NYC - Concrete jungle wet dream tomato

There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Hear it from New York, New York, New York!

 First of all I gotta say that leaving London and Canada was way easier done bit by bit. 

So after my quick visit to Barrie, Ontario I set off towards New York, where my dear old(est) friend was going to meet me.

We arrived at different airports so we had decided to meet at the hostel in Brooklyn. The hostel.... ohhh what an interesting place. As opposed to the one in Toronto this was definitely not top rank. But let's not get into further detail. I'll tell more to anyone who dares ask. Ha. Let's just say that it was fine in the end but I wouldn't go there again.

Day 1:

We met at the hostel, settled in, and took off right away. Ended up having dinner in Chinatown, where else. Afterwards we headed towards Times Square. It was quite late already so after we'd taken some pictures and looked around as best as we could (waaaay too many people, I got anxious) we went back to the hostel for a good night's sleep.

OH! And I bought one of these! I'd dreamed about it ever since I saw one of the videos. 

Day 2:

Manhattan. Central Park. American Museum of Natural History (DINOS!). 

Not a dino. Super cute though.

Day 3:

Brooklyn Bridge. Staten Island Ferry. Giggles at the size of the Statue of Liberty (tiny fella, that one). Wall Street. Tiffany & CO. 9/11 Memorial. Century 21. Macy's. Shopping. More Manhattan.

Day 4:

Grand Central Terminal. Rockefeller Center - Top of the Rock. Central Park Zoo. Shopping. More Manhattan.

Day 5:

Way too many selfies at Carrie's steps. ("Noni lopeta jo mua hävettää"). Bethesda Terrace. The Friends building. More Manhattan.

Day 6:

Waldorf Astoria (kuka teki mitäkin...). Diamond district. NYU. Washington Square Park. Hairdresser. Shopping. More Manhattan.

Day 7:

A ride from the Hostel's owner's neighbours (or relatives, dunno) to get somewhere where we could get a cab to the airport. Trying not to throw up in the cab. Different flights. 10 hours at JFK waiting for mine. 

To sum up:

The city is huge. Huger than I could imagine. There are SO many people, but luckily they're concentrated mostly on the Times Square area so as long as you avoid that area once you've seen it, it's fine. No better place for people watching, my favourite hobby, though (meaning NYC, not TS). Have to say my expectations were a bit too high, and I certainly didn't fall in love at first sight but it grew on me. I know this is cheesy as hell but you really feel like you can do everything. The different neighbourhoods were really different. Like Upper East Side and Chinatown for example. Soho was lovely and so was West Village (could see myself living there!). The metro system is awesome, although kind of outdated. The stations were sometimes a bit hard to find and the instructions inside could've been clearer. It's really easy to navigate the streets since each lateral street is numbered. The Central Park is awesome. And huge, too. And Brooklyn was really nice too!

They don't make songs about the city for nothing.

Loved it.

<3

Fancy a scoop?

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"Seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know, the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

It's been three months now. I miss our Canada Crew. I miss Jack's. I miss it all. A lot.

Sadly, not everyone's in this pic but it's still my favourite.

*******

So I guess this is the end of this story, and this blog.

Peace out.

Yo.

Toronto

Ok so first of all, this is about two & a half months late... But better late than never, eh?

Second, I'm not sure if I remember anything anymore.

But anyway, here's a recap of my weekend trip to Toronto:

So when I realized that I'd be leaving soon and I still hadn't been to Toronto I quickly booked two nights in a hostel. I didn't even ask anyone to come with me cause that way I'd be free to do whatever I wanted and get the most out of it.

I stayed in Canadiana Backpackers Inn which was the best hostel I've ever been in. And also the cheapest option. AND it's downtown so you can walk everywhere.

As soon as I'd checked myself in I hurried to the CN Tower because it was starting to get cloudy. I had bought my ticket online so I didn't have to stand in lines. You also save a couple of bucks that way. I went all the way up to the Skypod (447m) which costs $12 more dollars but I'd say it's worth it. The whole thing cost $40. That's quite a lot when you think about it but no regrets here. If you have more time and want to go places, you can buy the CityPass, which gets you access to the CN tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo and Ontario Science Centre. You could save some money even if you don't go to each of them. For hockey fanatics there's the Hockey Hall of Fame.

From the CN tower. The glass floor freaked me out but eventually i gathered my courage to stand there. Below is the Aquarium, which I've heard is also worth a visit. 

Next I took the ferry to the Toronto Islands. It was mid April and the Islands were a bit gloomy because nothing was blooming yet. The little farm was closed and there was nothing else to do either. So I actually just ended walking for hours with uncomfortable shoes. The only upside was the view of downtown Toronto. But don't get me wrong! I'm not saying I wouldn't go there again, I'd just go there in the summer and take a bike with me. The ferry ticket was about $10 I think. 

For the rest of my time there I just walked around the downtown area with my camera visiting all the different neighbourhoods. Well not all of them of course. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities and it's also clearly visible, which makes it an especially lovely place. The Londoners had said on multiple occasions that Toronto is too big but to me it seemed just perfect. It was calm, safe, pretty, versatile, and most important of all, not too busy. I'd totally see myself living there.

*******

Let's see when I'll manage to write the one about New York.....

*****

P.s. Four months is not enough.