We bid you Adieu, USA!!!

Daniel and Alida spoiled us with a farewell dinner at the Manhattan Grill house.  We all “cheersed”  to a very memorable Route 66 and New York expedition.  The journey may be in the past, but the memories will last forever!!  We will keep our new friends and the old ones close to our hearts.
Thanks to Stephanus, Carla, Elly, Alida, Daniel, Hans and Elisme. The 7 of us got our kicks on Route 66 and left our mark in New York City!!!

New York at Night

It was an absolute joy to see the City that never sleeps and experience all the fibs.  The only way I can explain it is by describing what we saw:  at 23h00 women in their 70's were walking in the street.  They got on the bus and conversed with their friends.  The streets were hustling and bustling with people everywhere...the one thing that struck me was that no-one appeared to be “looking over their shoulders” as we tend to do in SA...Police officers are very visible which make the people of New York feel safe!  The night bus tour was so beautiful with all the bright lights.
 

We saw the show CHICAGO at R 750 (half price).  It was a very nice evening out.  We met up with Sonja and Hans (Carla’s sister and brother-in-law) to have cocktails at a bar in New York.  What an explosion of flavours!! The tall, pretty glasses will make any drink taste special.  Little Italy offers an array of Italian Restaurants...each competing to be the best.

New York by Boat

We had such a pleasant 2h30 minute trip on the Hudson River.  This was by far the best view of New York!  The Old vs The New was striking from the river.
New Yorkers look after their history. Their heritage is very important to them. The buildings are constantly under renovation.  New York is a beautiful City and has much to offer.  Everything just works!!  Once you get the hang of the Subway, it is only a breeze to get from one end to the other.

Exploring New York

We visited the Flee Market uptown; just see how many people are there on the street.  The traffic nearly came to a standstill.  We were amased by all the skyscrapers surrounding us.  They are all so high and there are so many.  The Hop-on-Hop-off bus heads for the Bronx.  Here we experienced the old world and all its’ history.  The buildings are all very well maintained and we could just imagine how the architects lived out their dreams in creating these beautiful buildings.

Turning onto the main street, we saw a procession with bands, dancers, majorettes and many others joining in the parade.  The procession was for less crime and to remember their heritage – A very big thing in USA!!

Start spreading the news...

We were all extremely excited to be in New York, the Big Apple.  Stephanus, Hans and Elisme were ready for breakfast at 9 o’clock and amped to explore the city that never sleeps.  Daniel and Alida over-slept.  After a knock on their door, we all left the hotel.  We couldn’t come to New York and not have breakfast at the famous Starbucks.  Central Park was our first attraction...
 

I have never seen so many activities in one place - Walking, cycling, jogging, dogs on a leash, etc, etc.  It was very clear that everyone enjoyed the outdoors and fresh air that the park had to offer.  The lush green lawns and trees were amasing and so beautiful.  We could sit here all day and just watch people go by their day...

Welcome to the City of Angels

First stop - Beverly Hills

  

We opted for a Hop on – Hop off to take us on a tour through Los Angeles.  Every building has a celebrity living in it; we see one film studio after the other, FOX being the biggest.  We drove the length of RODEO Drive where all the rich and famous shop.  Here you’ll find some of the world’s most expensive shops and the biggest brand names available; everything from clothes to diamonds. Many celebs and other wealthy people live in these apartments, taking up an entire floor for themselves.

It was soon clear that everything in Los Angeles was expensive and we had no choice but to go with the flow.  We made numerous phone calls to find the best accommodation at the most reasonable price.  Luckily Brentwood Inn was prepared to give Carla a discount price ONLY if we paid CASH.  I must say it was worth every CENT!

And so the end draws near...

Mixed emotions were felt in our Mercedes Sprinter that was a part of our everyday lives for the full journey of Route 66. Everything came to an end in Los Angeles. We still had Garry's Route 66 bear to enjoy with Ice Cream - that was a treat Garry!


We said goodbye to our Sprinter, parked it at the Airport, locked the key in the safe, phoned the rental company and walked off.  The service at the Los Angeles airport (LAX) is outstanding.  A shuttle picked us up at our vehicle and dropped us off at the airline (Jet Blue).  

We thank Hans for his driving skills, Stephanus for navigating, Alida for reading and helping and Elly and Carla for gathering maps and information.

Next stop – The Big Apple...