New York City for New Year's Eve - what could be better, I thought to myself. Until I found out at the last minute that my friend Ryan couldn't make it anymore. The two of us had been planning the trip since September and were really looking forward to it. But what can you do when your health does not want to cooperate? It sucked, but I decided to suck it up and go anyway. There was no point in wasting my flight!
Day 1
Lost Luggage Aggrevation. Grrrrrrr Air Canada. The first day was a bit of a struggle for sure. My flight from Halifax to Montreal was late and I came VERY close to missing my plane (they actually held the plane for me and I got to ride on the little car for old people while an airport employee honked the horn for people to get out of the way. This, of course, was slightly embarassing, but at least I made it. The descent into NYC was breathtaking - the sun was shining brightly and I looked out over Central Park and the Manhatton skyline. Too bad I'd left my camera in the overhead compartment instead of in my lap! The euphoria from the view did not last long however - I arrived at La Guardia Airport only to discover that my bags had not been on the same plane. Not to worry the lady at the lost luggage place said - they were scheduled to be on the next plane which would arrive an hour later. Air Canada would then send them over to my hostel at their own expense - there was no need to wait around. Super! I thought (little did I know how things like this are never as simple as the luggage lady says it will be).
I managed to find the right bus to take me to Manhatton and to my hostel. Once I was checked in I made a bee line for 42nd Street and Times Square. It was so surreal there! There were so many people and it was so bright from all the massive lights on the buildings. It reminded me of Las Vegas in a way, or at least what I imagine Vegas would look like! By now it was late and dark and I had no luggage to unpack, so I decided to take a well deserved break and head to a movie. So I went to Lowes (Times Square) and saw the Chronicles of Narnia, which I enjoyed immensely. Seeing a movie may seem like a funny thing to do while in New York, but I hadn't been to the movies in ages and sometimes it's important to just do what you want to do and not worry about it. ;)
Day 2
More luggage stress. After the stress of the lost luggage and the fighting with the people from Air Canada's lost luggage department (who're based in India and have no idea what is really going on) I decided to stay in bed as long as possible the next morning. This, I reasoned would make it more likely that my luggage would arrive by the time I got up. Plus, I really wanted to change into some fresh clothes so I really hoped my luggage would be there. The people at the hostel told me that they'd put a note on my door if my bags arrived in the middle of the night. I finally got the courage to get up off my bunk around 11am. The moment of truth had arrived - I opened the door and found . . . . nothing! It looked like I'd be spending the day in the same clothes. Smelly girls status here I come.
I went downstairs and checked with security, just in case my bags had arrived and they'd forgotten to place a note on the door. I didn't get any joy there either. My stress level was rising (even writting this now, 8 months after the incident, I can feel my veins throbbing!). I finally decided to bite the bullet and phone Air Canada. After another hour of speaking to someone who could not understand me and being given the run around (the same girl told me she had no idea when my bags would arrive, then, two sentences later she told me they'd arrive in 2-3 hours, then, about 15mins later she tells me they've just been delivered). So I told her to hang on (because I certainly did not believe a word of what this chick was saying) and I went back to security to check it out. I went up to the security guy and asked him if any bags had arrived in the past 1/2 hour. He said no, but he'd check the log to see if they'd arrived earlier. I said there wouldn't be much point in that because the other girl had already looked and told me they hadn't arrived during the night. But thank goodness he checked anyway! They'd arrived at 1:45am. I went back to the phone and hung up on the Air Canada rep - I was tired of dealing with people that couldn't do their jobs properly. Then I showered and put on some clean clothes. It looked like I wouldn't be the smelly girl after all!
The first thing I did was get on the Statton Island Ferry which is free for foot passengers (like myself) so that I could have the opportunity to go by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The views of the Manhatton skyline were terrific, even if there was a bit of fog. And you get a great view of Lady Liberty. I'm happy that I just took the ferry instead of trying to line up for 3hrs to actually go to the Statue (afterall, they don't even let you go inside the statue anymore!) .
From there I went back to Times Square for a view of it during the day. It is so difficult to explain. Everything is lit up (the McDonald's reminds me of a Las Vegas Casino). The people are fast moving . . . don't stop in their way! The subway is crowded. The streets are a mess where the stoplights are ignored and waves of pedestrians rule. Yet, somehow, it's all pretty fantastic (and a bit scary!).
I visited Central Station (the famous train station that's always in the movies). It's beautiful, if a bit of a maze. There is a mural on the ceiling of the constellations, but whoever painted it screwed up because they're all backwards. I also visited NYC Public Library. It's beautiful too, but again a bit confusing to walk around in. I then went to Bryant Park, which had to be one of the highlights of my day. There were all these little Christmas shops all around (think the German Village festival in Edinburgh) and in the middle of all of this was this an outdoor skating rink and they were showing a hockey game of the NY Rangers vs the NY Islanders on a big screen overlooking everyone skating on the ice. Talk about a true New York Experience! It was terriffic!
From there I wandered around New York and window shopped. Some of the window dressings were just amazing, particularly the one at Macy's. I can't believe all the work that goes into it at Christmas time.
Day 3
Rudeness at the American Museum of Nature. This day started off cold, rainy, and foggy, so I decided to forgo my original idea of climbing to the top of the Empire State Building and head to the American Museum of Nature instead. This had been talked up to me quite a bit by one of my friends from Ottawa and I was really looking forward to it. Plus, I'm a science geek, so naturally I'd love it right? By the time I got to the Museum, it turned out that everyone else in New York also had a hankering for the same museum and all the cool science shows were booked until 5:30 (a mere 6 hrs after I arrived at the Museum). But, I really wanted to see this show on Darwin, so I booked a ticket for the 5:30 show and headed into the museum. It was crowded and overheated and after 4hrs of walking around I had a raging headache and needed to leave ASAP. Since getting into the museum is actually free and the just charge you a whopping $16 to see one show (which only lasts about an hour), I figured I'd see if I could get my money back. Oh, no - absolutely not. I spoke to the absolutely rudest girl I've ever had to deal with in person who informed me in no short terms that I would not be reimbursed because I'd already been in the Museum for 4hrs. When I attempted to point out that it's actually free to enter the museum and I just paid so that I could go to a show that I was now unable to stay for, I was met with even more abrasive behaviour. At that point my head was hurting way too much to even think about continuing the arguement. So I left, sans refund. But, oh . . . I'm still bitter.
Day 4
Picture time! I woke up and my headache was gone and it was a bright and sunny day. Time for pictures! I took pictures of the following places: my hostel, the Flat Iron building (you know the one they always show on friends), Grand Central Station, NYC Public Library, Bryant Park, Rockefellar center for pictures of "the" Christmas tree. Then (FINALLY) to the Empire State Building. The wait was a mere 3hrs to get to the top of that thing and there was no way I wanted to wait that long as I wanted to be at the top for sunset. For a bit extra dosh, i.e. $35 American, I could get an express ticket and make it to the top just in time for sunset. So I did. I spent several hours at the top taking so many pictures . . . it was great. The views were terrific and the express ticket was definitely worth it to me.
Day 5
New Years Eve! Right, so I had another headache, but luckily I took some advil which saved the day. People start lining up in Times Square ridiculously early (4pm) and me and my new Aussie friend Jenny did not feel like standing around in the cold for 8hrs before finally getting to the most important part of the night. So we didn't end up heading down to Times Square (42nd) until 9pm. By that time there were so many people at Times Square that we had to walk all the way back to Central Park (58th Street) before the police would let us into the barricaded section. Finally, we made it as close as 53rd Street which is where we rang in the new year. From 53rd Street you can't even see Times Square, but they have these big screen tvs that show you what's happening. I got to watch Mariah Carey on the big screen as she sang right before they dropped the ball. I hat Mariah Carey so this was not a treat! Ringing in the New Year in New York was definitely an experience! There was so much confetti it was ridiculous. I'm glad I did it once, but I'm not sure if I would want to do it again . . .
Day 6
Central Park. This was my last day in New York before I flew back to Ottawa. It was time to visit Central Park, which I loved. I spent several blissful hours wandering around there and it was truly great. Part of it reminded my of The Meadows in Edinburgh. It was so wonderful to have such a natural oasis in the city. Jenny and I spent our last night in the big city at a wonderful Mexican restaurant near our hostel. It had the most amazing handmade guacamole and we also had quite a bit of sangria. A great way to end the visit to NYC!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Calgary & Banff, Alberta - May 2006
I finally made it out west! Prior to this the furtherst west I'd been was Windsor, Ontario. Needless to say, being the only "east coast gal" on the trip, I was pretty excited to finally see the Rocky Mountains and to visit Banff, which was a dream I've had since I was little. (As a sidenote - isn't it wonderful to do the things you've always dreamed of doing? It is so terrific to actually say, someday I want to do that and then to finally do it instead of always saying "someday"). The purpose of this trip was pleasure and more pleasure. I'd organized a mini-reunion with some of my Canadian friends that I had spent most of my time with while living in Scotland. The girls that were able to make it to the reuinion were (from west - east): Shannon (BC), Tiffany (Alberta), Kiki & Maria (Saskatchewan), and me (temporairly from Ontario, but previously from PEI).
DAY 1
I arrived in Calgary via WestJet late on a Thursday evening in the middle of plenty of rain. I was greeted at the airport by Tiffany and Shannon and we all headed back to Tiff's place for a bit of catching up. It wasn't long before we went to bed though because we were pretty tired. Kiki and Maria were going to arrive the next evening, so we decided to head to Banff during the day.
DAY 2
Banff. The view of being surrounded by mountain tops is nothing short of amazing. At least, that is what I would probably have thought if the weather had been a wee bit more cooperative! Unfortunately, most of the time when I was in Alberta it was raining and foggy, so I didn't get to see as much of those pretty Rockies as I would have liked. However, I did see enough to know that they are truly picturesque.
We started the day at the Banff Springs Hotel which was truly breathtaking. It amazes me to think of all the events those walls have witnessed. From there we spent a relaxing hour or two at the Hot Springs, further up the mountain. It was a bit surreal to have your lower body be immersed in extremely warm water while receiving cooling raindrops on your face. Once we'd dragged ourselves away from there we spent some time wandering around town and checking out the tacky tourist shops (it's too bad that Banff is spoiled by this!).
That night we finally managed to track down Kiki and Maria and we all went out to supper. It was really great to all be together again and to catch up. Dinner also included the added entertainment of a waitress that always seemed to pop up out of no where and scare Shannon by her close proximity. It was highly amusing.
Day 3
Banff - The Sequel. This time I went up to Banff with Shannon, Maria, & Kiki (Tiff had a training course to attend). We started off the day in the best way - we took a gondola ride almost to the top of Sulphur Mountain. This was definitely the highlight of my trip - the views were spectacular. The mountain was still covered in snow and everything was very peaceful. It was great because there was hardly any other people up there because of the weather (which was extremely foggy). I hiked up the trail the rest of the way to the top by myself. It was nice to hear the sound of snow crunching under your feet and there is something incredibly satisfying about reaching the top of a mountain (even if we did take a gondola most of the way). Next time I'll hike it . . . as long as the weather cooperates!
On the way down, disaster struck! I accidentally deleted ALL of my pictures from the trip up till that point. I was so upset! The poor girls that had to deal with me for the next couple of hours . . . I was not a happy camper.
That night we went out to this pub (Tiff, can you remind me what it's called?) and watched the Oilers play a terrific game of playoff hockey. Then the band started - they were fantastic. I really enjoyed them.
From there we went to what can only be described as a dirty club for some serious dancing. Without going into details, let's just say that my eyes have been scarred for life and the inside joke consisting of a pick up line that some icky guy attempted on me ("Where's your friends? HONK! - guess what he honked?) was coined. Ah, memories. It wasn't all scuz though - Shannon scored a date with a man named Lincoln that night. Lucky her! How come I got stuck with the honker?!?!?! It must have been her dancing ability (see photo!)
Day 4
Lilac Festival. We wandered around the Lilac Festival which was conveniantly scheduled during our visit and everyone picked up some great pieces. We took a break in a pub named after James Joyce. This seemed quite fitting since we'd all fequented Finnegan's Wake in Scotland which is a novel that James Joyce wrote. Tiffany tried to hide from us behind her beer, but we eventually found her again.
Day 5
Cupcakes. Okay - this might seem like a weird thing to remember from that day, but you haven't tried these cupcakes! They're heavenly. I think the store was called Crave and they were sooooo good. My favorite was the one that tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Mmmmm. Nothing beats peanut butter and chocolate. Except maybe peanut butter and caramilk. Hmmmm. I will need to sleep on that one.
This was also leaving day for everyone. We took some last pictures and gave plenty of hugs and then we all departed once more. Next time, we'll have to go some where warm! I did manage to score one last picture of Calgary from the plane . . .
If you'd like to see ALL the pictures I took (post gondola ride, that is) please click here and view the slideshow.
DAY 1
I arrived in Calgary via WestJet late on a Thursday evening in the middle of plenty of rain. I was greeted at the airport by Tiffany and Shannon and we all headed back to Tiff's place for a bit of catching up. It wasn't long before we went to bed though because we were pretty tired. Kiki and Maria were going to arrive the next evening, so we decided to head to Banff during the day.DAY 2
Banff. The view of being surrounded by mountain tops is nothing short of amazing. At least, that is what I would probably have thought if the weather had been a wee bit more cooperative! Unfortunately, most of the time when I was in Alberta it was raining and foggy, so I didn't get to see as much of those pretty Rockies as I would have liked. However, I did see enough to know that they are truly picturesque.
We started the day at the Banff Springs Hotel which was truly breathtaking. It amazes me to think of all the events those walls have witnessed. From there we spent a relaxing hour or two at the Hot Springs, further up the mountain. It was a bit surreal to have your lower body be immersed in extremely warm water while receiving cooling raindrops on your face. Once we'd dragged ourselves away from there we spent some time wandering around town and checking out the tacky tourist shops (it's too bad that Banff is spoiled by this!).That night we finally managed to track down Kiki and Maria and we all went out to supper. It was really great to all be together again and to catch up. Dinner also included the added entertainment of a waitress that always seemed to pop up out of no where and scare Shannon by her close proximity. It was highly amusing.
Day 3
Banff - The Sequel. This time I went up to Banff with Shannon, Maria, & Kiki (Tiff had a training course to attend). We started off the day in the best way - we took a gondola ride almost to the top of Sulphur Mountain. This was definitely the highlight of my trip - the views were spectacular. The mountain was still covered in snow and everything was very peaceful. It was great because there was hardly any other people up there because of the weather (which was extremely foggy). I hiked up the trail the rest of the way to the top by myself. It was nice to hear the sound of snow crunching under your feet and there is something incredibly satisfying about reaching the top of a mountain (even if we did take a gondola most of the way). Next time I'll hike it . . . as long as the weather cooperates!
On the way down, disaster struck! I accidentally deleted ALL of my pictures from the trip up till that point. I was so upset! The poor girls that had to deal with me for the next couple of hours . . . I was not a happy camper.
That night we went out to this pub (Tiff, can you remind me what it's called?) and watched the Oilers play a terrific game of playoff hockey. Then the band started - they were fantastic. I really enjoyed them.From there we went to what can only be described as a dirty club for some serious dancing. Without going into details, let's just say that my eyes have been scarred for life and the inside joke consisting of a pick up line that some icky guy attempted on me ("Where's your friends? HONK! - guess what he honked?) was coined. Ah, memories. It wasn't all scuz though - Shannon scored a date with a man named Lincoln that night. Lucky her! How come I got stuck with the honker?!?!?! It must have been her dancing ability (see photo!)Day 4
Lilac Festival. We wandered around the Lilac Festival which was conveniantly scheduled during our visit and everyone picked up some great pieces. We took a break in a pub named after James Joyce. This seemed quite fitting since we'd all fequented Finnegan's Wake in Scotland which is a novel that James Joyce wrote. Tiffany tried to hide from us behind her beer, but we eventually found her again.Day 5
Cupcakes. Okay - this might seem like a weird thing to remember from that day, but you haven't tried these cupcakes! They're heavenly. I think the store was called Crave and they were sooooo good. My favorite was the one that tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Mmmmm. Nothing beats peanut butter and chocolate. Except maybe peanut butter and caramilk. Hmmmm. I will need to sleep on that one.This was also leaving day for everyone. We took some last pictures and gave plenty of hugs and then we all departed once more. Next time, we'll have to go some where warm! I did manage to score one last picture of Calgary from the plane . . .If you'd like to see ALL the pictures I took (post gondola ride, that is) please click here and view the slideshow.
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