We have to thank Qantas for such an experience. Our journey began when started singing "Leaving on a JetPlane" as the plane took off, excited about the adventure that lay before us, not really coming to terms with what we had left behind. This was very quickley dampened as the usual sounds of taking off were interrupted with a loud sort of "bang" noise, when the plane subsequently made a U-turn and headed back to the terminal. Apparently there was some kind of engine malfunction and we were hearded back into the terminal with $30 food and drink vouchers and word of a six hour delay.
We utilised the $30 and six hours and decided to make a trip to the airport bar (naturally). While this was a good idea at the time, the hatred of surrounding passengers due to our drunken antics, the subsequent hangover and the horrendous sleepless thirteen hours of flying begged to differ. We arrived in LA. exhausted, lost and bewildered and informed that our connecting flight to Vancouver had actually left an hour before we arrived. It was a lesson in patience, going from terminal 2, back to 3, then finally to the right one- 4 (do the people who work there actually know which flights go out of which terminals?), finding the right airline, and someone willing to throw us on another flight without too much of a hassle. It was a disaster... but we made it!
Vancouver was a very cool city. After we slept off our incredible jetlag, the Beaver Bar became the next stop, as it was conveniently located downstairs in our hostel, and served pitchers of beer for $9 between 5 and 7pm. What followed was essentially a blur of lost cameras(well just one... mine), drunken Aussies, anti-Pallinist Alaskans, French Canadians, people selling everything from a spoon symphany to a watercolour of a tiger and very accessible herbal remedies, cheap beer and even cheaper vodka-cranberries, and all in all, a very MERRY Christmas (which I spent hugging a bucket- but TOTALLY worth it!)
The weather in Vancouver, though bearable, was still miserable, but we roughed it for the next couple days and wandered around the city with our new found Aussie compadres and checked out "Stanley Park", the Vancouver Aquarium (home to the Baluga Whale, and the GIANT cockroach... which I found fascinating!), the beautiful waterfront and wandered around the general downtown area.
Though we didn't really see MUCH of the city- we only had a few days and admittedly, the majority of the time I was hung.over, I did start to really like Canada. From the friendly sounding accent, to those funky little sportsbars with greasy meals and cheap beer and fluro beer logos everywhere, it seemed like a pretty cool place- one I'd like to make it back to one day!
After a few more beers with our new Australian friends (Aussies EVERYWHERE) we headed to the airport, set to fly into New York. We had decided to book an overnight flight with the intention of saving money on accomodation, but I'm still not sure if it was worth it. Due to the time difference between the East and West coast and many hours waiting in various places (Vancouver airport, Montreal Airport and then La Guardia in NYC), we left at 8pm Vancouver time and arrived in New York at our hostel 3pm the following day. We were exhausted and simply wanted to sleep and shower, but this apparently was a luxury our hostel didn't think was necessary to have all the time. Just a heads up for future travellers DO NOT STAY AT THE YMCA. I suspect it may have housed a small alcoholic/crazy person population as we ran into many older scary looking inhabitants that kind of shook a little bit and held eye contact just a little too long without smiling. Perhaps that's just what the place does to you though, after having heating in the room that couldn't be adjusted (I kept waking up in the middle of a nightmare absolutely DRENCHED in sweat thanks to that heater) and showers that were out of hot water, and seriously lacking privacy, Centine and I both made trips down to the front counter with a slight twitch, declaring again that the showers were cold and the heaters were too hot!
Sleeping off the jetlag (again) we hit up New York City the next day to do a bit of exploring. Both of us had caught some kind of virus or bug (no surprises there) so we were severly la
cking energy, but we managed to stroll around Central Park, which was SO exciting in the snow! Strawberry Fields and the abundance of squirrels were other Central Park highlights! Later on that evening we went to see a show on Broadway which was also very exciting. For any other Law and Order: SVU enthusiasts out there, it looks exactly like the show (the picture to the right is where one of many "attack" scenes was filmed, though not in the snow) It was a terrifying city. It is simply SO overwhelmingly busy and full of people, and in the snow, just incredibly difficult to not get in people's way and piss them off. We had the benefit of staying on the upper West Side, which was nicely close to Central Park, but full of doormen standing at the front of very expensive looking apartment blocks... So when we just wanted a nice greasy, cheap burger meal of some kind, it was so difficult to find!Venturing outside Manhatton made it a little easier. For New Year's Eve we caught up with Laura and Mike who were staying with other friends in Queens. We had a few shots of vodka, tequila before heading to the most amazing Burger Place I have EVER been to. I'm not sure where Marshall got his burger from in that notorious episode of "How I Met Your Mother", but this burger was by far the best I have ever eaten. Hands down the winner. We saw the New Year at Brooklyn Law School Dorm Room party, a real American party! Though I was disappointed to be drinking out of black plastic cups and not red ones, I let this slide and we were adequately toasted when midnight rolled around and we all had to shot some drink that was recently deemed illegal in New York State (afer one guy drank eight of them and then died). I started utilising my Aussie accent after I realised how much of a novelty it is and became obnoxiously ocker for the remainder of the evening. Still, it was hilarius to watch the faces of people light up after hearing me say "mate"... "Oh my god are you really an Aussie (said with emphasised "sssss")!?".
After being booted out of the party (not just us, everyone was! It got shut down), we ended up in a Gaybar somewhere in Queens where the six of us really just danced the night away! I managed to find a nice, possibly straight gentleman to dance with but I ruined my chances after I absolutely stacked it and fell, taking the guy out as well! But that's just how New Year's is I suppose.
It was an insane night, it absolutely wrecked us the next day but it was worth every second and every penny! The level of alcohol consumed was quite terrifying as Mike had to physically put us in a taxi and tell the driver our address on our behalf... but it had been a long night. And it was one of the best New Year's I have ever celebrated!
It was a quick trip in New York City but I will have to go back. Though I don't think I will ever get rid of the "Deer in the Headlights" look upon my face, or understand the subway system, there is so much more to see and do there. We only saw a fraction of what New York has to offer and it was very exciting!
Next stop: Rochester, NY!
