STAGE 3

ORLANDO to NEW YORK

Christmas Eve! Again it was freezing BUT the 2- 1/2 hour straight through flight took only 1- 1/12 hours because of a 'tail wind'. Must have been a strong wind! We arrived about noon and waited an hour for the shuttle to pick us up to take us to the hotel. He finally arrived BUT on the way to the hotel the driver took a detour through Spanish Harlem because HE wanted to buy some batteries at a '99cent store'. He left us sitting in the shuttle, double parked and petrified while he took care of HIS shopping!

We finally arrived at the Sheraton on 7th Avenue. The area looked better but I've never seen so much garbage sitting in huge black bags on every street. The streets were dirty and crowded with people. It was just as cold, if not colder than Omaha.

We went shopping for something for Jared's Christmas. He couldn't sleep that night because he thought Santa wouldn't find him. He woke up half a dozen times crying. Poor baby.... he still believes *S* We explained that Santa would leave things for him at home in Australia BUT Santa was leaving his Christmas in New York up to Mum and I. I promised we'd go out Christmas Day and buy him something he really wanted as long as it was small enough to fit in his case.

Christmas Day we found a store not far from the hotel where Jared discovered some Pokemon games. After purchasing 2 of them at a supposedly discounted price I asked the storekeeper if they needed batteries. BATTERIES.... they needed more than batteries!! He needed the machine to play them on! How much for the machine? $238.00!!!!!!!!!!!!! I freaked...but it was Christmas after all, so I paid out the money for it. At least Jared wasn't upset about missing Santa any more *S* What else could I do?

We visited the Rockerfeller Centre and had a walk around the stores since no tours were running that day. It was bitter and the wind cut through us like a knife. We ended up purchasing a couple of hats with scarves attached for Mum and I and a Balaclava for Jared which he wore under his beanie. He looked like a bank robber *S*. Lord knows what we looked like! Who cared, at least our noses weren't going to drop off now.

The bitter winds aggravated Mum's angina and she still had a dreadful cold. Jared and I went ourselves the next day for the Hop On - Hop Off tour of the city. There was almost an all out brawl while we were waiting in line for the tour bus.... people trying to get in ahead of their turn. It was the most disorganised set-up I've ever seen.

We got off at Battery Park and took the ferry to the impressive Statue of Liberty. Now Jamie wasn't about to climb 363 steps to the crown and it was the right decision. When we got the lift to the top of the podium there were people standing waiting to climb up but obviously the people already up there weren't considering the people still waiting and were spending too much time on Liberty's crown. We would have waited a couple of hours had we planned to do the climb... not for me... I hate waiting.

We all headed out the next morning and again stood for over an hour in the freezing wind at the Greyhound Station for the tour bus and took Mum to see the things she'd missed the day before. Went to the Empire State Building but we weren't about to wait almost 2 hours to get up it. Jared desperately wanted to go back to the squirrels at Battery Park, the creatures were happy to see us... armed with cookies... What a feast they had!

We had intended going for a Carriage Ride but the people waiting in line weren't taking their turn as each carriage pulled up. They popped out from any old place in the line... fights were almost happening, so we got fed-up and left.

Our New York experience was almost over... can't say I was unhappy to get away from the cold. A huge snowstorm was forecast in 2 days and I prayed it wouldn't come a day early and stop us from leaving.

We were now heading for West Palm Beach... via Chicago!

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