Notes from the Cape

On Thursday I phoned to book a cab to take us to the airport from Manhattan to JFK Airport on Friday.

So, we were all packed, waiting at the hotel reception for the cab to arrive, when an eight seat stretch Limo pulled up at the door. It could not possibly be ours. The driver walked in to reception and walked straight up to us. "Are you room 522?" – he asked.

Yes – the Limo was ours! So, Lois and I went to JFK airport in style. I really felt like a rock star. It was fantastic! I have no idea why we got a stretch Limo, I have no idea why it cost the same as a yellow cab – but I was not going to complain.

So, New York – we will be back soon. Keep up the style!

New York is the most amazing city! It is always busy with people and traffic rushing about at all times of the day.

We went up the Empire State Building, which is about a block from our hotel. The viewing deck is on the 86′th floor, and the view was fantastic – you can see the entire island of Manhattan, and much further on a good day. The queue’s are about one hour long or so, but Lois’ white cane did the trick!

Yesterday we took a three hour cruise around Manhattan, and got to see the different neighbourhoods. We say the 59th bridge (as in the 59th Street Bridge Song), the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the United Nations building.

Ground Zero was very sobering – it is just a very big hole in the ground, with lots of construction happening. A selection of photos of 9/11 were on display, as well as a signboard listing the names of the people who lost their lives. The atmosphere was very sad and thought-provoking.

We also visited the Intrepid museum, which contains a WW2 aircraft carrier, a submarine, and a British Airways Concorde. The submarine was really fun to visit. It was very cramped and quite claustrophobic. The hatches we had to climb through were very small and cramped! I was interested to learn that the crew only showered once a week, and then for only one minute at a time. It must have been really fragrant down there!

The Concorde, which was donated by British Airways is really not a large aeroplane – it is tiny! It might have been a really fast aeroplane, but it is also very cramped inside. You are definitely paying for speed, not for comfort. I suppose that I can say with a straight face that I have now been on the Concorde.

It is a good thing we went to the museum when we did because it is closing on Oct 1 for maintenance for a year or so.

So on this trip, we have been on the following modes of transport : aeroplane, ferry, train, bus, subway, car, horse and cart, spaceship, Concorde, tram, submarine, battleship, amphibious vehicle and of course foot! Not bad going for a couple of weeks.

The weather has generally been very hot, but New York has been raining the last couple of days – just like Cape Town! I am loving the trip, but I am starting to miss the dogs, our food and of course my bed!

I seem to have picked up a cold – I think it is from the air-con and hot weather outside, so I am laying low today.

Craig

ps: Les Paul is planing in New York this week (as in the inventor of the solid body electric guitar – as in the Gibson Les Paul)

pps: the last few posts have been done from my phone, so excuse the spelling.

You can get anything you like to eat in New York. The cheapest food is eating off the street, where you can get a hot-dog, giant pretzels or kebab for about $2 (I have eaten the hot-dogs, but I cannot bring myself to eat the kebabs).

Slightly better than the street food is the fast food outlets. These include all the names you expect, such as MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC etc. The pricing and quality are predictable. Note that Burger King charges the same as MacDonald’s, but the burgers are very comparable to a Spur Burger at home. A basic fast food meal costs about R3. There are also some quite good sandwich spots.

Next up are the canteen-style restaurants. These are basically self-service restaurants, whereby much of the food is priced by weight. They serve salads, pasta, chicken, and of course Pizza. Pizza is usually served in very large (and thick) slices. The food is good, a bit greasy but very good value. A meal here is about $5-10.

Next up are the real restaurants. You can goto any type of restaurant you like, however you are going to pay. Expect to pay upwards of $20 for a good restaurant meal. However these meals really taste like food. It is good quality, you are not rushed. and you can relax and enjoy the meal.

Drinks prices are pretty consistently expensive across the restaurants. A glass of (ok) wine or beer is about $3-6 in most places serving alcohol.

We did manage to find one restaurant that served great food – had an onsite brewery, and provided a beer tasting. It was not cheap, but by New York standards it was not too bad (the beer is mine – not Lois’).

While I am loving the food here, and enjoying the experience, I am really looking forward to eating at home, and having simple meals, with plenty of salads, smaller portions, and grilled (instead of fried) food!