The United States of America Sojourn: New York

 26 June

2 AM IST: Boarding the aircraft - a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York via London. 

A 20 yr wait for the greenest pastures finally comes to an end. 

The recent spate of jet setting in and out of the country has got me immune to the petty issues faced by passengers at the Mumbai Airport. 

7 AM GMT: Readying for landing at London. Difficult to say why, but the flight didn't live up to the expectations. Whether it was the seats that felt uncomfortable, or the relatively long duration or the in- flight attendants that would definitely give their Air India counterparts a run for their money. 

9 30 AM GMT: After a short transit and change of aircraft at the London Heathrow Airport, we are now  ready for take off to New York, the city that never sleeps.

The cabin crew seems a class apart and the whole experience of flying Virgin Atlantic appears different. The passengers on this sector are majorly non-Indians. Probably that would explain the difference. Doesn't this give a feel of being racist?

12 PM NYT: It's been almost 24 hrs since we had left home. And the wait is finally over. Landing at the JFK Airport, New York, we have now to proceed to New Jersey to our Hotel. 

2 PM: En route, we catch up with an excellent Indian cuisine at Maharani restaurant. The traffic at NY is mind boggling. Vehicles are absolutely bumper to bumper but people very patiently are driving their way to their destinations unlike the ones inside our bus who just want the driver to get a move on. 

10 PM: Hilton Hasbrouk Heights, gives the impression of being a five star property, but doesn't live up to it. Firstly, it is located on the highway from where no places are accessible except by taxi. And, the dinner, internet connectivity and internal room fixtures leave a lot to be desired. 

Being jet lagged, we didn't have the courage to venture far out. Hence, a stroll in the neighborhood was enough to end the day. 

27 June

9 AM: Embarking on our guided city tour

of New York City. Crawling through the crowded lanes and avenues, this city accommodates various nationalities with élan. It is impossible to differentiate

visitors from locals because a majority

of the locals themselves are visitors. The city is made up of 5 boroughs- Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. 

The Central Park encompasses a large area. Kids frolicking away in the water fountain, adults playing the guitar or drum, horse carts,

cycle rickshaws, ice cream cars all enrich the experience at this majestic garden. 

The stores are huge. On a regular working day and during working hours, it was amazing to see crowded stores. 

Finally, we reach the site where the

Site of twin towers

twin towers once stood. In its place, a World trade centre, a memorial.... are being erected now. 

1 PM: An Indian lunch at Salaam Bombay restaurant is followed by the Statue of Liberty harbor cruise along the Hudson River. It gives an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.

Statue of Liberty

The statue stands in its solitude in the middle of the serene river oblivious of the amount of visitors it has been attracting since time immemorial. It was gifted by the French at the end of the American civil war. 

3 PM: The Empire State Building which derived its name from Empire State - the name that this untiring city was known by in the past, was the tallest skyscraper when erected. It has been thoroughly commercialized and an Observatory set up on the 86th floor that provides a breath taking view of New York City. A concrete jungle with  skyscrapers galore adorn the skyline. 

Times Square

6 PM: A stroll down Times Square - the advertising capital of the world, sums up the spirit of this 'Big Apple' city. 

28 June 

9 AM: Checkout from our Hotel and before we proceed to Washington, we could not afford to miss Madame Tussaud's at Times Square. Pics galore, posing with all celebrities. And as the attendant correctly mentioned, "feel free to kiss your favorite stars, but remember, they won't kiss you back".

1 PM: A lunch at Hometown Buffet at the countryside of New Jersey, typically American and competitively priced summed up the NY leg of the tour. This place is highly recommended for tourists with no holds barred.