Where is Kurt Russell when you need him! Customs have now decided they want to do a full inspection, which means moving the container to a separate building and taking the cruiser out to search it. Not only does this mean considerable further delay but we are told will cost between $500 to $1,500 dollars! Together with £100.00 per night plus food will end up costing over £2,000.00 before we have even started!
We check the internet for Hotels and even the one we are in is shown as full but fortunately we had told the Receptionist we might need to stay longer and she had held the room for us. We could get rooms for half the price outside Manhattan but with the aid of google earth we could see that they were all in isolated locations which would be a problem without transport, so we decide to stay put as they are happy to let us stay as long as we need. so, given the location, next to Riverside Park and close to Central Park, plus a host of good value restaurants we decide to stay put.
Happy Hour - is something of an institution in New York, anything from $2 a drink off to half price, and in our little area is typically 15.00 to 20.00 and at 20.00 one of them changes the board to 50% off draft from 20.00 to midnight (Tuesday to Thursday).
5 Jun 2014
Intrepid - even in New York
Tuesday - Today we here that customs want to open the container to see if the vehicle has any mud on it. As there is no chance today we hire bikes for the day and take the bike/pedestrian track which goes most of the way round Manhattan (with plans to complete in the near future). This is definitely the best way to travel and it is packed with cyclists, runners, walkers and people on skates, but all very organised with lanes each way for pedestrians and cyclists.
The weather is perfect (and except for the heavy rain on Saturday has been perfect so far) and we cycle down to the bottom of Manhattan, up and over Brooklyn Bridge and down to the waters edge for views of Manhattan across the water. As we cycle back the skies get very black in the distance and we make it back to a bar on the water front before the skies open, so we make good use of 'Happy Hour'.
Time moves on and the rain does not ease, so we are soaked by the time we drop the bikes off and are drowned rats by the time we get to the Hotel, but it is not cold so not too bad.
The second picture is for Paul at bar Alioli in Spain, I was going to take one in a more iconic setting on the way back when the sun would be in the right place, but it had disappeared on the way back and we were more intent on avoiding the rain (at least until we had had a beer).
The weather is perfect (and except for the heavy rain on Saturday has been perfect so far) and we cycle down to the bottom of Manhattan, up and over Brooklyn Bridge and down to the waters edge for views of Manhattan across the water. As we cycle back the skies get very black in the distance and we make it back to a bar on the water front before the skies open, so we make good use of 'Happy Hour'.
Time moves on and the rain does not ease, so we are soaked by the time we drop the bikes off and are drowned rats by the time we get to the Hotel, but it is not cold so not too bad.
The second picture is for Paul at bar Alioli in Spain, I was going to take one in a more iconic setting on the way back when the sun would be in the right place, but it had disappeared on the way back and we were more intent on avoiding the rain (at least until we had had a beer).
An Englishman in New York
After so much time preparing for this trip we finally arrive in the US and are through immigration and customs faster than the average arrival at Stanstead. Despite the Immigration Officer insisting on a return flight ticket and being somewhat confused when we showed him our return ticket from Buenos Ares in 11 months time, but once we explained what we were doing he became interested, wanted to know all about the vehicle and our route and through we went.
We then found the shuttle bus to Times Square at $16 each, except I got mine for $8 as I am over 62! (oddly some places senior is 62 others 65). It was a bit of a drag from the bus stop to the Hotel, but eventually found it. The Warwick Hotel in Times Square for 3 nights courtesy of Nat West Points and the lady that advised me that I had 104,000 points that I would need to use before I cancelled the card. Despite some of the reviews the room we had was large and comfortable, with a large comfortable bed. Once checked we were back out for a couple of pints of Guinness in an Irish pub down the road and a walk round Times Square.
Saturday starts with a pedicab ride (bicycle rickshaw) round Central Park in perfect weather, a little expensive, but I have a foot problem after dragging the bags round the streets last night. After which we jump on a sight seeing bus. Our bus had a very scratched perspex roof over the front half (and the rear half was full) so we jumped off in favour of a completely open one, but a soon as we were on the heavens opened, so out came the free capes (basically a bin bag with a hood).
Sunday we took the subway to South Ferry and took the boat to Liberty and Ellis Islands and despite being told there were 2.5 hour queues I walked straight up to the ticket desk (with another $4 discount for being 62!) and were on the boat in 15 minutes. After which we walked up to the World Trade Centre and Ground Zero (just outside, we didn't go in).
Monday we are told that due to a shipping delay the cruiser will not be available for another couple of days so we manage to find a cheaper Hotel on the Upper West (side of Central Park). This Hotel is very tired throughout and a very small room, but the bed is comfortable and has a good bathroom. At £100 per night was the third cheapest we could find without moving miles out of town (the reviews on the cheaper ones reporting bed bugs in the cheapest and partitions (a foot lower than the ceiling) instead of walls in the next cheapest, so we did alright really.
As we dragged our bags from the bus to our new Hotel we stopped halfway for a coffee at an Irish pub and found the area delightful, with lots of pubs cafes and restaurants all competing with each other to provide the best food at the lowest cost this was to became our regular haunt for the next few days.
That night we go back to the Irish bar and when the singer establishes we are English performs an excellent version of an Englishman in New York.
We then found the shuttle bus to Times Square at $16 each, except I got mine for $8 as I am over 62! (oddly some places senior is 62 others 65). It was a bit of a drag from the bus stop to the Hotel, but eventually found it. The Warwick Hotel in Times Square for 3 nights courtesy of Nat West Points and the lady that advised me that I had 104,000 points that I would need to use before I cancelled the card. Despite some of the reviews the room we had was large and comfortable, with a large comfortable bed. Once checked we were back out for a couple of pints of Guinness in an Irish pub down the road and a walk round Times Square.
Saturday starts with a pedicab ride (bicycle rickshaw) round Central Park in perfect weather, a little expensive, but I have a foot problem after dragging the bags round the streets last night. After which we jump on a sight seeing bus. Our bus had a very scratched perspex roof over the front half (and the rear half was full) so we jumped off in favour of a completely open one, but a soon as we were on the heavens opened, so out came the free capes (basically a bin bag with a hood).
Sunday we took the subway to South Ferry and took the boat to Liberty and Ellis Islands and despite being told there were 2.5 hour queues I walked straight up to the ticket desk (with another $4 discount for being 62!) and were on the boat in 15 minutes. After which we walked up to the World Trade Centre and Ground Zero (just outside, we didn't go in).
Monday we are told that due to a shipping delay the cruiser will not be available for another couple of days so we manage to find a cheaper Hotel on the Upper West (side of Central Park). This Hotel is very tired throughout and a very small room, but the bed is comfortable and has a good bathroom. At £100 per night was the third cheapest we could find without moving miles out of town (the reviews on the cheaper ones reporting bed bugs in the cheapest and partitions (a foot lower than the ceiling) instead of walls in the next cheapest, so we did alright really.
As we dragged our bags from the bus to our new Hotel we stopped halfway for a coffee at an Irish pub and found the area delightful, with lots of pubs cafes and restaurants all competing with each other to provide the best food at the lowest cost this was to became our regular haunt for the next few days.
That night we go back to the Irish bar and when the singer establishes we are English performs an excellent version of an Englishman in New York.
21 May 2014
America here we come
The truck is now locked in this container somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. We fly to New York on 30th May ready to collect it on 2nd June and set off on our next adventure.
The plan is to cross Canada to the top of Alaska, then head more or less south until we reach the bottom of South America around march next year.
10 Feb 2012
A Final Beer in the sun
Turns out our decision to fly to Spain was right, with rain across most of europe the weather in southern Spain was superb and we had a few good walks and at long last did half of the Via Verde with Paul and Synova, our friends that run the Alioli, the bar at Estecion Jimera.
Flying back to the UK on Dec 22nd we drove up to Chris's parents for Christmas, did a couple opf good walks with Sarah, back to move the furniture back on the 30th and back to work on the 3rd Jan.
We are not quite ready to start planning the next trip yet, but the landcrusier is waiting patiently by the side opf the house, ready to set off any minute. Menawhile Sarah and I are hoping for snow and ice in the Lakes so we go stomping around with crampons and ice axe and I am planning a cycle camping trip round Cornwall in June.
Cycling the Via Verde, a 35 mile long section of railway that was never opened and has been converted into a cycle track withPaul & Synova
A visit to the Smurf village, painted blue to launch the Smurf movey (originally one of the famous white villages of Andalucia) the film company had comitted to repainting it white but the village decided to leave it blue as a tourist attraction.
A last walk in the sun before finally giving in to the British winter!
Flying back to the UK on Dec 22nd we drove up to Chris's parents for Christmas, did a couple opf good walks with Sarah, back to move the furniture back on the 30th and back to work on the 3rd Jan.
We are not quite ready to start planning the next trip yet, but the landcrusier is waiting patiently by the side opf the house, ready to set off any minute. Menawhile Sarah and I are hoping for snow and ice in the Lakes so we go stomping around with crampons and ice axe and I am planning a cycle camping trip round Cornwall in June.
Cycling the Via Verde, a 35 mile long section of railway that was never opened and has been converted into a cycle track withPaul & Synova
A visit to the Smurf village, painted blue to launch the Smurf movey (originally one of the famous white villages of Andalucia) the film company had comitted to repainting it white but the village decided to leave it blue as a tourist attraction.
A last walk in the sun before finally giving in to the British winter!
And a final Beer in the Sun
15 Dec 2011
The dash for home - and then to Spain
After leaving Bulgaria at miday on Saturday we drove half way through Romania and called it a day. Sunday we started early and drove 120 miles in Romania, through Hungary and Austria and well into Germany 730 miles later. We manged to pitch and pack in the dry, despite a megga storm overnight and carried on to Luxembourg. The original idea was to stay in Luxembourg but the weather was awful, so we filled up with fuel and booze and headed on towards Calais, stopping with just a couple of hours to go. Luckly we pitched and packed in the dry again (despite the lousy forecast) and managed to get an earlier crossing on the tunnel and drove straight to the pub in Granborough and pitched the tent for the last time (on this trip!) in the car park.
As we don't get the house back till Christmas we decided to fly to Spain ( hopefully warmer weather) until the 21st, but first had to extract the car and caravan from storage. The battery was dead on the car (and had to be replaced), it then failed its MOT and needed a new spring, and the water pump had packed up on the caravan, but by the eveniung we were all sorted and headed for Spain the following day.
Fortunatly the weather has been superb and is a good wind down, with a little walking, cycling and beers in the sun and reflection on the last months of travelling with no concern over getting the cruiser home (which is now safely tucked up in a barn in the UK).
As we don't get the house back till Christmas we decided to fly to Spain ( hopefully warmer weather) until the 21st, but first had to extract the car and caravan from storage. The battery was dead on the car (and had to be replaced), it then failed its MOT and needed a new spring, and the water pump had packed up on the caravan, but by the eveniung we were all sorted and headed for Spain the following day.
Fortunatly the weather has been superb and is a good wind down, with a little walking, cycling and beers in the sun and reflection on the last months of travelling with no concern over getting the cruiser home (which is now safely tucked up in a barn in the UK).
2 Dec 2011
The last beer in the sun
Ephasus, our last stop in Turkey
A last beer in the sun in Turkey before heading to Bulgaria
The last sunset
A quick visit to Troy en route
Into the Bulgarian Mountains with Wildrovers 4x4
And over the top
And now the quick dash across europe and home.
A last beer in the sun in Turkey before heading to Bulgaria
The last sunset
A quick visit to Troy en route
Into the Bulgarian Mountains with Wildrovers 4x4
And over the top
And now the quick dash across europe and home.
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