Taking a bite at The Big Apple (NYC)

I went to New York City (NYC) from June 15 - 17 with Fero who is leaving USA to go back to his homeland, Slovakia in July. We had free accommodation at Fero's friend, Isabelle's home in Brooklyn.

We took Greyhound from Downtown Baltimore at 4.15pm and the travel time was about four hours. We reached Manhattan at 9.30pm instead because the coach took a detour to Newark to pick up some passengers.

The next day, we toured Brooklyn Chinatown. I noticed that along the side walks, they had gates leading to the basements. This is a pedestrain hazard. So, do keep a lookout and not be engrossed in sightseeing.

Next, we walked across The Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan over The Hudson River. The sheer size of the bridge was impressive. After that, we headed towards Chinatown along Canal Road which was packed with tourists. Vendors were selling souvenirs, perfumes, watches etc.

We also took a free Staten Island ferry ride which allowed a good snap shot of the city scape of lower Manhattan and passed by the Statue of Liberty. On Staten Island, the buildings were mostly four-storey high in contrast to the towering skyscrapers in Manhattan. I actually preferred the tranquility of this island.

On Sunday, we attended mass at St. Patrick Cathedral which was packed with tourists and worshippers. The church looked grand but I could not worship fully with so much distractions. We walked around the main shopping belt and the items were pricey. Next, we visited the Bronx zoo where I had a good shot of the tiger up close.

Spending 4 days in the Big Apple was too short for me to cover everything. I will be visiting here again whenever I can.

NYC photo album.