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Before heading to Boston we spent the day doing a little more of the usual. Ronan went to church, while I had a pint of Harp (bad idea).
After the very nasty pint I sat on the church steps and watched people for a while. I could do this for hours, especially in this jungle of a city.
Shortly after a few more slices of pizza we headed to the New York City Library where I registered for Internet Access - I even got my photo taken. A queue system is run for access to the global datasphere, we didn’t have time to wait.
Back to the hostel, collect our belongings, then to Port Authority bus terminal. We arrived 10 minutes early for our 7pm bus to Boston, but there was no bus. It had left without us as it was full. In line we stood and sat for 2 hrs until the next bus which would bring us to South Station at 1:30am.
It often helps to know what there is to do and see in a city before arriving. Knowing how to get from the beautiful suburb of Allston to any central attractions is also a bonus. The Farrington Inn was only a short walk, or bus ride from Harvard Square.
Each morning we had breakfast in a small coffee shop/café on Harvard Ave and Brighton Ave. Breakfast = Pancakes! Yummy! Especially with banana, accompanied by some amazing banana milkshake. I looked forward to going there every morning.
After breakfast we headed to the Internet café. I made a list.
Trinity Church
Faneuil Hall Market Place
Boston Common
North End (Italian Area)
Fenway Park
Old State House
Newbury Street (shopping)
Cheers - 84 Beacon Hill
We saw everything, often accidentally, except the Cheers bar (the original bar used as inspiration for the T.V. show). But lets start at the beginning. On the first morning we walked to Harvard Square, passing many Harvard buildings, including the football field, where the team appeared to be practicing. That morning, it was exceptionally hot. Not a cloud in the sky, just the sun.
Harvard Square is a wonderful place bustling with activity, on their way to the train and bus station, to college, shopping, or just chilling out at the Au Bon Pain.
We took the subway to North Station where we met some friends.
From there we headed to Quincy Market for desert after dinner in the Purple Shamrock, complete with purple neon shamrock! It was outside this bar I met a ‘war veteran’ asking for money: “You don’t get any more Irish than me,” he said in his Boston accent.
Later we had a drink in Boston Beer Works. This bar/restaurant is full of huge containers and pipes, making it seem like they are producing the beer right there. I find it hard to believe that would be possible. With so much beer on the menu, they were out of the one I picked, ‘Boston Common’. Though how does anyone choose beer from a carefully worded description. I judge a beer by how much it tastes like those I know, Harp, Bud, Stella, Carlsberg, probably not the best beers in the world, but its all I got to go on and I sure don’t know the ingredients. So if i walk into a bar with specialty/home brewed beers I want to be presented with tasters of at least five different beers. Only then will I choose the one I want.
Tomorrow: Wild Sex!
As previously mentioned, this time in New York City was about being a little more of a tourist than a crazy party animal drinking like the world was crumbling around me, celebrating my 20th birthday and enjoying too much the fact that I was actually getting away with drinking in the first place.
This time it was all about capturing everything. In many ways I am glad that I got to enjoy the States last time without the camera, just to relax and not constantly worrying about getting the photograph, but to enjoy it. I had an idea of what to expect.
On day 2 Ronan and I went to the ‘Top of the Rock‘; the observation deck on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors of the GE Building. We went in the pitch black of night, we were the last lift-load of people to hit the top, with limited time before we had to go and let the employees go home. The view was incredible. With a few floors to choose from and lots of wall space to look over I wanted to run all around the edge looking out (and shouting something) as I past. I feel I could have sat up there all day.
Given a choice, I would do it slightly differently though. Firstly I would bring a tripod to get a few better shots. I also wouldn’t leave it just so late as to catch some light. Sunset, or sunrise (probably too early to be open) will be a must for next time. Having said that, next time will be the Empire State Building.
Then we descended down the great glass-roofed elevator back to earth:
Earlier that night we witnessed a live broadcast from SNY (SportsNet New York) at 75 Rockefeller Center.
Plays have never really been my thing, and so as many times as my mother has said “Why don’t you go see a play,” I still haven’t felt the desire to do so. Maybe someday I will, I’m sure they are great.
On my first night in the city I came across an artist who used spray paint and other household items to make a crazy and amazing piece of artwork. Over and over again, he made different varying images based on a similar idea, using different colour arrangements each time. It was amazing. I loved it. I would have paid him the $20 he was asking was I not more concerned about where I could keep without it getting destroyed, I came to the conclusion in the end that there was nowhere. To me this guy was selling real art, on the streets of New York City, drawing a crowd and selling it straight away. This is what it’s all about, surely?
But then, the very next day, not too far away, I spotted someone someone else doing the exact same thing, and earning some money in doing so. It seemed he was also just as good. I felt betrayed. I almost fell in lovetell everyone , I wanted to get his name and tell everyone of this great artwork being produced by this great man. I had seen nothing like it. Until now. A few days later I saw, yet another. It seems as though they are taught this en mass. A teacher paces around a classroom and tells another that he has made a mistake and to redo it. “Tonight’s homework, class…” Below is a picture of one of them, I it doesn’t even matter which on, It’s not about the ‘art’ or the ‘artist’ its about making money. Just like everything in New York. They are all out for the money. Which is fine, few people don’t want money, it just seems though that everyone in New York City is out to get money, and they want it from everyone else.
New York is a very odd place at night. It’s easier than one might expect to find yourself walking down a street alone, only minutes from the bustle of Fifth Ave or Times Square. Along these other streets where there are fewer lights, there is one colour that stands out; purple, or sometimes blue, flashing is optional. These coloured lights often form the words ’show’ and peep’, a separate, equally decorated sign with the letters ‘DVDs’ close by. It seems that by dusk all the regular shops have been converted into dirty houses of pleasure and fantasy.
When New York is referred to as the ‘City that Never Sleeps’, they were surely just talking about certain areas. Most bars close at 2am, which surprised me at first - except some which have lock-ins until 4am, and of course the ‘Gentlemen’s Clubs’ (read: strip clubs) like Lace on 8th Ave @ 43rd St. To me, that’s sleeping. I was expecting bars to never close the first time I was there. I guess it’s later than Belfast, but is that really a good benchmark for anything?
I think I’ve just about gotten over the jet lag. It’s bee a tiring few days since i got home at about 6pm last Sunday after 18 or so ours of traveling; trains, planes and buses. I can definitely see how the novelty of traveling can wear of quickly.
I am back, but never the same. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to write an entry before I left as I had planned, but with packing for moving house and packing for going away I just didn’t get a chance. So for those of you who don’t know I was in the United States of America for three weeks from 25th Aug until 16th Sept. And the reason I haven’t written about it until now is quite similar, I have been moving into the new house and unpacking.
Two years since my first life-changing adventure State-side, my return was well overdue. Thankfully the time I was away didn’t go too quickly as holidays often go. Of course I do wish I was still there. I have been asked many times what it was like and to give best and worst things that happened, I’ve had a lot of trouble giving an answer. It was all good, with so many highlights. Just standing in any one spot and looking up had quite an effect on me. Worst things? None. Besides some minor stressful moments of trying to find accommodation for a night, on that day or the next day which happened once or twice. Once solved, it was back to good.
Just so everything’s clear from the offset:
NYC - 4 nights
Boston - 2 nights
Rhode Island - 4 nights
NYC - 3 nights
Florida - 6 nights
NYC - 2 nights
It didn’t hit me until I began hearing American accents in Heathrow in that very very long queue through security. Then the thrusting engines of the 747-400 shot up the runway and into the clouds. Unfortunately after watching one movie the screen infront of me stopped working so I read a newspaper, magazine and NYC guides for hours that followed. This is one instance where my choice not to possess a watch didn’t help me much, with my phone off I had no way of telling how much longer the journey was. Eventually I landed in JFK.
Unaware of the Airtrain which runs between the terminals and links to the subway, I ended up in a Super Shuttle, which was anything but super. These cabs go around all the terminals multiple times (I counted at least 5 in the first, before I was shifted to another where I counted at least 10) in order to attempt to get the maximum number of passengers, generally eight, at a cost of $20 per passenger. The only reason this service works is through the conversation and persuasion skills of the drivers. A lesson learnt.
The next morning I awoke early with no plan. Except that is to find somewhere to stay that night. This took longer than first expected but thanks to Skype and an Internet Café on 5th (and roughly 30th) I was able to call lots of places cheaply and eventually find somewhere. Once that was out of the way I could begin snapping.
On Tuesday I met Ronan, who turned out to be most unenthusiastic about spending another 2 days in the City. Having spent all Summer in the neighbouring state of New Jersey working at a Summer Camp and visiting the Big Apple often enough to be glad to eventually see the back of it. I wasn’t going to let that stop me though.
The thing about NYC, and the other cities and states that I have and haven’t been to, is that I just have to stand still and look around to be impressed by it all. Constantly filled with a feeling of “wow, this is real”. Having grown up, like most others, watching American movies and T.V. shows to later see that everything is exactly like its shown on the big (and small) screen. I actually find it very strange. Often even the fact that these places exist can be hard to comprehend, and exist in exactly the way they are depicted in all pictures, moving or otherwise.
Of course it isn’t the same for Americans - they’ve always grown up with it. In a very abstract way I feel it’s similar to the way we (or maybe its just me) feel about sexuality. Something I am often curious about is how women feel about the way much of western society portrays them as objects of desire. How does it feel to know that so many men lust over the female body. Something I don’t have which leads me to wonder how it must feel. Though that is definitely something for another day.
This awesome vacation will be split into a number of condensed parts over the next week or so, with accompanying photographs. More photographs can be found on my Flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/philokane
Where to begin…
Well right now im in sunny, extremely humid, Florida. I’ve seen the sand, the sea, the sun, got sunburnt (on my feet!), seen an awesome thunderstorm, been to the Wal-Mart Superstore, watched the sweat drip down my face like rainwater and tomorrow I’m going to see some alligators!
It’s hard to know where to start retelling the story of being on such a great holiday for the last two weeks. I love it out here and I keep coming back. I love the madness of New York City, I love how chilled out Boston is in comparison, I love that my friends in Rhode Island have deers that visit their garden, how pleasant the people are with their “have a nice day” and “how are you” whenever you make a purchase.
Second time around and everything is so new. I can’t ever put my camera away for fear of missing something I haven’t seen before. I can feel, and see, drips of sweat roll down my arm as I sit here typing this.
On the other hand I look forward to getting home, only to check out all the photographs I have taken and to properly put into words this awesome vacation. On Thursday I head back to NYC for two nights before flying home on Saturday evening.
I will have lots to keep me busy when I return home, bringing with me plenty of inspiration.
The grass is always greener…