Take me out to the ball game in One day at a time

Too quickly it is our last day in this amazing city. Changing it up a bit this morning we got on the subway early and made our way to Canal Street. We were on the hunt for cheap and cheerful souvenirs. The subway ride was easy, but of course when we arrived at Canal Street and got up onto road level we couldn’t find what we wanted. After a couple of block circles we asked someone and pretty soon headed off in the right direction. A tour guide had warned us that Chinatown was not how it used to be, but we still found it interesting. After a quick yum cha brunch (I think they called it dim-sim, same thing) we tackled the buying part. Susan picked up a few bits and pieces for her kids, I got a t-shirt for a gift. Throughout the area people would sidle up to us and mutter “Louis”, “Prada”, “Chanel” the only time I was tempted was when someone whispered “Tiffany”, but being the good traveller I am I had done my research on the perils of counterfeit, and was able to resist.

So back onto the subway to our next stop “McSorleys” apparently the oldest bar in New York (maybe in the US, I’m not too clear on the history). Do you think we could find that damn place?. We walked in seeming circles, asked a few people (who really tried to help but didn’t know) I even drew on all my detective novel reading and asked a beer delivery man. Nope. Finally our pose summoned the Carrie again and got in a cab. It was a few blocks in the opposite direction. Grrr. A fun place to see, with a sawdust floor, and only two kinds of beer – light or dark. Friendly locals too. After we wet our whistle it was back on the search for a subway station. Despite detailed directions from the locals we could not find that sucker. Eventually we stumbled on a bus-stop that said “Harlem”. Yippee. Pretty soon the bus arrived and off we went on our next adventure (one that Gini rated in her top 5 of the trip). The bus went through Central Manhattan, past central park, and through a heap of different neighbourhoods. We rode with all sorts of people. Nanny’s with kids, extremely well dressed Upper East-side ladies (who only rode a couple of stops), and every ethnicity you could imagine. Eventually (and we are talking an hour and a half here) Susan our official map reader indicated we should get off the bus, as we were as close to home base as the bus would take us. Slight mistake, as we appeared to be in the heart of Spanish Harlem, and outside a house which had several “Gentlemen” who may or may not have been close friends of Biggie Smalls milling about. We felt a bit uncomfortable (although they were not interested in us in the slightest), and spent a while trying to get a cab to stop for us. When one finally did he said he was very surprised to find three blonde ladies in that part of town.

So back to home base for some quick packing (we had lost a bit of time from the itinerary with our Gilligans Island bus ride). Then back on the subway (yes again, best $31.00 e.v.a.h), and up to Yankee Stadium to see a baseball game. (Yankees V Toronto Bluejays). None of us know shit about baseball, but it was so much fun. Derek Jeter scored a home run. We had hotdogs and beer, and got carded. My favourite part was during the anthems – as they sang “land of the free” two jet fighter planes did a really low fly by. It was yet another in the long line of “did that really happen?” moments in our fantastic week in New York City.