Back, alive and well.

Yo, I'm back. It's a must do trip and I could speak the language nearly perfect, I said nearly.

The food is quite different so we had to read the labels in Deli's and restaurant's very carefully which did not go down to well.
'Hey wotcha want?'
'Can we just have a little more time?'
'What's the problem? That's the lot. It's easy.'
I ended up with salt in a bread bun with salt on. They are killing themselves with salt, I've been salt free for about 25 years and I love salt but it's a killer.

We did all the 'must see' stuff, which always started with a queue, a big queue. It's not a problem queueing but we did a lot. We did the bus tours, taking pictures of anything that moved, anything.
The only thing on our list we did not do was the helicopter trip round Manhattan, for no other reason than we ran out of time. It was only 5 days, but that was enough. We were up early and in to bed late, you can see it on my face as well as the salt overdose. There's lots to tell so I'll break it up over the next few days.

I wanted to get to the Metropolitan museum and a few of the smaller galleries so on day 3 I split from my Daughter and her partner. We had been on the red bus route, which for some reason did not come back past the Metropolitan so I jumped off on the far side of Central Park. This took me past where John Lennon was gunned down by Chapman. I then walked to the top of Central Park to a museum. I made my way back down eventually getting to the Met. I spent 3 hours (not enough but I was getting bushed) in the museum.
When I came out there were queues for the bus, so I thought I would ask the lady at the back of the queue.
'Hi, can I get a bus from here to New York?'
'Honey, you are in New York'
'Well down into town?' She turned away and ignored me.
'Thanks very much.'
I later asked a man and he told me I needed $2.25 in quarters and no they would not take bills. I did not have a penny in change so I walked back along the worst pavements (sidewalks) in the world. The trees roots had lifted them.
I should have flagged a taxi, you live and learn.

I had been looking for a hat, I kept my eye open for the whole trip and had not seen the one I wanted and reluctantly I was going to buy one of those flat caps that New York taxi drivers wear but on the last night we passed a leather shop and there in the window was my hat. It's a heavy leather cowboy sort of hat, yes that's the one in my minds eye.
'$100'
'What'
'A hundered bucks buddy'
'No, no' I started to walk away.
'Hey, 75 bucks' I wanted the hat, I had come along way for the hat, I had waited years for that hat.
'70'
'No'
'Okay $75' we shook hands.
I know I could have gone on-line and got it cheaper, but when you can feel the quality, you can't do that on-line. A lifetime of looking stupid, worth every penny. I'll post a photo later.

I'll tell you about the chat up later. Bunny boilers are real.
The lobster meal and other stories.
I'm off to drink 6 cups of water and try and clean the salt out of my body.