In the Days of the Old Land

New York City, late Summer, early Fall, one of the city's nicest times of the year. The weather was warm, the mornings crisp. I was there before everything fell apart and the skyline changed forever.

Central Park was crowded and the foliage still green. People were rollerblading, strolling along or just relaxing on 'the green'. The wide open park made famous by photographers world wide. To walk through such a famous park was breath taking and to add to the excitement, I walked passed Tavern on the Green, a resturant made famous from movies such as Ghostbusters and The Out Of Towners. The horse drawn carriages resided just out the front of the restaurant. The rate was reasonable, if it wasn't for time restrictions I would have gone on one.

Times Square was overwhelming, especially at night. Seeing it on television was one thing, but real life is another. The atomsphere was incredible and very hype. It's one thing I would definitely recommend. MTV studios are location in the vicinity as well as Planet Hollywood. A must to eat. The prices are reasonable and the portions huge. One should also pay a visit to McDonald's. On the top floor is a replica of Manhattan.

Next came the Empire State Building. The foyer was just the beginning with beautiful stained glass murals and pristine marble floors. The observation deck was outside and the views were awesome. Something I would never forget, but something I would do again. It's things like that that one should treasure.

Greenwich Village was the next stop, to get there the red, blue, yellow or green lines all pass through it. The streets were smaller and more laid back. People chattered away, ate at trendy little cafes and strolled along at their own pace. It felt like being in a totally different place. The boutiques were filled with the weird and wonderful and the prices were moderate. Overall, 'The Village' was everything I thought it would be and it reminded me a lot of parts of Sydney minus the snobs and the yuppies. The locals were nice and very down to earth.

The Statue of Liberty. It was a sight to behold. A place that everyone knows, but not everyone has been to. It was here that I really began to fall in love with New York City. To see it upclose made me feel glad that I too lived in a free country. I strolled around the park and gazed at manhattan's famous skyline. I had wanted to go all my life and it was here that I finally felt that the wait was worth it. I took a deep breath before I boarded the ferry. I had a plane to catch later that afternoon, so unfortunatley I couldn't stay longer, but I promised myself that I would be back.

I briefly stopped at Ellis Island and walked through the museum while I took photos of America's past. I looked at the population board and noted that New York state has one of the country's highest population of Italians. Being of Italian background it made me smile a little. Those immigrants had it tough, just like my parents did when they arrived in Australia.

I did go to many other famous landmarks while in New York City, but last and not least, I did go to the World Trade Centre and the Twin Towers. I was there for around three hours. World Trade Centre building seven was the first one I went into. The building had magnificant black polished marble floors and the indoor palm tree park was blanketed by natural sunlight that came in from the glass celing. I walked up the marble stairs and headed toward the back of the building where the walkway crossed the street and brought me under the north tower. After I finished looking at the interior I walked from the ground floor and into the plaza where a huge marble and copper globe/ fountain stood directly infront of me. I quickly crabbed my camera, took a snapshot and headed for the south tower, to where the observation deck was located.

I hesitated as I got into the elevator. It was huge, like a small room. I had gone through a metal detector, so I knew I was okay, but when the elevator started to rattle a little as it got higher, it started to unnerve me a bit. It was worth it in the end. The view was incredible. The taxis looked like little toy cars and the people like ants. I discovered that, that wasn't it. I found an escalator and it took me to the roof. It was breezy and really warm. From there I saw the spike raising from the north tower along with satalite dishes and other bits and pieces that were there. I couldn't really see the street from there, but I did see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and on the other side the Brooklyn Bridge to name a few. My time there was also limited and I promised myself that I would go back and visit.

All that came to an end on September 11th 2001. Both towers were struck by hijacked planes killing at least five thousand people. New York will never be the same again. The city as well as the rest of the country was stunned to silence. How could they? Many innocent people from all walks of life lost their lives that day and they will never be forgotton, for we will never let them, from today's generations to future generations. It was a tragic incident, one that we hope will never be repeated. The culprits will pay dearly for what they have done, not only to Americans, but to the people of all nations. My heart and thoughts go out to those affected by this tragedy, my condolences to those who lost loved ones.

In the aftermarth people of all nations have been affected, if not those directly involved, then those indirectly. People are suspicious of one another, innocents are being terrorised, then there's world markets doing poorly and airlines collasping with people losing their once safe jobs. Will it ever end?

Least we Forget.

Belinda

September 20th, 2001.