Day 1, Friday
We took an airplane going to New York, mainly because I think I wouldn't have been as cooperative if Papa and Mama had strapped me to my car seat for 13 hours if we drove by car.
Per policy, if it does not fit in this box, it can't be brought inside the plane. We're ok, though!We landed at the Liberty International Airport in Newark at around 8:30 on Friday night, and promptly got lost trying to find our hotel, the Marriot Fairfield in Newark. As soon as we found it, we simply dropped off all our stuff and, not wanting to waste any time, immediately drove towards New York City.
We drove through the Holland Tunnel. It's one of the two tunnels that connect NJ to NY. It was already past 10pm that time but, as you can see, traffic was still bad. The toll fee is $6 going to NY, but it's free from NY to NJ. Go figure! By the way, be sure not to queue at the EZPass lane if you don't have an EZPass :)
This is what the inside of the tunnel looks like when driving at the speed of 45 mph. That yellow thing on the dashboard of our car is our GPS device - our lifesaver! We don't dare leave home without it :)
It was Papa's first time to drive in NYC, and we have heard a lot about how crazy the drivers were there, how expensive the toll roads/tunnels charged, and how super expensive the parking fees were. Yes, these were all true. And then some. Considering it was already 10:30pm, taxi drivers still zigzagged the streets, pedestrians were jaywalking here and there, and cars were parked any where there was an available space. It reminded Papa so much of Manila that the Manila-driver in him automatically stepped up into gear.
Our first stop was to find food. We drove towards Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, one of the largest Chinese communities in the United States. We heard that it was the best place to find Chinese food, products, and culture. It really seemed like a great place to visit if we had a lot of time. However, aside from the fact that there were just too many people there, and because Papa and I were craving for some pizza, we instead proceeded to Little Italy.
Papa posing behind a Harley, and in front of one of the many outdoor cafes in Little Italy.
Mulberry Street is lined with yummy-looking authentic Italian restaurants! In fact, there were just so many of them that we had trouble choosing any one particular restaurant. In the end, we slithered into La Bella Ferrara Pasticceria because we couldn't resist the gellato and pastries! Yummy!
It's bedtime for me at Mulberry Street.
As we were already in Lower Manhattan, we drove towards Ground Zero, the location of the former World Trade Center which was attacked by terrorists on September 11 2001.
Papa taking a picture of Ground Zero and the timeline panels.
It was an eerie sight. Two gigantic towers once stood on that spot - a visible symbol of America's supremacy in the economic world. In just one fateful day, it fell, taking with it thousands of innocent lives and dreams. A very senseless show of stupid supremacy, or supreme stupidity, whichever way you prefer.
A closer look at the final timeline panel.
By 11pm, we went back to the hotel to recharge. Fact is, we have a very long day ahead of us tomorrow :)
Day 2, Saturday
We woke up early, ate the free continental breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and by 10am we were on our way to the Empire State Building.
ESB facade.
Apparently, it wasn't early enough. The queue snaked all over 34th street, and promised at least a 3 1/2 hours wait. No way! We had so many things planned for that day. We decided to come back another day :)
Only slightly disappointed. But it's ok. Tomorrow is another day!
We were lucky enough to snag a metered parking spot so it was only $5 for two hours. To make the most out of our $5, we walked down 5th Avenue and bought some souvenirs. If not for the T-shirts and caps printed with "New York City", we could have easily mistaken the shops for those in Hong Kong. The sellers were all chinese, and some of them didn't even speak English. By the way, we bought 6 t-shirts for $10. Farther down the road, they were selling the same shirts but for 7 for $10, too!! Lesson learned, always haggle!!
By 1pm, we were on our way to Pier 83 for our Manhattan Island Cruise. It was at ninang Judy's suggestion that we take this tour, and so we did! We previously booked online for this tour with Circle Line so we just had to get a boarding pass when we arrived. We got the 3-hour sightseeing cruise because we felt it was the most sulit and, since it was Papa's first time in NY, he wanted to see everything. By the way, Tito Ron, Papa's friend whom we visited in Atlanta before, joined us on this tour. He's based in Philadelphia now.
One important point, parking is available at the Pier. We did not know this so we parked along 11th avenue for $28! Aarrgh!
Mama and me, trying to steady our sea legs aboard the Circle Line Ferry.
The tour circumnavigated the entire Manhattan Island, which gave us great views of New York City's 3 rivers, 7 major bridges, 5 boroughs, more than 25 world renowned landmarks, and the Statue of Liberty. I have to mention also that our tour guide, Curran, was such a funny guy. Here are some of the pictures Papa took during the ride.
The Midtown Manhattan Skyline.
Across the Hudson river, the Jersey City skyline.
Papa takes a picture of the Statue of Liberty.
The historic Ellis Island. We're going there tomorrow for a closer look.
The Brooklyn Bridge. One of the older bridges in NYC, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The Empire State Building Towers over its neighbors.
The Williamsburg Bridge connects Manhattan and Queens.
Harlem, New York. I wish you could see the colorful doors on the buildings.
This is the little red light house beneath the new George Washington Bridge. According to Curran, the city first wanted to demolish this lighthouse in order to accomodate the construction of the new bridge, since it has already outlived its purpose as a beacon for ships that used to travel down the river. Fortunately, a writer, Hildgarde Swift, wrote The Little Red Lighthouse and The Big Grey Bridge, a children's book which made the lighthouse become a very famous landmark in NYC. Of course, the city decided to leave the cute little lighthouse alone.
These group of buildings are Donald Trump's newest residential development. Wow!
The USS Intrepid, formerly a warship during the Second World War is now a museum, and one of the most unique landmarks in NYC. I wish we had time to visit it, maybe we'll do that when we come back some day.
We were lucky enough to chance upon the luxury liner Golden Princess as it set sail from Manhattan Island to its Carribean destination. Our little ferry was no match for this gigantic ship! (Including the amenities, for that matter!)
After the tour, we went straight to Mama's Tita Helen's house in Union, New Jersey where we will be spending two nights. Papa dropped us off there while he and Tito Ron drove off to Flushing Meadows, NY to watch the US Open. Knowing Papa and his magnificent sense of direction, they were late! They got lost! They missed the ladies' game (Davenport played, they were told) and was only able to see the men's game, the one between Ginepri vs. Haas at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Better late than never!
Keeping score.
Time out!
Match point.
No bigger tennis fan than he.
Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, it was Mahjong time! Apparently, during the weekends, Pinoys from all over Union converged at Tita Helen's home to play the "halo-halo" game. It was so much fun because the Pinoys brought along their kids, so I had a lot of playmates. The mahjong games ended at around 1am, and Papa arrived from Flushing Meadows at 3am already!
Ho-hum! It's off to bed for us for another hectic day tomorrow :)
Day 3, Sunday
We left Union at around 9am in order to catch our ferry going to the Ellis and Liberty Islands. This is another cruise that we booked with Circle Line online. There were two kinds of tours, the Observatory, and the Promenade. We took the Observatory tour so that we could climb up to the base of the Statue of Liberty. The tour costs $11.50 each. Prior to boarding, Observatory tickets are distributed at the point of departure - either at Battery Park in NY or the Liberty State Park in New Jersey. We departed from Liberty State Park.
Posing while waiting for the boat to board at the Liberty State Park Ferry Station.
Are we there yet?
Finally, our boat!
First stop, Ellis Island.
We first docked at Ellis Island to view the Immigration Museum. It's been said that nearly half of all Americans today can trace their family history to at least one person who passed through the Port of New York at Ellis Island. We weren't able to go around the museum too much, me being too cranky and all. Maybe when I'm older and when I'm more appreciative of these kinds of things then Mama will probably get to enjoy her historical expeditions more.
Second stop, The Statue of Liberty at Liberty Island.
By this time, I was so tired, so Mama and I opted to stay at the Promenade area while Papa went up to the Observatory.
That's no ordinary wall. It's the stone base of Miss Liberty.
Papa's view from the Observatory deck.
A shot from behind the behinds. And the heat is making my Mama hallucinate. Mama, Miss Liberty does not need a drink!
The baby and the lady.
It was already 2:30pm when we returned to New Jersey, then drove through the Holland Tunnel again to get to Midtown Manhattan. We planned to attend the 5:30pm mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral along Madison Ave. It was a good thing that we left for NY early because the traffic was so bad that we arrived in NY at around 4:30pm. After 15 minutes of searching for a parking space, we found one along 51st St.
The Baroque facade of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Not too busy to thank God for all our blessings (and for all our pretty pictures).
After the mass, Mama will be meeting with her grade school friend, Tito Jhay. While waiting for his call, we walked across the street from the Cathedral towards Rockefeller Center, where Papa took this awesome picture...
Unfortunately, I was too young to join any of the tours offered by the Center. These included: the Rockefeller Center Tour, the NBC Studio Tour, and the Radio City Music Hall Tour. It was ok though, because at that very moment, Tito Jhay called and told us to meet him and his family at the recently opened Hard Rock Cafe on Times Square.
The Cafe looked nice but the service was bad! We had to wait 30-45 minutes before we were seated, and then another hour or so before our orders arrived. Also, nobody could hold a decent conversation inside that restaurant because it was so noisy! Oh well, it just proves that we're no rockers! :D
It was great to see Tito Jhay again, after Las Vegas, and so nice to finally meet his wife, the very pretty Tita Marianne, and their daughter, Ate Pia. Thanks for the yummy dinner!
My new ate, Ate Pia. She's so cute!
We got back to Union at around 11:30pm already. I was so tired I had trouble keeping my eyes open. So I just gave in and slept. Tomorrow, we're off to Atlantic City!
September 5 2005 : Atlantic City, New Jersey
We said goodbye that morning to Tita Helen and the rest of the Roque family. I was glad to have met them and hope to see them again, soon!
Tita Malen, Tita Helen, Tita Cora, my Mama and me.
Tito Noel, Ate Kate, Tita Cris, Mama and me.
Tito Noel, me, Papa, and Tito Jo.
I will miss them all!
From Union, we drove all the way down south towards Deptford, New Jersey to meet Papa's long-lost friend, Tito Jong, whom he has not seen for more than ten years now. Together with his daughter, Ate Jewel, he took us to Atlantic City.
Our family on a fake chariot at Ceasars Palace.
On the boardwalk.
Bikini Beach is where Papa's first ever beach sighting in the US happened. Yehey!
The Apprentices? Oh sorry, Apprenti!
We spent a few more hours walking along the boardwalk. Papa played on some slot machines but eventually gave up because he felt it wasn't his lucky day. We ended the day with a Chinese buffet dinner. I was so busog!
Thanks Tito Jong and Ate Jewel for the wonderful lunch and dinner. Hope to see you again soon!
After dinner, Tito Jong guided us to King of Prussia, Philadelphia because we were spending the night at Tito Ron's hotel room. Tomorrow, we're going to explore the beautiful city of Philadelphia.
September 6 2005 : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We picked up a brochure that was lying around Tito Ron's room about a bus tour that went around the City. Papa was already tired from driving so we decided to join The Big Bus tour.
The starting point was at the Independence Visitor Center along Market St. Papa got our tickets, $28 each, and also secured free tickets to enter the Independence National Park, as well. The National Park housed the famous Liberty Bell and the Independence Hall where America's forefathers conceptualized the Declaration of Independence.
The famous Liberty Bell. A real national treasure.
Inside the Independence Hall where the original representatives of the 13 states drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence.
What was supposed to be great about the bus tour was that we can hop on and off any of the designated stops during the tour, especially if we wanted to explore any of the points of interest further. Unfortunately, we were running out of time so we decided to just finish the tour without bothering to hop off. The run lasted for about an hour and a half.
We were just a bit disappointed because the bus driver drove too fast! The ride was so bumpy that our butts were literally lifting off our seats, worse, Papa was only able to take a few decent pictures of the sights. We wished we had taken the other tour, the Ride The Ducks, which was earlier recommended by Tito Jong. It was $3 cheaper and the people who got off the ride looked satisfied. Well, maybe next time...
Meanwhile, here are some of the pictures Papa was able to take.
Philadelphia's City Hall is said to be the largest seat of government in the US, even larger than the White House. William Penn's 27-ton statue sits atop of the building.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is probably better known for the "Rocky Steps" - the stairs that Sylvester Stallone (or his stunt double, maybe) climbed in the movie "Rocky".
Ben Franklin Parkway is Philadelphia's most famous street. It features the flags of different countries and clusters some of the more important buildings of the City. The Parkway ends at the Museum of Art.
The Philadelphia Skyline.
After the tour, we had our late lunch at "The Bourse" building. It was the former site of the City Hall before they transfered to the big one. It now houses various offices, souvenir shops, and a food court.
By 5pm, we left the city and made our way to Allentown, Pennsylvania to meet with another of Papa's long-lost friends, Tito Joecar. We had dinner at their pretty house and I felt so at home. Tita Rhea, Tito Joecar's wife is such a nice lady! I hope we could return the favor of their hospitality should they decide to visit Louisville one day.
Tito Joecar, Mama, Papa, and me.
Tita Rhea, Papa, me, and Tito Joecar.
We returned to King of Prussia for our last night together with Tito Ron. He's also leaving Pennsylvania and now moving to Baltimore. Maybe we could visit Baltimore one day and stay with Tito Ron again. Present that night was another of Papa's friends, Tito Dale. Papa was so happy to see so many of his friends again after a long, long time.
Tito Dale, Papa, me, and Tito Ron.
Tomorrow, we're going back to NY to try our luck again with the Empire State Building.
September 7 2005 : New York City, New York
Our flight home to Louisville was scheduled for 6:30pm that evening, we felt we had lots of time so we decided to try the ESB one last time. After all, we already had tickets and it would've been a waste not to use them. We also purchased the tickets online before going to NY because we thought it would help us go up to the top faster. It did, of course, but we still had to line up with all of the other people.
I have to say, though, that it helped that we went on a Wednesday. It was a regular day, as opposed to the Labor day weekend when we first tried. This time, it took us only about 20 minutes to reach the top of the building. Finally!
All the way to the top. 86th floor!
Mama and me.
Papa and me.
Just a comparison to see how tall the ESB is compared to the other taller buildings.
This view is what you pay $12 for.
And why some are willing to stand in line for 3 hours, maybe more.
The tallest shadow in all of NYC.
And then, we saw this:
Traffic!
We were reminded by Tito Jong not to get caught still in the City by 4pm, or else the rush hour traffic will make us miss our flight. We had a quick lunch at Rosa's (an Italian restaurant at the lobby of the ESB), it was quite expensive for a Sbarro-like atmosphere, but I liked the pasta :)
Lunch at Rosa's.
We still had an hour before 4 pm so we drove through Central Park, the only major place we haven't really visited. We just drove through it, though we very much wanted to at least take a walk. It was a good thing that we did not give in to tempatation, because as soon as we got out of Central Park, traffic was getting very very bad!
We arrived at the airport about 45 minutes before our flight! It was so stressful!
Anyway, this was probably one of our best vacations yet. Now I know why Mama hearts NY. I heart NY, too!
Bye NY, hello Louisville!