Still New York

Alia Vita
Rob & Frances Lythgoe
Tue 2 Jun 2015 02:15
We did a lot of walking in New York, and I mean A LOT. We walked from the south end of Manhattan as far as Times Square and it was interesting to pass through the various boroughs, each of which had a different 'feel'. We went to Grand Central Station, Empire State building  (I never knew that this was built in only 11 months in 1931.. Amazing). We paid our respects at the 9/11 memorial and went to the new observation platform on the 102nd floor of the the new One World Trade Centre building. This observation floor had been opened just three days earlier and we were the 30,100 and something visitors. Unfortunately what had been a clear sunny day turned cloudy and wet and the views were compromised. We also visited Ellis Island which is really interesting.

Whilst in New York we had to clear immigration and obtain a cruising licence which wasn't easy. I won't bore you with all the detail, but they opened up the cruise ship terminal to get access to process us through one of their terminals and take our finger prints. We then went to New Jersey by water taxi, train, bus and a hitched lift in an articulated lorry from a very kind Ecuadorian lorry driver for the last bit of the journey. We got our cruising licence on the 1 June and it was the 11th one issued to foreign flagged vessels in New York THIS YEAR!  

Any yacht people thinking about doing this need to think hard. Sailing to America is the easy part. Sailing to Trinidad and spending three weeks there just to get a visa was a test, but trying to get someone in New York to actually recognise your arrival and deal with you is by far the toughest bit. We were wandering around New York for 2 days before clearing immigration which we weren't comfortable with, but it wasn't for the lack of trying.

Couldn't get even close to the Wall Street Raging Bull for a photo op


I'm thinking the window cleaning contract must be lucrative here
 

Looking down on what any where else might be considered tall buildings


View of the Empire States Building in the distance from the One World Observatory