We'er Home in Campbell River, Nov 10, 2012

This will be a brief blog just to let you know we made back safe and sound (Well no less sound than when we left!). The house was just as we left it. Curt and Odette along with Colleen & Gary did a great job of looking after our digs and we thank them!!
It is cold, but sunny so far and already we are starting to plan our get-away to Mexico. John has already started to pack a box of things he will need to do some serious cooking in Rincon de Guayabitos.

As promised this is not a long blog, but one that ends our African / New York City adventures. We hope you enjoyed our trip and that we didn't bore you with our mundane daily life events!

Take care and let us know when you are coming to visit us, either here in Campbell River or in Rincon de Guayabitos.


Our view of Discovery Passage from our deck.

View of discovery Passage from the hot tub.

My view from the kitchen, while Shirley plans our next trip.

 Our view of the water from our living room.

We are home!!

Last Full Day in NYC, November 5, 2012

A glorious sunny but cold day greeted us on our last full day in NYC. We decided to take it easy and finish up our cultural tour of this great city. That meant going to the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Natural History. The Guggenheim in itself is a master piece of architecture with its rounding staircase. And the major artist on display today was Pablo Picasso. It was over 300 pieces of his work done in black and white. As I mentioned to Shirley, I think maybe we could make a million or two by becoming artists if this is all they have to do. Obviously there are some really great pieces that force you to stand and admire how he put them together. BUT for most of them it seemed like a child could have done them. In fact, one of the commentaries on one of  the pieces of art work was his daughter telling how when they lived in France she had hung up some of her childish drawings with her dad's in the back yard, when an American art critic came and took a picture of their work. But then in the newspaper had noted that Picasso had some new paintings and then showed the pictures of her work!
We left here about noon and stopped at a little cafe that is part of a church and had hot chocolate with our own bagels in the church. Then we walked along several paths in Central Park and enjoyed the sun. We saw several downed trees from the storm, but most had been cleaned up in their attempts to get ready for the marathon that never took place.
We ended up at the Museum of Natural History, which completed our cultural tour of NYC. It is very well done and we spent about 40 minutes in the section where a presentation is done on stars. Whoppie does the narration. We then wandered for awhile through several of the sections but soon decided to go out for our final dinner in NYC. Shirley wanted Italian and so we ended up at BICA on 54th Street. Let's just say that we spent three times as much here for dinner as we did for dinner in Knysna at the Olive Tree where we had one of our best meals ever!! This meal was also excellent, but way more than we should have spent.
we headed back to the "N train" and I think we final have the subway system worked out!!
I will send one more blog once we get back home. Hope you have enjoyed reading about our little adventure and will send me a brief email before I send the final blog to let me know what questions you may  have or comments on our trip.
Thanks for following along with us.

Sunday NYC A day of Reflection, Nov. 4, 2012

Woke up to a very sunny but cold day. Met some of our marathon friends in the breakfast room and noted how philosophical they were today about not running. The one couple we have had breakfast with for the last two days flew here from Germany and have spent lots of money to run in the New York City Marathon and no rebate on any of their fees - yet like all of us visiting here during this aftermath of the storm, Sandy, are aware of what so many in this part of the country have faced and still face in the weeks ahead.
Our NYC Pass included a two hour cruise of the New  York harbour. We took the "N Train" to 49th Street and then walked to pier 83. Of course we were about 45 minutes early and Shirley wasn't going to stand in line to get on the boat. So she went for a walk while I waited with our tickets. Well wouldn't you know that NYC is no different than Zimbabwe. Less than 10 minutes after Shirley left they open the gates and so I waited until Shirley came back. Of course the seats closest to the sides of the boats where now filled. Also the captain of the boat decided that although the boat was scheduled to leave at 12:30 he was leaving at 12:00!
The cruise is an interesting way to see NYC from a different perspective. It was especially unique way to see how Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx form New York City and how New Jersey fits into this mix. The weather was nice and sunny but very cold as you will see in the pictures.
The cruise was a great way also to see how NYC has evolved from a manufacturing city to a service city. Not an easy process.
We left the cruise and decided that we should take the subway back to our hotel and have a rest so as we don't wear ourselves out like we did several days ago. The subway system is relatively easy to use if you know the geography of the area. Of course we don't! So it takes a few minutes to make sure we are going the right way. It is also noteworthy that so many New Yorkers will offer their advice or assistance even without you asking!
Back at the hotel we both had a little nap and when we woke up it was shortly after 6:00 - we believed that the show started at 8:00 - for some unknown reason John got up to look at the tickets and "h*ly Sh*t" the "The Book of Mormon" starts at 7:00!! We had less than 40 minutes togo from Queens to the Theatre District in Manhattan. We rushed out and tried to get a taxi! About dozen were outside our hotel, but all waiting in line to get gas, once the station gets gas. Anyway we decided to use the subway and got there in time to catch the "N Train" to the Theatre district. And would you believe the exit was only two blocks from the theatre. We sat down in our seats with two minutes to spare! Speaking of the subway, on one of our rides today, two guys did a routine on the train right in front of us that was one any gymnast would envy.
And what a show! The Book of Mormon was written by the same guys who write "South Park!" It was hilarious, witty, serious and in the end really up-lifting. It made us both think about what we have experienced so far in our adventure. In Africa we saw how religion for many of them was based on nature and the cycle of life. But in the two productions here in NYC that were both "religious" based stories we saw how our religious beliefs are based on "ideas given to us by others" who, may not have the "truth" as much as those native Africans who look at the world about them to be sacred!We stopped to have a beer and a snack and enjoyed our knowledge that we  are certainly living a life of adventure that will give us much to remember when we are too old to get around.

 This lady is from Vancouver and is in NYC from Oct 16 to January 6 to sell her clothing.

 The water towers in this picture are found all over NYC and add a great deal of colour and history to each picture.

 The tall building is a replacement for the World Trade Centre's Twin Towers and will be 1776 feet tall when complete.

 Old train station on New Jersey side of Hudson. This was the busiest train station in the USA in the late 1800's and early 1900's with all the immigrants that arrived on Ellise Island.

 United Nations building.

 We had hoped to see this play but it has been postponed for two days because of the storm.