Hot in the City

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I no longer know which photos I’ve placed onto the blog so here are the links to the ones from the South.

Hello from our last night in New York. It is still hot and humid, the high today was 86oF, yesterday on the road, 95oF and it felt every bit of it once we dropped the car off.

Our drive to New York was easy considering that it was a long weekend and everyone was out on the road including the truckers. Interstate 81 was the first time we encountered really fast driving (outside of Washington DC) where the average speed was 75mph, sometimes a bit faster. Even with plenty of highway patrol cars out there it made little difference. Some sections were signposted as 70mph and then of course the average was 80 or more. Here for the first time we saw road kill of deer like creatures - not much recognisable stuff left after a truck passes. We’d seen some little furry creatures on the roads up to this point. Sorry if I just spoiled anyone’s appetite.

We stopped at some really nice rest areas and by now we stop at the Welcome Centers each time we cross a state line (thanks to Peggy) and pick up a good (free) state road map. Our overnight stop was welcome after the long hours in the car, which we thought was well done in good time considering we were also held up once due to a fender bender near an exit. Monday’s drive was not as long, As soon as we crossed the New Jersey Stateline the quality of the road improved remarkably but the rest area we had looked forward to for a long time turned out an utter disappointment as it was an unkempt turnout, foul smelling because there were no facilities and we had wanted to have our lunch here - which we did, quickly in the back seat. The closer we got to NY city the heavier the traffic became, shaded of Washington, but not as scary even with smart guys driving all over four lanes to get one car length in front - just like they do at home. We no longer played and at times even just did the speed limit, from the right lane of course.

Entering New York city was easy too because the traffic flow slowed down when we had to go through the New Jersey Turnpike toll gates, then lots of lane started to condense and by the time we reached the Holland Tunnel toll gates traffic was almost at a standstill - not helped by several sets of traffic lights and cross traffic. I was also grateful that there was hardly any traffic in the area where we had to drop the car as we were counting the cross streets and straining to read the road signs. Mr Happiness checked the car in and we gathered our bags to go and wave down a taxi which was easy and we then survived a hair raising ride, sometimes at high speed, out to our hotel which I’d picked because it would be closer to the airport. This area, called Jamaica, is nothing like its tropical namesake might imply. It is a depressed neighbourhood at best. We had a little rest and then went out exploring, and had some laughs joking with a couple of local shopkeepers. I wouldn’t have liked to have been out after dark though.

Today we took the subway (several trains in fact) to Brooklyn so that we could walk across the Bridge. I hadn’t realised that we surfaced near the Jehovah’s complex of 25 interconnected buildings - what a real estate prize that is! We easily found our way to the bridge walkway and were immediately nearly trampled by groups of school children, both completing the crossing and about to start it, so we got a move on and headed off. This bridge is in the same state of disrepair as the Queensboro with rusty steelwork. We did enjoy the walk though, kept to the correct side of the path and left the bike and roller blade lane free. Here was the first time in ages that cyclists used bells to warn of their passing. There are more cyclists in NY that I imagined would be. In the city we mostly saw them riding down the middle of the roads, even the one way (most of NY’s roads are one way) roads, in fact so did bladers and often young men running would be in the middle of the traffic (shudder). No one much likes to were helmets and that goes for motor cyclists too.

We went to the New York Department of Records Building (I was by now desperate for a rest room), a monumental old building and it took ages to get through security. Once inside you could see the decrepitude in which the inside had been allowed to descent - such a pity because this building is as stunning as the Empire State. Next we headed into Chinatown where the food, spice and fish smells mingled to assault the nostrils and stomaches. Got out of there quickly and found the waterfront on the east side of Manhattan, but couldn’t get to it as it was fenced off for quite a distance and I hope that the improvement works being done there do the waterfront justice, just as on the west side of the island. Our aim was to walk up to 42nd Street, look at the United Nations Building, Grand Central Station and have lunch. It was really hot going with heat being absorbed and reflected by all that concrete. The United Nations Building is being renovated so we headed up to the station, found a Deli and lunched then went to the station which is almost as grand as Washington’s. I talked Howard into having a coffee in one of the posh looking lounges, ditched the coffee idea and had a cooling glass of wine instead (with water of course), after which I had the option of a train ride up to the Bronx but, being tired by now, chose the ride back to Jamaica instead. We just beat some threatening weather back to the hotel. And there ends the story so far. Looking forward to the West Coast and the National Parks.

Cheers and love from us