Kim's journey

Wed 22/8   11767 steps
Song: Uptown girl by Billy Joel

We woke up late and after trying, unsuccessfully, to find a courier service that would be able to send my bike’s battery to SA, we finally went walking, deciding what to do because it was too late for our traditional hop on hop off bus tour. We ended up at the sea front and went on a habour lights cruise which was very good. I must admit I did get a thrill to see the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of both New York and Jersey City, as well as the bridges in the sunset were stunning.
Too tired to walk as much as before, we found a bus and subway to take us home. By now we were getting used to how the numbered streets and avenues work. So with far fewer steps, we ended up nearer our hotel and had a late supper.

What I learnt: New York must be booming. We saw at least 7 construction sites from the boat. I can’t imagine living up so high in the sky.

Tues 21/8    19242 steps
Song: Hello Dolly

We walked downtown and found a spot for brunch. We continued walking and found ourselves on Times Square, which was not at all what I expected. I guess I always thought of it as an actual square. It is full of hustle and bustle and neon lights, day and night. You can people watch for hours. I don’t know how or why, but next we were in the garment district. I love the fact that there are statues all around the city, indicating the area you are in.

Sometime later we arrived at the first of the places recommended to us. This was Justin’s one: Rudy’s Tavern, with a pig outside and free hotdogs inside, if you buy a drink. It is an amazing place, probably the cheapest drinks we have had in New York. The place was packed and there was just one bar lady and one cleaner, who managed perfectly. This just confirms what I have always said about SA restaurants having too many waiters who stand about chatting instead of a few who work harder and earn more. The hotdogs were also very good, we had 2 each. Cheapest night out.

We went on to see “Hello Dolly”starring Bette Midlar. She and David Hyde Pierce (Nyles in Frasier) opened the production in April 2017 and returned to play the last few weeks before the show closes. As she appeared on stage, the audience rose as one. She has such charisma, real star energy. He was as funny as he always has been. They had the audience eating out of their hands. Music goose pimples, tears and laughter all rolled into one. We walked home on a high!

What I learnt: Never buy whiskey at a Broadway theatre. Although we did each come away with a souvenir glass, there was no ice, so we ended up sipping neat whiskey and it cost a fortune.

 

Mon 20/8 14498 steps
Songs: New York, New York by Frank and others; Broadway by George Benson

We left the campsite as early as we could, saying goodbye to forests and nature and the umpteen photos of my feet which I have taken by mistake. We handed in the RV which took longer than expected, however, the RV company was happy because there were no scratches or bumps. They did not charge us for any breakages ( 1 mug, 2 spoons presumably thrown away and 1 leveller which we used and forgot about, driving away leaving it behind). Our camping days and David’s driving days were now behind us.

The taxi we booked turned out to be a station wagon, not a minivan as requested. However, we managed to get everything into the car. It was a tight squeeze as we had more than expected as I had planned to leave some items behind for fellow campers to use, eg washing basket, dish rack, but this RV collection point did not offer this service as they had done in California. Still we were very grateful we had not hired a van and driven ourselves. Driving in NY is not something you do for pleasure. On our way to NY we caught a glimpse of the first sheep we have seen here.

Our hotel was on Broadway, Upper West, near Central park. We could only check in at 3, so we sat in the foyer waiting. That shows how tired we were. The whole of NY just outside and we sat in the hotel lounge.
When we finally got into the room, it was twice the size of our RV. We had space!

After unpacking and resting, we went walking, exploring our surroundings and beyond. We had a fabulous grocery shop right across the road. We walked and walked. Finally we found a Cuban Chinese restaurant for supper. David had egg fu yung and I had General Tso chicken, a new favorite.

What I learnt: Just as nothing can prepare you for the majesty of the Grand Canyon, nothing can prepare you for the energy and vibrancy of New York. It revitalizes you.

Sun 19/8  3929 steps

David went for an early morning cycle through yet another forest. So many trees on this side of the country. And bridges, for the many rivers or waterways in this part of the world.
We set off for New Jersey on a route that circled New York. A lot of it was on the Garden State parkway. It was not as pretty as previous parkways and there was a lot more traffic. Either there was no welcome to New Jersey sign or I missed it. It was a long drive, but interesting. We saw farms in amongst the built up areas. Mostly vegetables.
We had to go via an RV dealer to buy a new cap for the drainage system. We lost ours along the way, so we made an extra detour. We stopped for lunch at a small Portuguese restaurant. It was devine, I thought of Mariline, because the chicken was marinated not basted and the steak was real pichana. In error, they bought us the pichana for 2 instead of 1. What a happy mistake. Another meal to go. We also happened to walk past a taxi office and arranged for a minivan to pick us, our 4 suitcases and 2 bikes up the next day, and deliver us all to NY, which was a huge stress relieved.
Our last camp site was located in a pine forest and the owner was very friendly. We started our packing and big clean because we had to return the RV by 10am. If I counted correctly we have visited 26 states, not counting the ones we went through on the train. I am missing the magnet for Massachusetts, but I am sure we will find one at the airport.

 

Chuckle of the day: David on his knees sweeping
What I learnt: Men doing housework are very attractive.

Sat 18/8    6272 steps

We had to make our way south of New York to return the RV. I found an RV park near Old Mystic, Connecticut, where we stayed the night. On our way there we stopped at Newport, Rhode Island for some browsing and lunch. David did a superb job of parking the RV in a narrow street close to the waterfront. There were so many tourists, everywhere was crowded. We went to the historic Black Pearl restaurant, known for its clam chowder, but it was definitely not the best chowder we have had. My blackened swordfish sandwich, however, was superb, as was David’s fish dish.

From there, we drove through varied surroundings to the Seaport Camp site, in Mystic, apparently made famous by Julia Roberts in the movie “Mystic Pizza” which I haven’t seen.

What I learnt: American restaurants generally have a staffing configuration which appears to defy logic, my logic at any rate. There is the person who seats you, someone who brings you water, then the wait person arrives with menus, then they come back to take your drinks order which they submit to someone else. Then someone brings your drinks. Then the wait person returns to take your order. Then someone else brings your food. Then someone else cleans the table. Then you are expected to tip a minimum of 18%.
Chuckle of the day: When we arrived at the door of the restaurant, there were clearly open tables, but the seating person, told us we could not go and sit down, but had to wait 10 minutes, so the waiting staff could have a rest.

 

Fri 17/8    7729 steps
Song: Sail Away by Neil Young ( I could live inside a teepee…)
We decided to take an Uber to Mashpee, so we walked to the camp entrance, but no Ubers were available, which was odd. Then I realized it was a network problem, so walked back up to the campsite and tried wifi, still to no avail. David tried his phone, and after a while managed to find one. The Uber driver told us that signal in the area is sometimes controlled by the large military base nearby. Not a great marketing plus for the campground, but it explains why wifi worked one moment and then was literally dead. Plus I love a good conspiracy theory.
We walked around Mashpee Commons, a lovely collection of shops and restaurants and had an “Oh wow” lunch. A small bowl of clam chowder and mini lobster roll for me and baked fish for David.
Then we went to the Wampanoag Indian Museum. It is a very small museum, no interactive fancy displays, just a wonderful Wampanoag lady who shows you pictures and artifacts from olden to modern day.  The museum has a replica of a winter house, where we sat and listened while she explained about the tribe’s history, culture and way of life, as well as their reactions to the Pilgrims who settled nearby. It was so informative and relaxing. We learnt so much from a simple visit which was just short of an hour. What stood out for us was that the Wampanoag had on average 3 children, which they felt was sustainable. Children were the highest gift from the creator so there was no abuse.  As long as you lived in a way that you did not hurt others, you were not judged. If you killed someone, on purpose or by accident, you had to look after their family. A woman was in charge of the house, if she wanted her man gone, she simply put his feeding bowl outside the door. No hard feelings, just move on. At the time of the arrival of the Pilgrims, their average life span was 80, the Pilgrims’ was 30.

Chuckle of the day: Our guide at the museum explained the way the Indians lived in contrast to the Settlers. She explained that in contrast to the Wampanoag, the settlers believed that sex was something woman endured in order to reproduce, to which  she added:  “they must have been doing it all wrong”
What I learnt: There is much research about intergenerational transmission of trauma, and whether trauma causes chemicals to be released in the brain which actually affects the DNA of future generations of the survivors.

Thurs 16/8  7214 steps and about 70kms of cycling

One of my bucket list items was to cycle around Martha’s vineyard. So we set off on our bikes to the ferry. It was a bit scary due to traffic, but I am getting more confident which helps.
By the time we had our bikes sorted, there were hardly any chairs left on the ferry, so we split up. I ended up sitting next to wonderful lady, from Martha’s vineyard, who advised us on where to go. We chatted all the way over. She informed me that this was the busiest week of the year on Martha’s Vineyard and the Clintons and Obamas were on the island for some of the special events.
We arrived and soon were cycling off to South beach, as we were advised that it had waves. We took the back roads and bike paths and had a lovely ride. When we finally got there we thought we would be able to get something to eat there, but we were wrong. It is pretty undeveloped. Understandably, when you see the beach. It is a narrow strip of sand, with short quick dunking waves. The water is like soup and there are shells under the water, not sand. Still I went in and I must have provided some amusement for the many lifeless bodies soaking in the sun on their camping chairs, if they opened their eyes. This was not a beach as we know it.
We got back on our bikes and cycled to Edgartown where we shared a seafood board for lunch. I even ate oysters, which were very nice. We cycled back to the ferry, and then back to our campsite. It was a very long day. But well worth it.

Chuckle of the day: Me trying to be graceful in the water
What I learnt: As I was told by my new friend: The culture of Martha’s vineyard is changing. More and more rich people are buying homes for huge amounts and flock there for the summer. Some have little respect for nature and leave litter on beaches. Property prices and cost of living has soared. Come Spring, the “Vineyard shuffle” begins as landlords start to increase rent so permanent islanders such as police and teachers are forced out of their homes, setting up tents in the local campground or sharing with friends. Fishermen who have been there for generations, are struggling because the Japanese fish in the area and do not have to obey the USA fishing rules. There is racial tension between the locals and the many Brazilians who have moved to the island. They form the core of the labour force, but many are illegals.
How sad that such lack of respect for the environment as well as fellow humans exists in such a beautiful place.