled up – especially considering how many people actually board the ferry.

New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Manhattan.

Coming back I saw the Charging Bull, the large bronze bull close to Wall Street standing in Bowling Green Park. Despite its huge size it was hard to see due to the huge mass of people surrounding it. Went back to see the Brooklyn Bridge in the sunset, walked north and saw the Flatiron Building. At this point it had gotten dark and the building wasn’t illuminated which surprised me due to the large amount of PR is connected to it. I ended the walk with passing by the hotel and drop off a couple of things before going to dinner.

The Charging Bull.

Brooklyn Bridge.

I had read a mention in the Lonely Planet guidebook of a small burger place (called Burger Joint) in an otherwise very fancy hotel. When I finally found it I quickly decided to find a different place due to the long queue of people waiting to gain access. Having had had dinner at a small bar/restaurant place I returned “home” and decided to end the day early at 2230.

Saw my first celebrity; passed by BD Wong (the psychologist from Special Victims Unit). Oooooh!

Met up with a friend late tonight who came in from Canada and who’s here the rest of my stay.

22nd - Island hopping

I had not slept on the flight which meant that when arriving at the hotel I had been up for more than 20 hours. When going to bed at around 0130 I planned to get some extra sleep and take it easy today. Guess who woke up at 0700. I managed to force another 2 hours sleep in but after that I gave up, got up, had a shower and left the hotel to start exploring.

The hotel is 2 blocks away (for those who know NYC it’s located on 8^th Ave between 44^th and 45^th street) from Time Square so I started off by going there. I wasn’t too impressed and started walking south towards Lower Manhattan to see how things looked. And weather was clear and nice though there was a fairly chilly breeze present. 2 hours later I found myself queueing for a ticket to Liberty and Ellis Island; a short and manageable queue of app. 10 minutes. The queue for the ferry was a bit different; it took an hour to reach the terminal building where you went through an airport-like security check (though liquids were OK) before you came out on the other side and boarded the ferry.

After being fully loaded with tourists we took off towards Liberty Island. To be honest, the Statue of Liberty is just that – a statue. A big, recognizable one, but just a statue none the less. I spent a bit less than an hour walking around on the relatively small island seeing Lady Liberty from every angle before returning to the ferries and going to the next stop; Ellis Island. This island was where all immigrants arrived when wanting to enter the country. The museum was quite interesting. Also, you could get some pretty good photos from there of the Lower Manhattan skyline.

Statue of Liberty. 

Ellis Island seen from Liberty Island.

The hall where all the immigrants were registered. 

The bunk beds immigrants had access to when arriving in New York 

(and registering them couldn't be done before night time).

Lower Manhattan seen from Ellis Island.

I grabbed the last ferry from the island at 1715, unfortunately I could easily have spent more time there, and returned to the mainland. From there I started slowly going north again and went through Chinatown and continued on through Little Italy where I had dinner. I realized this was my first meal of the day, the day’s activities had been distracting, and kept going north afterwards across Union Square, past Empire State Building and back to Time Square which now, in the dark, looked much more impressive.

I went to my hotel room to get rid of some things I didn’t need before continuing at 2100 to The Rock – the Rockefeller Center – where I went up to the observation levels and had a beautiful view of the city. The wind had died down after coming back from Ellis Island which had made the evening much more comfortable than the day, but up here on 66^th – 68^th floor it was not surprisingly a bit windy.

Looking north (the dark area is Central Park).

Looking east.

Looking south 

(the tall white illuminated building in the distance is World Trade Center One).

Rockefeller Center.

I left after staying there a bit more than an hour and was back at the hotel around midnight.

Time Square.

21st - Arrival

According to plan we were supposed to depart Copenhagen 1830 and arrive at JFK at 2200. This would give me 1½ hours to get out on the other side and catch the last departure of a bus that would take me directly to a stop in Manhattan 2 blocks from the hotel. The alternative would be to take a train from the airport to a subway stop and from there the subway for an hour or so to the same stop as with the bus. Absolutely doable but the bus was just more convenient – especially when I don’t know the subway system at all.

So I got a bit annoyed that we at 1900 still hadn’t departed CPH, but when they were ready to go a girl locked herself in one of the lavatories. It took 3 attendants to unlock and open the door but after that drama we were finally on our way. Unfortunately we didn’t catch up on the delay on the way so we didn’t reach the gate until around 2245. I expected to have missed the last bus’ departure but to my surprise it only took half an hour to get through security and pick up my bag. I got my ticket, stepped into the bus and an hour later I arrived safely at the hotel where I checked in without any issues.

Visiting the Big Apple

So I wanted to go somewhere during Easter (last year Kenya & Tanzania on an extended Easter vacation), Iceland the year before that etc., and wanting to do something similar this year I started my search. Unfortunately the number of days I have off is fairly limited and nothing noteworthy was available. Instead I started looking at alternative trips and I got the idea of going to New York instead for a couple of days. Not something I usually do, wildlife and mountains tend to pull too much, but NY has been a place I have wanted to see for a while.

I have no idea how I will feel, preferring the open quiet spaces of mountains and the like; either I will love it and plan on going back later, or I will enjoy it for the trip and be happy afterwards that I got it out of the system. In any case I am looking forward to it.

21st of March

Fly out to JFK airport in NY. Get to the office for work and in the late afternoon go to the airport and fly out. Arrive in NY at around 2200 (according to plan). Long live timezones.

22nd - 28th

Spend time taking in the city, doing tourist-y stuff, spending too much money. And enjoy it all the way.

28th - 29th

Fly back, late departure, layover in Gatwick, back in Copenhagen mid-day.

24th – 25th – Monkeying around and going home

A couple would be staying a few days so they changed to a different hotel (which turned out to be the neighbor of our current). Most of the rest of us met up at 0730 to go for breakfast followed by having a walk in a nearby garden and we returned to the hotel at around 1100 as latest checkout was at 1200. One would stay another night so we used his room for storage if we would be leaving later during the day. We bumped into two who were leaving for a different hotel the next few days so goodbyes were also said then.

One in the group received a message form our assistant guide, once again thanking for a good trip and for the birthday celebration/cake which he had never had before.

In the afternoon we (we were down to 5 from 14 after numerous goodbyes) walked to the monkey temple. The temple was nice enough – with damages from the earthquake – but the real attraction was the many, nay monkeys roaming around. A girl in the group got so baffled/surprised by one getting close and hissing at her that she threw was she could to distract it. In one hand she had a water bottle, in the other her wallet. She did not throw the bottle. It got grabbed and taken behind a tall fence, and after several monkeys had chewed on it for a couple of minutes they left it alone. Another member of the group crawled over the (very) pointy fence to retrieve it. Our hero! We quickly found out that if you weren’t carrying a bag or smelled of food, the monkeys couldn’t care less about you. Chaos might have occurred, vicious fights might have broken out but never did they touch humans though they did get very close at times.

Coming back to the hotel at 1740 I grabbed the taxi that was to pick me up to the airport at 1800, final goodbyes were had and that was it.

The flight home via Doha was on time so I was looking forward to some more time in a hotel room as when going out. Unfortunately there was no room in the airport hotel so I was put into one of the city’s instead. Unfortunately all queues to get out of the airport (accommodation service, passport control, security…) were long and slow. Employees had no rush. Wait for the bus to the hotel also took a bit too long. All this meant that the stay in the hotel was less than 4 hours in total, 3 hours sleep. It felt fancy getting a key for the 7^th floor, but I was put down a couple of notches when entering the elevator and seeing there were close to 30 floors. 3 hours was not satisfactory but 3 hours in an amazingly comfortable bed is still better than only getting sleep on a flight. Also disappointing is it that the airline doesn’t have some system to get their overnighters out in an effective way from the airport to optimize the hotel stay. On the other had in this case it likely wouldn’t have helped considering it seemed as if half the airport was walking around with hotel vouchers.

After Doha though the rest of the flight was smooth and on time.

Big thanks to Bob, Alison, Frances, Daniel, Gerrard, Katie, Nick, Kylie, Sylvia, Tanja, Tina, Connie and Silvan for being such great people. Thanks to Puspa and Maski for being great guides. Thanks to all for making this trip memorable. Hope we all get to meet each other again!

The wallet being tested for edibility.

"There aren't many monkeys at the temple". 

Cue a herd come running down the stairs up to the temple.

Kathmandu seen from the monkey temple.

The stupa at the temple.

The view when walking through Kathmandu back to the hotel.