07 July 2004

Sat night went up to Times Square to watch all the madness and have dinner.

4th July we started by going to Ground Zero - it's hard to imagine how two gigantic building could have been there at all and secondly how when they fell they didn't do even more damage. The rebuilding operation has been amazing only ground zero and two other buildings still have the scars of that day.

At night there was a hugh fireworks display at 42nd Street at the East River. It was to start at 9pm so we headed up for 8 and thought we were a bit early so went into a bar and had 1 drink (honest). By the time we had done that half of the roads around 42nd had been closed cos there were millions of people.

We ended up at about 50th street before getting down to the river and stood around for an hour before the proceedings began. This gave us time to notice the mad people who also shoe horned themselves into the street to see the fireworks. One woman had a suicase with her, another family had brought chairs along which after all the wait seemed a good idea but who could be bothered carrying them.

Eventually the fireworks started and yes they were impressive especially the smiley faces and love hearts (puke).

We had running commentry from the guy behind us or rather his large booming voice talking to his kid could be heard by all and I mean all few million people. He kept going on 'Joe' the son 'Joe, look at the fireworks Joe - they are just like bombs going off - we could be in a battlefield - look Joe they are like missiles exploding -listen to the sound vibrating off the buildings - it's great Joe' he had worked poor little Joe into a such a frienzy Joe Shouted 'Jumping jack beans dad' only to be told 'Shut up Joe - keep quite Joe everybody wants to listen to the show' - doh.

Monday 5th July - we went up to central park - we found a beautiful spot beside the boating lake and the terrace took a seat to read our books and just chill for the day instead of rushing about downtown - chill we most certainly did as the heavens opened and a terrential downpour landed on us. We made a dash for cover which thankfully was a cloistered area at the Terrace where half of the people chilling in Central Park ended up. I did feel sorry for the numerous brides and grooms who had come to the park to get photos taken, one because they were getting married - Idiots - and second cos they all had to make a dash for cover in all their finery (big blancmanges really). If any one of their photographers had any art about them they could have taken the most fantasic picture of the couples standing in the archways of the terrace looking out onto the fountain and lake with the heavens descending on them. There was a young girl playing mournful Russian tunes on the fiddle and a hand full of pigeons just to finish off the scene. Well I thought it poetic.

Tuesday 6th July - Pauline and I headed off downtown to the riverside to catch a helicopter ride around Manhattan. We jumped into the R train on the Yellow line which my map said stopped at Whitehall Metro - no chance - it actually went across town to the bridge and crossed over to Brooklyn - aargh!.

Wasn't this kind of scary - well no actually - after a few minutes of damming the map company we got off at the first stop and got back to our original destination (which was much more by luck than design - we got on not knowing where in downtown Manhattan the train was going).

Alighting a few blocks from the heli pad we made it OK and took to the air. The views realy are the best way to see the skyline. It's not scary at all - even if Mairi said so. I really put my new shinny video camera to use - I had it on the whole time and have got brill pics.

That night we went to see a Broadway musical - we're being total tourists and I love it. We queued in line for the cheap tickets but they had none for the big shows Chicago, Mamma Mia etc. so we settled for tickets for 'Rent' - none of us new very much about it but I thought it was controversial at it's opening and we had seen a poster which said Scary Spice was in it - so off we trotted.

The show was actually really good, even scary was good but Jai (the culture guy from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy - the one you know you could make cry) totally stole the show - he was more camp than a row of tents and drag queened it up to the hilt - magic!

Wednesday 7th Jul - We took a walk acroos the Brooklan Bridge - free and really great views - an I'm not just meaning all the men running in little shorts. This isn't the only feebies in NY you can take the Staten Island Ferries instead of paying for the Circleline and just wandering looking at all the mad people and belive me there are lots.