Day 21: First Day In New York!

Day: Monday 20th
Temp: About 1C

We got to our hostel. It's called the Pearl or something. Theres no signs. It doesnt have a kitchen, is about 7 stories high and seemed really weird.
Check in wasn't allowed until 3:00pm and it was 7!
We were absolutely knackered from the big night and loong bus drive so it wasn't good news.

Anyways, we started strolling towards Central Park. Went to a corner store deli-type shop which had fresh bagels & brekfast. Super cheap. You could get a toasted bagel, eggs and bacon for $2. Immediately made us feel better.
Central Park looked awesome. Morning light.
We just started walking and started to fathom the size of this city. The park is huuuge. We kept walking all the way to times square. Every bit as flashy as you see on TV. A must-return destination for an evening when it's all lit up.
We decided to get Maccas. Supersized meals. What's more American than eating the fattiest meal possible in the middle of times square? :D

After stuffing ourselves, we strolled to the New York Library.
The building is anceint. More of a museum than it is a library.
We tried sleeping but a security guard told us off after a 10 minute nana nap.

It was close to 2 now so we figured we'd try and check in early.
Navigated the amazingly simple and effective subway system right to our Hostel door, yet only got told we couldn't check in til 3.
Jason & Bish got their skateboards & we went back to Central Park.
Took a different route to see some different sights. Saw that famous bridge & the back of the meuseum of modern history or something. Most of the lakes were frozen over solid too which was pretty cool.

Closer to 3. We got back to hostel same way as before. The big manager was doing an audit so we had to wait for about an hour til we got served. I figured it'd be good to ask for a room closer to ground floor so there were less stairs to walk. The lady ended up upgrading us to a 2 bedroom appartment, with ensuite, with a spare matress for no charge (Saved a $130 upgrade). Now the shitty hostel was not so bad after all.

Much needed shower & rest before heading out for a simple pizza at a nearby shop.

I can see why people love New York. As a city, it just feels different. Theres always something going on. Soo many people. Soo much to see and do. I could very easily live here