The Big Apple

New York City! After taking the 7:15 AM bus and the metro to Union Station in Washington I took the train to The Big Apple. A journey of around 3:20 hours. The trip wasn't that bad. I got to rest a bit and enjoy the scenery going by. When entering New York City I could immediately see the damage hurricane Irene left behind (I guess, she did it). Intersections were flooded and other business parks were not accessible. In the distance you could see the tall buildings and moments later we went underground and ended up at Penn Station.

Transfer to the subway to the hotel. Easier said then done. First you have to find the right entrance and after that you'll have to find a map with all the lines. The first turned out to be easy (I accidentally took the right one). The second one required a bit of searching, but eventually I found it. The address was stored in my phone, 891 Amsterdam Avenue, but which subway exit I had to take I didn't quite remember. So I guessed 110th Street and that turned out to be one to late. No problem, just walk back seven blocks to 103th Street with those heavy back packs. The subway is a lot warmer and less spacious then the one in Washington. The cars are also smaller and designed for standing instead of sitting. I have the feeling that rush hour is going to be tight. That looks promising for my ride back home.

I had made reservations in advance for four nights because the website didn't allow more days in advance. When I arrived it turned out that I could spend the rest of my stay here (11 days in total). The rate is very good at 49 dollars per night (excluding the one time Hostels International membership fee of 28 dollars). For just over 500 dollars I'm set for ten nights. Job well done. I'm sleeping in a 12-person bedroom (with air conditioning) and I have my own locker (you do however have to buy your own lock for a few dollars). Okay, I made my bed, put all my stuff in the locker and went to the nearest place to eat. I worked up quite a apatite.

There is something to do everyday here at the hostel, a tour to the city, visiting cubs, music et cetera. Tonight there is a BBQ where you could get something to eat, some chips and a drink (if I remember correctly) for around 5 dollars. There is a DJ and from 10 PM onwards there is a stand-up comedian. In short, I don't think I'm going to get bored any time soon.

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