Ben's Potter Around Planet Earth

WEEK 2

DAY 8

Kicked out of apartment by grumpy Danish bird. We couldn't check in to our hostel until late afternoon, so we left the place with nowhere to go. Thus in effect we became part-time hobo's, cruising from park bench to park bench and that. Before long a homeless drunken Vietnam veteran gravitated towards us and we shared hearty stories of better days. Guy saved the day when the old fella asked aggresivley whether we had visited the Vietnam mmemorial ion Washington...he said yes we had actually forgotten. Filled an hour listening to Pilkington, writing postcards and avoid the temptation to join everyone else in asking strangers for spare change. Crisis over when we get into contact with Corey - friend from Washington who is studying in NYC. Stayed at his place and checked in successfully later on.

To complete a bizarre day we went out with Corey and his friends to a few bars. Annoyed me taht everytime we went to bar, a girl called Eileen, would shout, 'Welcome to New York guys!' (add jazz hands for effect)..as if we don't have any bars in England. Naturally we had to feign excitement at such a miraculous combination of people, booze and a bar. Ended up in bar called China 1 - things got mental when our US friends decided they wanted to have a table...sounds understandable until they told us they were going to pay $275 dollars for it!...literally just get a guaranteed table and a bottle of the best vodka. Guy turned a shade of white when he heard the price - luckily we didn't have to pay anything - they were paying for us! Me and Guy had never really seen such OTT exuberance from peopel our age. It was odd as everyone looked past thinking we were celebrities or something. Unfortunatley me and Guy look more like Laurel and Hardy than Brad Pitt and George Clooney.


DAY 8

Battered from night before. Stayed in bed till early afternoon. Amuses me that every time the hostel cleaner sees me, I am lieing in bed in the day...she must think i am the worst tourist in the world...perhaps I am. Walked through part of central Park...genuinley beautiful stuff, great pics and superb blue sky. Incredibly Icy - fell over pathetically - Guy missed it so I just pretended I was doing my laces and integrated my limp into a explanation that I was aquiring the New York swagger. Guy was fascinated by a dog with no back legs but was getting around on a pair of wheels instead - we seemed to follow the paraplegic pooch for hours. Im not sure I've ever seen Guy so happy in my life and that is saying something. Went to big Art museum - too abstract for me so I walked ahead of Guy and had a kip in a secluded part of the exhibition. Woken up by security guard and left.

Ended day with overpriced comedy club - the comedians were pretty cool and lots of authentic New York humour but had to buy atleast two pricey drinks which was annoying.

DAY 9

Got loads of good tourist stuff done today:

Started with Natural History Museum - big exhibition on primitative man and the evolution of humans. Good opportunity to understand how someone like Guy could possibly come about.

World Trade Centre Museum - place dedicated to 9/11 attacks. Pretty powerful stuff - most moving thing was to see a phenomenal picture taken by a French photographer literally five minutes after the first tower fell - its a very iconic image. We read that this was the last picture he took before he was killed a few seconds later by falling debris. Also incredible to see part of the plane that hit the towers - wierd to be a few inches away from something so instrumental in millions of people's misery. No matter how hardhearted you are, its hard not to let the bottom lip quiver here.

Brooklyn Bridge - Iconic piece of architecture taht links manhattan island up with the NYC mainland. We polished off a subway sanwich - argued about how close Guy was eating his next to me and then walked halfway up the bridge before we turned around to take in the Manhattan skyline at night. It was just as fantastic as you could imagine - a feast for the eyes.

DAY 10

Found an absolute gem a few minutes away from our Hostel in harlem (yes Harlem...but its pretty safe nowdays and nothing someone from leafy Kingston-upon-Thames has necver seen before...)

The world's biggest cathedral is in Harlem. It is absolutley monolithic in size and even puts Guy's backside into the shade. The cathedral has seen better days - looks like a injured hibernating dinsoaur stuck on a cliff-top. We eventually get in and spend hours walking around the place. The stain glass windows were some of the biggest ever made - everything was epic - made me think that buildings like this give you a tiny but tangible taste of just how powerful, mysterious and awesome God might be...assuming he exists...which I'm still working on..the fact there was an albino peacock cruising about in the church gardens makes me think the big fella has a sense of humour.

Went out with a indirect friend called David. He is a former student of an American acting teacher who lives next door to me back home in UK. She once acted opposite Richard Geer to she was pretty interesting to chat to before i headed out. She helped hook me up with David who is a young filmmaker - lots of NYC critics reckon he will go far. He has travelled all around the world like me and Guy are doing so he was full of sound advice - generally just to enjoy the moment and not stress too much about what happens when we return. David brought along an actor called Marcel - he was a proper New Yorker - thick accent and bucketloads of confidence and amusing attitude. Had a great night going to lots of unassuming bars, playing pool, air hockey. We hadn't know them long but it was just like having a good old kneesup with good friends.

Highlight was a barful of drunken teenagers gathering round Guy and listening to his life story.
Because Guy is such a polite, open and warm natured chap, this has happened alot on the tip so far. Strangers tend to gravitate towards him - ask where he is from, directions to places etc. I think I come across as a lot more cynical and closed off. I have grown tired already of introducing who we are and what were doing but Guy still delivers his 'Im a country bumpkin from a small English village' with consistent gusto. Fair play to him.


DAY 11 - 12

Took in our last sights of NYC. Walked entire Central Park - took in some of the locations of one of my favourite films - Home Alone 2. Had a large kip in afternoon - cleaner walked in and rolled her eyes at my apparent laziness yet again...she's like a foster mum nowadays. Went out to a student bar in the evening after playing pool in an authentic new york jazz bar. Played hours of beer pong which made Guy somewhat worse for wear by the end of the evening. His celebrations at scoring points were in direct parrallel to the amount he drunk - by the end of the night every successful shot was followed by a 2 minute, hip swinging dancing routine. Painful but true.

Last day in NYC we headed up the Empire State building. Went at just the right time - caught the sunrise and then got to see everything light up for nightime. Its hard to get tired of looking at it all but I'm increasingly looking forward to seeing something of more natural beauty - like the Rockeys and Colorado. Spent last night with all the people we've met and befriended through Washington and NYC - cool time to reflect on it all and chill it. Next stop Toronto.


DAY 13 - TORONTO

Were off to Toronto to meet up with an old frined of Guys called Matt - he met him on a school Rugby tour to Canada a few years back. Always cool to stay in someone house and have a local show you around so we were excited to get up there. 11 hour bus trip from NYC to Toronto - good time to catch up on sleep. The weather in Canada was pretty apocolyptic at first - tons and tons of snow on the pavements. Got to house in Toronto - beautiful house. Under floor heating was a treat - especially when its -5 outside. Set ourselves up in our room and prepared for a couple of days of snow-based activities.