Day 1 -5

New York so far!

We have been here for 5 days and no blog entry! The big difference between travels here and India for us (apart from the obvious ones) is that that is a distinct lack of time. We start early, breakfast at our hotel restaurant "tick tock diner" at 8am as coming later means the bagels run out and they are the nicest items of our limited choice from our pre booked rip off "continental" breakfast. Then we head out on our various planned excursions in military fashion! We get back to the hotel about 5pm knackered and with sore feed from the days pounding of the amazing sites of this city. Often this is followed by fights over the computer with the losers (the adults)crashing out and falling asleep, then we realise we need to organise dinner but are too tired to go out to dinner so we get a carryout or eat at a local fast food place. The choice just around our hotel is unbelievable! Then the TV goes on with the very typical kid's choices of comedy programmes interspersed with masses of adverts (most of which are either advertising products on how to have a perfect look/life or fast food!).

So that's our excuse of not blogging!

The above intro make it sound not a very exciting holiday but believe you me this is a great, vibrant and exciting city. I am aware there is so much i want to show the kids and also other places i haven't visited before and am determined to do so even if it means having to endure the moaning!

Day 1 we arrived late due to the afore mentioned BA deal. Day 2 was a complete downpour so we got into a big queue to get into the American museum of Natural History. There was sooo much to see that for some of us (kids) it was overkill. The highlights were definitely the dinosaur gallery and the oceanarium with a life size model of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling. We then walked along Columbus Avenue past the weekly Sunday market and into Harrys Burito restaurant for lunch- which was great. Day 3 we payed for a 48 hour Grayline bus tour pass and started to get the city overview. Stopped off to do some shopping along Broadway near Little Italy. Had a not very impressive lunch and then more sightseeing downtown. Day 4 sightseeing uptown and more shopping. The night bus tour of Manhattan was impressive. Wished Kiran good luck for his Standard Grade results before bed-they got emailed to us between 8-9am Wednesday UK time, which is 3-4am Wednesday USA time! He got up at 4am to read them; seven 1's and a 2 in English (which he was very disappointed in!) Naturally we were very proud of him. Day 5 we splashed out on breakfast for Kiran-stacked blueberry pancakes with bacon with a ton of maple syrup also some French toast, bacon and maple syrup in addition to the usual choice of muffins, bagels, Danish pastry and toast. Next onto the fabulous Moma with a great collection of art and a very entertaining shop. Lunch at the cheap but very tasty and recommendable "Pam Real Thai Food", followed by a discounted Broadway show of the "39 Steps". We weren't aware that this was a parody of the famous Hitchcock film and initially cringed at the very unfunny jokes and the inappropriate audience laugher, thankfully once we got into the swing of it we all enjoyed it and were very amused, especially at the silly Scottish accents and mickey take of the Scots!