New York, revisited

"....you go dancing through the doorways
just to see what you're gonna find
leaving nothing to interfere
with the crazy bends of your mind
And when you finally reappear
at the place where you came in, 
you've thrown your love to all the strangers
And caution to the wind."

New York City. Much louder than I remember. And bigger. That's the thing that always struck me about the US, it's huge. When we were here as kids I remember telling my dad about how much bigger the skies here are, how the fields and the roads seem to stretch forever! He laughed at me but I think he's here with me somewhere and he agrees with me. Now, sitting on an Amtrak train that's transporting us go Niagara, I gaze at the scenic Adirondack and reiterate my theory: If it seems bigger, it must be the USA.
Anyway, back to New York City. What can I say about it that hasn't been said already?
We stayed in West NY close to the Lincoln Tunnel. Outside our window the Manhattan skyline reflected it's many myriad moods throughout the day. In the city we walked. I mean really walked. I have two girls with several degrees of aching muscles following me about... Not to mention my own. Did the whole Times Square Central Park circuit with the Empire State building and the Rockefeller Centre thrown in. The tavern in Central Park, Strawberry fields, chicken from the Halal guys on 53rd and 6th, even freezing vodkas in ice glasses at the minus five ice bar! We were intermittently joined by my cousin Jayashree who drove in all the way from Massachusetts just to meet us and who  I met after years and it made things that much more interesting. How can I forget the ghost of Johnda or the loo break at the Plaza Hotel?  We also did Wall Street, Chinatown and the 9/11 memorial. The Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island ferry and the works.... The list goes on and on.
Hectic? You bet it was, but isn't that hectic pace just what New York city's all about....? No bites please, I just sank my teeth into the Big Apple!

Picture credit: Amitesh Banerjee.