Hanging out at Central Park

One of my friends came to visit, it was great spending the weekend hanging out with her. Sometimes, things are enjoyed much more when you have company.

But one of the things to remember, was the fantastic Mexican food ! With portions big enough to feed 2 people...


Dos Caminos, i am coming back again for you.

The next day, we headed to Central Park for brunch at the Boathouse.


With little charming remote controlled yachts on the lake...

Strolling our way to the Boathouse,



My friend had pancakes ~ Even the syrup came warmed. ..

I had apple bacon sausages with cheesy grits. This was so good, that i even finished the eggs.

And to top it off, Mimosas for brunch. Ahhh life was good at that moment


A view of the lake while we were eating...


A stroll through the park..


Singing buskers

Performing Hip hop artistes

Interesting little corners (very Harry Potterish)



On the hottest day of the New York year, we strolled through Central Park. It was a good day. :)

Looking over the Hudson River

Looking in Brooklyn for a place to stay, i felt that the neighborhoods were alright but me, being direction-ally challenged, the many trains were too confusing for me.


Brooklyn Bridge




A nice ice chocolate at a fancy cafe..



A day trip to Governor's island which is only opened during summer with free ferries from the city. The island used to host a US army fort and is now being renovated and conserved as a lifestyle space.




The view on the ferry to Governor's island


For something that was free, i didn't expect much out of it. But it was an enjoyable day with good views, blue skies and a walk in the park.






And a view of Ellis Island..


It was a nice day. :)

NY - American Museum of Natural History

Thanks to a friend who is in town, he got me seriously looking at neighborhoods and places to stay for over the next 2 years. Basically, he drilled the fear deep into me.

As a side trip over the weekend, i went to the American Museum of Natural History with compliments of my company's corporate card. The tickets were free !

On my way to the Museum, i noticed how the subway had animal motifs all around.

Check out the huge meteorite in the lobby. How many times in your life can you tell people, 'I touched a meteorite' ? :)


Found cool items like this ice core from Alaska which tells a story of the Earth's temperature through the ages


Gazillions of stuffed animals...


South American or Indian items such as this huge canoe which filled an entire lobby


Human evolution


World's biggest sapphire



Creepy shrunken heads. Apparently, the Indians killed their enemies, beheaded them, cleaned the heads. Air and sew the heads and carried them around for 3 days. Just to prevent the enemies from haunting them. Looking at the heads, make me freak out even now.


Dinosaurs !



Fun is where you find it. For me, the museum was a good place to be for a day out. But if i were to compare, the London's Natural History Museum is still my favourite !

The museum made up for a traumatic morning looking at neighborhoods that basically didn't even feel safe in the day -l- I guess that's the price for being a tightwad. Lesson Learnt :- Money cannot substitute for safety

NY via the Metro

Talk about hitting the ground running, still finding my way around work. I know i will get there soon. Hopefully.

On the 2nd day of my NY weekend, I got my metro card and started exploring slightly further.


BY my usual lost clueless self, i found SoHo.


It was funky and fun with little street side stalls selling jewellery and apparently, movie scripts.


The vibe was good and relax. Even an ad for plumbing was done up in an adorable mural.

Next stop was St Paul's Chapel. The chapel that amazingly survived the 911 destruction without a scratch. This was the same place that was used as a center during the disaster


It was depressing, given how recent this disaster was. The spirit of a nation lies with its people.




The Bell of Hope in the Church courtyard. It is rung every year during the anniversary date.

The 911 memorial


The nearest fire station which responded immediately to the tragedy. They were all lost during the first building collapse while saving people.

There was a Memorial museum next to it but given that it was exactly 10 years ago when it happened. There are some things that are still very fresh in my mind. I guess that was the day when the world didn't feel safe anymore.


The twin towers site that is still undergoing re-construction.

Wall Street !

Hudson river

Federal Hall Memorial



New York Stock Exchange

'Greed is Good' !!


At the end of Wall Street, looms one of the oldest buildings in the city. Trinity Church




It felt very similar to those old churches in Europe except for the fact that the stained glass window was decorated with pineapples. Pineapples were signified as a sign of welcome. :)


For my last stop, i dropped by Madison Garden.

Hopefully, i will get to watch a performance here soon!

Day 2 progress: Making friends with the metro system. Which at some times, seem really bewildering. Thank goodness for my iphone app called Nextstop.