Today I woke up at 5 o'clock again. The very first thing I do after waking up is grabbing my phone. Every time, I am so excited to see what news there are from my friends in Germany. After that, I skyped with my friend from 5 to 7 o'clock again. I really enjoy this morning ritual, unfortunately, it won't be possible anymore starting tomorrow :( Some people have to work. ^^ Anyway, we started at half-past 8 this morning to New York. Our first destination was the Statue of Liberty. Since it is located on a separate island, you have to take the ferry to even see it. Fortunately, the ferry to there is free and only takes 25 minutes. I have to say that I really enjoyed the ride on the ferry because it was already so hot today (30 degrees) and there was a nice cool breeze there (as you can easily see in the second picture).
Statue of LibertyYou can even see a little bit of Manhattan in the background.The next planned stop was Wall Street. But there wasn't much to see except for many skyscrapers. So it wasn't that exciting and I was a bit disappointed because I somehow expected more. After that, we went to the memorial of the fallen World Trade Center from September 11th (memorial 9/11). I had no idea what it looks like now, but with what I saw there in front of me, I definitely didn't expect that. The place is called 'Ground Zero' for a reason. From a distance, you immediately notice the gap. There are many skyscrapers around the memorial site and in the middle of it, it suddenly becomes so empty. At first, you only see a few trees when walking to the memorial site. But before you know it, you are standing right in front of one of the two areas where the twin towers used to stand. Meanwhile, there is a kind of 'waterfall' on this area. I can't exactly describe what it is. Just see for yourself.World Trade Center MemorialAround this basin, there is a plaque with all the names of the deceased. I have to admit that at first, I had goosebumps when I saw it. I also became aware that something could happen at any moment and that's why you should enjoy your life to the fullest. Around the corner of the two water areas was the new 'World Trade Center'.New World Trade CenterBut there were only small shops spread over 2 floors, like the ones you find in Milaneo in Stuttgart or Blautalcenter in Ulm, for example. Well, it wasn't that special.Next, we headed to Chinatown because I've always wanted to eat there. Chinatown was somehow different than I imagined. In the movies, everything is always portrayed so dramatically and huge, and in reality, you just think 'wow, how tiny and inconspicuous'. Chinatown and Little Italy (which borders Chinatown) took some nerves and persuasion skills. At the beginning, my dad didn't want to eat Chinese food, but eventually, he became too hungry and decided to go to a Shanghai restaurant with me and my mother. I have to say that this restaurant is my insider tip. There was a free green/black tea and a soup included with the order AND it was super cheap compared to the usual prices in New York :0. After being well-fortified, we walked a few blocks further to the Brooklyn Bridge. Of course, I took a picture of it as well. The bridge is really massive and definitely worth seeing. Above all, you can see the 'Empire State Building' from the bridge.The blue sky and the few clouds look inconspicuous. It was soooo extremely hot up there on that bridge. I think if I had a weak circulatory system, I would probably have fainted. But the walk on the bridge and the effort was really worth it. You really have a beautiful view of Manhattan and Brooklyn from there. Before we went back to our apartment, we visited the Empire State Building. For those of you who don't know how big this building is: It is now (after the collapse of the World Trade Center) the tallest building in New York again, which says a lot. When you stand next to it, you just feel like an ant. The building is just soooo tall.
Unfortunately, you can't really see that in the picture because there is no size comparison. But it is really sooooo high.
To conclude, I have to say that we were damn lucky with the weather. I think I would have perceived New York differently if it had been raining all the time. Although it wasn't sightseeing weather, I am still glad that the sun was shining. Tomorrow we will pick up our rental car at John F. Kennedy Airport and slowly head towards Boston. It will certainly be an adventure until my dad and I have this car and then drive in the New York traffic. Oh yeah, I haven't mentioned that yet: The traffic here is like in Egypt. Totally chaotic and everyone just pushes in from the side and honks shortly before letting you in. And if you start just 5 seconds late at a green traffic light, they will immediately honk. So tomorrow, I will need strong nerves.
