A travel blog of a journey that I started in 2010 and I don't know when it will end ...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

New York and Philadelphia



New York
Philadelphia



A month and a half ago I bought a plane ticket Bogota to New York with Sprites Airlaines (240€). I was in Iquitos and I decided to make the leap to New York because I've always been curious to know it, and why not say it, is cheaper to fly to USA and then to Europe from South America that directly.

So, my first stop is Miami (scale and do migration). I have just time todo all the controls and inspections of luggage, and there is a huge queue of people ...

At the final step controls where I have to check the suitcase to NY I realize that I don’t have my small baggage! First, Panic! And after analyzing the situation, I think I left it at the last baggage check ...

I check in the large suitcase and go to see how I can get to last checkpoint, is banned and we say that I go with someone of the company ... Employees say the company or juice accompany me and that I have to do a claim to them to receive by mail my luggage ... Fuck!

I try to access the checkpoint again, and I speak with police, who want to HELP. Accompanies me to the checkpoint ... and my suitcase is there! At the end of the tape ... Ufff.

So I take the plane to New York La Guardia Airoport ...

In New York I stayed with Jong Dae (South Korea), a friend I made at the Walk in Huaraz (Peru) , and has some friends that can host me in Queens ...

So the first thing I do to get to New York is calling it. Is 11:30 at night and the phone has given me doesn’t exist! Ouch what day that I have!

I make time at Airport. I connect to the Internet through computers for some coins that aren’t very quick to leave a message ... there isn’t free Wifi

I stay the night at the airport. There are many people that are waiting to cach a flight at 6 am, ...

In the morning ... 7am ... still have not answered from DJ (Dae Jong), so I decided to go to Manhattan to find accommodation. At 8 am already in the Hostelling International ... Very expensive! 50 U.S. $ per night for a shared room! I left my baggage there.
New York
I go for a walk through Central Park which is two hundred meters from the Hostel. I walk until I find the Solomon R. Guggengeim Museum. There is a small cue, is not open yet. And as if it is a signal, starts to rain lightly. So, I visit the museum! I like the building and the main display of conceited Lee: Marking Infinity. I spend many hours inside the museum.





Outside is still raining when I leave. I go back to the hostel and check mail ... DJ had given the wrong number! And I had been waiting till late waiting! Was 304 instead of 403... At last I talk to him, and as happened in Bogota, I don’t sleep in the hostel that I’ve already paid ... I meet with DJ with to take me to his friends at home ... And this time we do meet! Great! We go to Northern Station Blv. In Queens, a residential area half-hour from downtown Manhattan. His friends have gone on vacation ... one in Korea and one for USA. So they let me stay at the apartment alone! That rocks!

From here, I relax and I start to discover the city without stress or planning ... I simply choose the direction I believe at the time and let the luck for find the tourist attractions that all know from the films and series. Is the way I like to know the city, and is how I did it in New York ...walking and repeating the very places that I like.
I like The market in Madison Square Park on Saturday and the Festival of San Gennaro in Little Italy.

I see DJ working in the restaurant Ramen two days a week, and I try the Ramen ...like the ones I had in Japan, spectacular! And on Sunday he invite me for typical Korean meal lunch at his house made ​​by his roommates at Forest Hills in Queens.


Philadelphia
One of the things that I thought I want to visit is Philadelphia and Washington DC. Are close to NY and are U.S. history.
Tuesday I take the bus to Philadelphia (bus with wifi!) And I visit the historics buildings where the constitution and independence of the USA was developed, then I walk to China Town and the Avenue of Museums Art Museum with the stairs of the fictional character Rocky Balboa just his training sessions ...

I have arranged to meet Makoto (Japan - Philadelphia) that I met in Guilin (China) a year ago along with Joseph ... And he is working in Philly ...

We had a beer before going to dinner in China Town ... of course! Chinese for dinner! After over a year we share the Chinese dinner ...



I stay at his magnificent apartment with an overlooking of the bridge that connects New Jersey with Philly ... I decided to stay in Philly instead of going to Washington DC ...

After a coffee we walk near his home to Italian Market. One of the most authentic and original of the city.

We make another coffee before going to prove typical of Gino's Cheese Steak ... And once I return to NY, I continuous discovering parts of the city.

With DJ we go to see a Korean film at the MOMA and left me a MOMA membership card to visit it one day...

I liked New York, neighborhoods and parks are what one expects from a big city. The population is varied and the English could not say that is the language used ...

Now, I want to go back to europe...

Some photos 
2011-09-New York (USA) https://photos.app.goo.gl/fvMrdxmSQNyofnSx8

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Versió catalana
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