Day 13: NYC --> Anchorage

Kefir

Still tastes like a typical yogurt drink.

I woke up early again, so that I could visit the Metropolitan Museum of art as it opened. Taking the subway to the Met wasn’t optimal because of the number of transfers involved and I didn’t want to wait around for the bus. I went with the 20 minute walk through Central park and I brought my hiking bag with me, so I could go straight to the airport afterwards instead of returning to the hostel to get my bag. Good idea right?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wrong.

As soon as I entered the building, security turned me back and I had to get rid of my hiking bag. I was told to visit Guggenheim Museum and I could drop my bag off there. Since the Guggenheim was only a few blocks north, I was in luck, right?

The Guggenheim Museum

I bought a city pass earlier in the week that gave me access to various NY attractions. However, for one of the tickets, I had to choose either the Rockefeller center or the Guggenheim and I chose the top of the rock. In order to drop my bag off, I need to buy an adult Guggenheim ticket for $18.

I snapped.

I had given my fair share to NY tourism this past week and I wasn’t going to give anymore. Looking back, maybe I should’ve paid the 18 bucks, but I can totally understand my mentality at that moment.

I desperately tried convincing/bribing nearby apartment and hotel lobbies to temporarily hold my bag. After being turned away by several places, one guy told me he couldn’t take my bag because of the security risk. Thinking about it, he was right. For all he knew, I was a terrorist and my bag contained a bomb. Dejected, I gave up and headed to the airport.

Random place

Cannoli.

This cannoli tasted better than the other one I had in NY, but still it was smaller and inferior to the two from Boston.

Gray’s Papaya

Two hot dogs and 32 oz papaya drink

Since I got the 32 oz instead of the 14 oz, it pushed the price from 2.45 to 5.50ish. I should of stuck with 14 oz, since in theory for the same price I could’ve gotten 4 hot dogs and 2-14 oz drinks. Still good cheap grub.

NYC departure 4 PM EST

1 hour layoff in Phoenix

Anchorage arrival 12 AM AKST.

What a long day.

Epilogue

Because of the several days of minimal sleep, I was sick for a week afterwards. Since I was sick for 1 week prior to leaving for vacation, I ended up not training for 4 weeks. And now I think I may be headed for additional knee surgery. Swell.

I really needed a vacation from my vacation. This turned out to be 86 games of starcraft 2 crammed into 6 days on R&R about 11 days later.

I discovered this Italian deli in Aanchorage where I had a prosciutto sandwich and cannoli. While the sandwich was good, it made me really appreciate of what I had at Katz’s deli in terms of quantity and taste. The cannoli was alright, but again, not as good as the ones in Boston.

Visiting NYC made me realize how much I miss city life and how much I detest urban sprawl. When I visited Dallas earlier this year, I think I ended up driving 300 - 400 km over only 4 days. I definitely need to live in a place where public transit isn’t a joke.

After my initial enthusiasm waned and especially near the end, this entire post series seemed a bit ostentatious. But damnit, this was literally my first vacation ever. Seriously. I would define vacation as having a minimal duration of 7 days. Coming back to Vancouver doesn't count. Long inane bus rides to Calgary and/or Edmonton don't count either. Hence this was my first.

Day 12: NYC (5)

Despite going to bed at like 3am, I dragged myself out of bed by 7am trying to be first in line at battery park by 8am. Unfortunately, crown tickets for the Statue of Liberty were sold out until November, so I just had to settle with pedestal access.

Boarding the ferry for liberty island, all I could think of was that Godfather part 2 scene where young Vito and the immigrants stood up in unison as the boat entered the harbor and came into view with the Statue. And to people riding the ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan, it’s just old hat.

Ellis Island

Lower Manhattan

The original torch

An abomination

Ellis Island, New Jersey, Lower Manhattan

Upskirt. Sort of.

People are small

Ellis Island, Main Building, Great Hall

Once again, all I could think of was Godfather part 2.

Americans and their guns

That was 5 hours touring Liberty and Ellis Island.

Random juice truck

Moonshake: banana, mango, papaya.

Pretty refreshing

I didn’t originally plan on this, but I decided to go to a Broadway show. Thankfully the TKTS discount booth guy had a helpful guidebook previewing the current shows because I didn’t do any research beforehand. I settle on “Fela!” produced by Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada-Pinkett Smith.

Kefir

Tastes pretty much like your standard yogurt drink.

Significant piece of rock

Caracas Arepa Bar

Pabellón Criollo. Venezuelan chocolate milkshake

The beef was good, but too small of a portion. Overpriced at 15 bucks. The milkshake was terrible; it was no different from a slurpee from 7/11.

Because of the 5 hours spent at the island and Caracas Arepa Bar being a little out of the way in East Village, I only had 1 hour until closing at the Museum of Natural History.

Jowen is right on. Once you’ve seen one dead stuff animal, you’ve seen them all. This museum had more prehistoric displays than the Field Museum in Chicago, but otherwise this visit did almost nothing for me.

Shake Shack @ Upper West Side

Single shack burger. Cheese fries.

I decided to have some shake shack again. This time I opted for the single shack burger. Still an awesome burger. The cheese fries was just a glop of process cheese that was merely ok. The back of the bun is closed to catch any juices that would otherwise leak into your wrapper and hand.

The entrance of the Dakota

At this point, the lack of sleep over the last couple of days was catching up to me, so I crashed out on a bench in Central Park.

Where I crashed.

Park meet skyline.

Fela! @ Eugene O’Neill Theatre

Fela is “based on events in the life of groundbreaking Nigerian composer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti, depicting Kuti as the target of 1,000 soldiers determined to put an end to his public performances at the legendary Lagos nightclub The Shrine.” The show has received 11 Tony award nominations (3 wins).

I enjoyed the show. The actor who plays Fela is the main driver of the show while the actress who plays Fela’s mom has a key moment near the end. So if the male lead stinks, this entire play is sunk unless dance troupe is extra-spectacular.

Spotted Pig

Finding this place in West Village was a headache as at one point, I was standing at the corner of 4^th and 10^th street. Not a typo.

Sheep’s milk ricotta gnudi with basil pesto.

Pretty good.

This place was a bit dark and cramped.

Random deli

Red velvet donut.

Tasted no different. Definitely a gimmick.

Steps - 18,617

Distance – 16.06 km

Day 11: NYC (4)

Shake shack @ Madison square park

11 am opening time. A much more manageable line up. When you place an order, they give a vibrator much like the ones you get at the doctor’s office.

Double shack burger, fries and a hopscotch (frozen custard with hot caramel sauce, chocolate toffee and chocolate chunks)

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Fries were standard while the custard was just OK and a bit overpriced for $6.

The Brooklyn bridge

Man hawking water on the bridge

Sweet refreshments after walking the bridge

St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church

The church possesses the first figural stained-glass windows made in the United States so I guess that’s why it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987

Les Halles

Foie Gras

First time. This was really good.

Steak Tartare et pomme frites

The fries were better than average. Steak tartare tasted like I imagined. I don’t really understand the appeal given the higher risk of E.coli and salmonella.

The stomach was about to explode after this meal.

City hall

Inside St Paul’s chapel (oldest surviving church building in the city). This location served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site

Cemetary adjacent to Trinity Church. Alexander Hamilton (aka Mr $10 bill) is buried here. Why didn't I take a picture of the grave? I forget why now.

The Charging Bull

The Charging Bull’s nutsack

The sphere. Formerly part of the WTC plaza after luckily surviving 9/11.

Financier

Blueberry peach diplomat with coffee.

If this only tasted as good as it looked. Nothing spectacular.

Federal hall or as I call “The cool climax of Metal Gear Solid 2 that was soured badly by the 30 min penultimate cutscenes”

The New York Stock Exchange

The NYSE is actually on Broad Street instead of Wall street. I’m sure this will win you a future bet.

Construction at WTC

Chinatown ice cream factory

Scoop of taro and red bean flavor. I could taste the taro. Couldn’t say the same about the red bean.

Gray’s Papaya

2 hot dogs and 14oz (414 mL) papaya drink.

All for the grand total of $2.45

The hot dogs were solid and the papaya was sweet, cold and refreshing. Best deal ever.

Just half a block down the street….

White Castle

2 hamburgers @ 69 cents each.

I can see why Harold and Kumar were so desperate to come here. Good stoner food. I could’ve easily had 20 of these.

Comedy club near Times Square

The 3 comic 90 minute set was not bad. I think the two (intoxicated?) black chicks at a nearby table must’ve had an uninterrupted supply of laughing gas.

Flor de Mayo

According to the guidebook, this was a “Chino-Latino” hybrid restaurant (Chinese and Hispanic).

Dominican chicken with rice.

Average taste. Decent quantity.

Steps - 10,472

Distance – 19.15 km