Filling a stop-over, as cheap as possible

Streetmonsters
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"Warmest day in april ever" the headline in the Times said the first morning. Fortunately I had my summer-outfit in my backpack since I was on my way to central-america. Great start, and with only 3 days in the global hub I had already decided to see runs and stress as little as possible and do things without wasting time standing in lines.

The free ferry to Staten Island is a perfect opportunity to see the N-Y skyline. I spent a couple of hours on the island, wandering on the tranquil green-walk along the shoreline, small-talking to the local vender, and enjoying a cooling ice-cream.

English was nearly considered a second language...

Night on Brooklyn Bridge
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In Battery Park, on the tip of Manhatten, I saw a "don't let this happen to you"-sight: a huge line of people waiting to board the ferries to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty! At the hostel I met to Dutch guys who had been there 8 o'clock in the morning, and still had to wait 3(!) hours. And the situation was exactly the same outside the Empire State Building. Unless you think paying XX dollars and standing 3 hours on the pavement (without shade) to get a glimpse from the inside a construction which is just as nice from the outside, forget it! At least I did and made some evening shots instead. And enjoyed all the free/cheap stuff: and evening stroll on the Brooklyn Bridge, visiting the National museum of American Indians (no fee), relaxing in Central Park, jazz and blues-"concerts" on the subway, gospel-concerts at ordinary church services, get the strange feeling which gets you at Ground Zero etc etc; It doesn't get more New York than that! Of course it's possible to pay your way to musicals on and off Broadway, concerts at Lincoln Center, but hey, remember; it came from somewhere else.

Ground Zero memorial moment
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I have an apperance which made me aware of another N-Y character: the presence of all world languages. I am born in Guatemala, and from the first hour the majority off people I encountered wanted to speak spanish, hindu, thai and in one occasion hindu; the local taxi driver, the girl in the reception, the clerc at the local store, newsagent... todo. English was nearly considered a second language.

Oh, and the hostel, Chelsea Int. Hostel, is located in a gay-area, which makes the area of Chelsea thriving, lively and friendly. It's funny to watch the faces of visiting, homophobic high-school boys from Europe when they are passing by the well-established gay-club on the corner. Besides, it's strange how gay-areas seem to attract foreign (straight) girls. I don't complain. One of them, Aya from England who is going to be a dancing celebrity on Broadway in a few years, and I went out to eat the last night and we got this HUGE pizza with loads of toppings for 20 USD. Almost too much, too good. Yummy. I'll be back to have some more next year!