Iceland and SNOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!

12 January 2012 -  I got to JFK airport pretty early as I had to be out of the hotel at noon but my flight didn't leave till 8 pm so I just hung around the airport and people watched and read and managed to re ignite my cold. Got quite feverish by the time the plane took off. Add to this that the plane wasn't quite as big as I am used to and there seemed to be an awful lot of people on it and the ambient temperature was very high - or was that my fever?  Managed to amuse myself watching movies to while the time away but for the last half hour - I guess as we began descent - my ears went crazy. Couldn't hear a thing - and the right one hurt. Didn't want to try any of the yawning tricks to pop them as previously I have burst ear drums on both sides and I had visions of bursting them again - it was that bad.

Imagine arriving at the airport at 6 am where I couldn't find anyone who spoke English - there were no signs in English - and when I did find someone who had limited English I couldn't hear what they were saying. lol Was like a bad Benny Hill Show. Anyway - finally found a nice young man who got me a ticket on the right bus (40 mins to hotel from Airport so was glad I didn't have to cab it) and physically took me out and carried my bag to the bus. I'm sure that he thought I was permanently deaf and maybe a little bit senile.

The good news is there is lots and lots of fresh snow....beautiful. This park was covered with pristine snow.

Park with pristine snow - BEFORE

AFTER - I just had to hehehe

Sunrise was at 11.03 and sunset at 4.09 so I spent most of that time just trudging through sometimes quite deep snow looking for a Chemist shop to treat my dodgy ears.  Once again no English signs and very few English speaking people. I asked one man for "Chemist"....head shake....."Pharmacy"....head shake....."Drugs"....and his eyes nearly popped out his head. I think he thought I was trying to buy some illicit drugs lol.  I finally stumbled on a Pharmacy and could only tell the difference between that and a pickled herring factory because it had "Nicorette" on a sign.  Now have spray for my nose which will clear my ears...they tell me...and more cough medicine. I also got some ear plugs which I'll use tomorrow on the 3 hour flight to London. If it still is an issue I will go to the doctor there...ok ..KAE....KAREN....ROBYN!! nag nag :)

Went back to the hostel and once the sun went down I caught up on some sleep....my timing is all up the spout......and it will all change tomorrow so I'll just play it by ear (oops!!!)

What I have seen is very beautiful but a little smelly..I'm thinking maybe sulphur as it's a volcanic area....the beauty outweighs the smell and I'm very glad I came

Pretty:)

Gordon making snow angels

Tell me again.......why am I going to Iceland? There must have been a reason.....

10 January 2012 - Today I am feeling a lot better - not 100% but well enough to travel. Now I just need to focus on the fact that tomorrow I fly to Iceland and I don't know why. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time. I have visions of flying into Reykjavik in the midst of a snowstorm - it's the middle of winter there and they have four hours of daylight. I won't get to do much as it seems the Northern Lights tours are for 3 days and I won't be there that long. I originally thought I was there for a couple of days but with the time change I am actually there for only 26 hours. I arrive in Iceland on January 12  - stay 26 hours - then arrive in London on January 12. Does this mean I was never there at all ? lol

Today I have been to the laundromat, packed my bags as much as I can, queried my sanity several times and eaten a lot of chocolate. NO I am not nervous of flying on Icelandair to Reykjavik in winter in a snowstorm. Sigh!!! My phone will be off the air till I get to London and get a UK sim card but I will try to post here at the hostel I am staying in ICELAND!!...Cheeses!!!   Why did i do this?

On the mend

8 January 2012 - I'm starting to feel a bit better....still very tired but the chesty cough is easing and my eyes don't feel like the Sahara Desert has taking up residence in them.   In 3 days I leave the USA and head to Iceland so today I'll catch up with a few odd jobs and hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling well enough to go to Coney Island. :)

Sick in New York

6 January 2012 - I've spent the last few days in bed - sore throat - rattling chesty cough - headache - fatigue - the works.

It has been just too cold to go out - it makes my lungs hurt just to breathe because the air is so cold and I think the cough might be bronchitis.  Today was warmer so I thought some fresh air may help. I got the subway into Manhattan and walked around the shops for about an hour but suddenly got hit with a fever,  headache and just felt weak all over. I hopped in a cab and now I'm back in bed.

At least I'm in a nice hotel - breakfast is free - coffee maker, microwave and fridge in room and I've got a good supply of food on hand so I think I'm just going to have to wait it out.


I did make it to Grand Central Station before I fell apart.


Bugs #1487

Ground Zero - World Trade Centre

2 January 2012 - I got the Subway into Lower Manhattan mid afternoon and just walked around again - window shopping and people gawking etc etc  All very interesting. I had a ticket to go into Ground Zero at 5.30 pm. When we were in New York last time we managed to see the OUTSIDE of Ground Zero and Trinity Church and other buildings around and various memorials but you needed the ticket to get into the actual site and the museum and of course  it was booked up until after we left.  I got on-line last week and managed to get this ticket so I'm very happy. It was dark and just so bloody cold so i probably missed some of it but what I did see was eerily amazing. The pools were spectacular....all lit up.

 I looked up at all the other buildings around and tried to imagine the planes slicing through them and even being on the spot  it still defies belief.

So hard to believe

The thought that 3000 people died on that spot makes you reflect - these people just got up on a normal day to go to their normal jobs and to live their normal lives....but they never went home. One part of the site houses some of the original remaining structure and steel beams of the North Tower (I think it was the north one). The museum also holds personal items that were found in the ruins...heart breaking.

Part of the North Tower

I was freezing when I got back to the hotel - it was 3 C but the wind just right through you. BRRRRR

Staten Island Ferry

1 January 2012 - caught the subway into Battery Point - getting to be quite the NY Subway traveller - with my own little Metro ticket. I walked over to the Ferry terminal and couldn't find the ticket office. I looked everywhere and it is a huge terminal and finally asked a policeman and he said there was no charge. I couldn't believe it was free.....not much on this trip has been free.  I really enjoyed the boat ride. The Statue of Liberty was quite impressive but again not as big as I thought it would be.

Staten Island Ferry

Isn't she beautiful?

After the ferry I just walked for about 2 hours - my feet were killing me especially after my big walk last night - but I had a ball. Just walking and looking and smelling. Met a few folk along the way.

Good ol' Uncle Sam

I was exhausted after my walk and thought bugger it....I'll catch a cab but then I thought...NO!!...and I found the right train...changed at Jay Street and found my way home. I don't feel so scared any more now although I'm still cautious.   The day was cool - 10 C - but blue skies and no wind and was really quite perfect!!

Bugs #1486

New Year's Eve in Times Square

31 December 2011 - Well...what a night. About 3.30 PM  I caught the Subway into Manhattan  and tried to make my way to Times Square. There were a squillion policeman on duty and all the streets were blocked off. I started at 42nd Street and couldn't even approcah  the Times Square area until I got to 59th Street.  Once I turned into 59th St I was basically locked in - there were more people than I could have imagined all trying to do the same thing as me. We were stuck here for over an hour...there was no fear of falling over lol....we were stacked so tight you were held up by the people around you...very cosy. As the police opened another street the crowd surged forward and that was when it got scary....I was pushed and shoved and must admit to being nervous about falling. Finally we got as far as we were going to get....still 2 blocks from the action (the crowds finally filled 12 city blocks and numbered over a million) but there were big screens up so you didn't miss anything. It did cross my mind that I could have been in the Hotel sitting up in bed watching on TV and eating chocolate lol but the atmosphere was what made it special.

The entertainment was great - strangely I liked Pitbull lol - and the fireworks and confetti and the noise put me in sensory overload. A great experience and another thing crossed off the bucket list. Would I do it again? Probably not. Standing crushed together for so many hours - no toilets and the inability to get closer to the action all would make me the take the hotel/stay in bed/watch TV/eat chocolate package next time.....but I'm 60. If I was 20 and lived in New York I would go every year.

As soon as it hit midnight I fought my way through the crowds and headed back to 42 nd street and the Subway. I got on the Brooklyn train but eventually realised I was on the wrong line. Caught two more trains and still couldn't get on the right line but thanks to my  I-phone saw that I was in the general area. I walked along 4th Ave from 10th St to 38th St. It was a decent walk and a bit scary in places - 4th Avenue ain't pretty but got back safely but tired. All in all an interesting day that I wouldn't have missed and I am glad that I overcame my fears and went to Times Square.

PS normally breakfast in this hotel is a very busy overcrowded affair - today there was three of us hehehe....may be a few hedaches in the building.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!

Gordon the Gnome was embarrassing and indulged in all available substance abuse he could take . Today he is paying the price.