Happy 40th to me, train mishaps, trapped in Museums & bloody hot weather...

A momentous day for turning forty, getting lost in Museums & venturing off to faraway city destinations! (I took the 'ad' out of adventure here, having been taken to places I really wasn't aware of) 


Think next time I come here it will be in the cooler months. This heat is really getting to me, which is odd cause it was in the 40's in Egypt, though discomforting, the heat here is somehow worse for me. 


Oh I bought a host of new (I hope so) underwear, they're SO cool! Why wash your clothes when you can just buy them?  :  )  

The highlights of NYC were Central Station, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC Library, Central Park, Metropolitan Art Museum, Natural History Museum & the choices for shopping. The first three were a joy to photograph, the main pix featured in my blog. Even after my saturation in Egyptology I managed to find more that impressed & awed me. Yes I was awed! The architecture is wonderful! I was particularly impressed by the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Given its own generous sized enclosure, flooded with natural light to complement the Temples grandeur. This monument was reconstructed as it appeared on the Nile, circa 15 B.C

Had a few "moments" with other tourists in this room where they were oblivious to others taking photos. Strangely there were a few apologies to other photo-takers for getting in the way or stepping ahead oblivious that I was there. Another stepped in front of my video camera when there were bare centimetres between I & the bloody sacred lake!!! But that was ok, that person was just stupid     :  )   Quite unexpectedly I was taken by the Metro's Armory collection. I almost shrugged it off but decided on a closer perusal. They are SO well presented & the detail wonderful! This collection was a highlight for me & I DO love a man in uniform! (And of course I love metal)   :  )            

Another surprise for me was an exhibition on the great race for Antarctica. I discovered some interesting facts, recounted things I'd forgotten & loved the red domed dwelling! Thats all I have to say.   

How freakish is that Dunkleosteus! (dun-kel-os-te-us) one of the largest placoderms, that lived 360 Million years ago. Its actual size 16 foot!) BTW thats that shark-esque thing.   

My main agenda for the Natural History Museum was to go to their Planetarium. I saw two IMAX shows. One on your typical IMAX size screen & the other on the domed dimensional screen. Leonardo Decaprio (spel?) narrated the first on the history of the Hubble telescope & Whopi Goldberg (spel?) did the one on the Universe. Both presentations were a marvel in production & content! Have you been to a Planetarium? I think there all in America. I've been to a few, all fantastic. They're one of the highlights of my life! There I feel as close to the Universe as Im going to get. (I love space exploration & sci-fi)   

Oh & Decaprio is another one of those actors that grates me even though I think he's a great actor! (How strange am I?)..... In writing this one of my qualities is that I contradict. I don't see this as a negative I just see things from different angles, can appreciate & not appreciate something at the same time. Im so diplomatic  :   )   ........ if anyone can articulate this better for me please offer your suggestions.     :  )    Sometimes I don't feel I can articulate as well as my mind is imagining. 




Oh yes and there was getting lost in the Museums! The sign posting was awful! Im sure regular museum-goers navigate it with ease! Perhaps I just needed to eat? It took me ages to escape the past, figuratively speaking, of the Museums, at the end of my visit this was unbearable!




Then there was public transport. Once again I thought Id worked out the NYC subway puzzle. I like to walk & often too much even for myself. Its like Im on autopilot & cant stop! I thought Id be brave & brave the subway network with my trusty Unlimited Metrocard! I thought I won't fear this beast. get on board & ride it! So I did. I worked out whether I was going uptown or downtown, east or west, was it a local or express line, my intended destination etc & so forth. Then I boarded the train. Easy. Yes so far all the stops matched my map. Yes. Good. Oh, Im crossing the bridge?! Oh its the Manhattan Bridge! Thats ok I'll just get off at the station on the other side & simply walk back over the Brooklyn. Think again. The train did not %*@&@#* stop! The Beast would NOT stop! Next thing I knew I ended up in somewhere in the furthest reaches of Brooklyn. Trained it back, decided to give Battery Park a miss & head back to the apartment. Bought some shorts at American apparel from a personality-devoid girl once escaping the station @Madison Square Garden. IM ALIVE!!!!!




BTW its Eleven a.m here. Decided I would catch up on my Blog. Don't know where I'll go today. Don't know if I can be bothered. Its evilly hot out there & that Beast has a mind I don't yet understand.