New York and........mostly calm seas...DG

Dodo…………….Dodo……………..Dodo………………..No it’s not jaws. We’ve just sailed through the BERMUDA TRIANGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes it’s been four days already. We were supposed to be at Antigua today but thanks to tropical storm Dorian, or Something like that, we’ve have been diverted to Aruba, another day away. Apparently a much nicer port but ……………

Anyway – NEW YORK, NEW YORK – so good they named it twice. Well it was good. We the pier on the way in – must check the hull when we get off again. Immigration was not so good!! Our tour scheduled to leave at 9 left at 11 am. I don’t think we missed anything but more shopping time downtown! Maybe Hoppy organised it on purpose. When we got off the bus at Pier 17 we all fell on the shopping carts and scrambled to buy t-shirts and caps and whatever we could get our hands on – we hadn’t seen anything to buy for so long – sad really. We took a sea trip on a boat, with 100 Asian kids who mostly controlled the sightseeing space posing and taking pictures of themselves. They couldn’t understand the commentary (I thought) so didn’t stop yapping and running around. HOWEVER we did see the statue of Liberty – very impressive, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York skyline from the sea – which we also saw coming and going to our berth but not to worry. We did have a yummy fish and chips lunch at Pier 17. We drove past Ground Zero (which couldn’t be seen on land anyway according to other disappointed tourists) – it wasn’t on my list of sites to see anyway – We saw Battery Park – also closed due to a recent cyclone. We drove through any of the familiar areas. There was a small area of traffic snarl up but apparently it wasn’t a busy day. We were dropped off at Maceys but that was under repair. We walked from Maceys, down Broadway to Time Square. That was fun. Street performers and body painted almost naked ladies for Hop to photograph! Lots of film characters to be photographed with if you were five years old. A bit like Hollywood really. It was fun. Time Square is not square at all; full of neon billboards, cops, people, queues – we still don’t know why people were queuing so we didn’t join in that one! We’re not stupid. We bought a couple of packets of roasted nuts and sat down and ate them and enjoyed the crazy ambience. Loved it. I had a feeling the one thing I thought I might buy , a nightie and negligee, I would get in New York. And sure enough I got one – should have got three. Not at Maceys at some huge cost, but at a clearance sale for $10. Yeah! I’m so thrilled. Just what I wanted and at my price.  We continued to walk through Time Kind-of Oblong(!!) to find 48^th Street. We trotted down there to 5^th Ave where our home was berthed. It’s very easy to get around with all the streets and avenues numbered like they are. It’s hard to explain but although the main couple of streets were crowded the streets we walked back to the ship on were empty and quite derelict. A water system being relayed – apparently has been happening for the last 10 years and due for completion 2017! Strange feeling. Anyway, another port that’s a definite come-backer.

I’ve had a terrible head cold for a few days so here’s to swimming at 28C in Aruba and lots of sun. It’s being amazingly sultry outside the last two days. Last night we couldn’t even get out on deck with the wind.  So now you know Adrian – we’re still here.