Day 2 - "The Lady" and Three Shows

THE LADY:
Today was good clear weather, so we decided to navigate the subway and head down town to Battery Park to catch the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty, otherwise known in my circle as "The Lady".  For some reason the NY subway system will not let you buy 6x 7 day passes in one swoop, as it happened, the subway we were in only had one machine.  So there is the Duplex clan, all 6 of us, attempting to purchase our passes one by one.  Oh yeah, we are holding the local New Yorkers up. It took us about 15 minutes just to get our passes.  So on the subway we get and head on down.

On our walk from the subway to Battery Park we hooked on through the Financial District and stumbled across the big ole brass bull, photo op went begging.

Found this lovely park, don't know it's name, but yet another family photo op.

 

 



We make our way down to Battery Park, grabbed our tickets and then go through airport security. Yes, scanners, x-ray machines, the whole shebang.  Mack gets singled out and the security guy wants to know why he has a ball in has back pack, I wondered the exact same thing when I found out.  Mack's reply was... "Dad told me to bring it".  When I asked Peter why, he said something along the lines of "thought we may be looking for something to do, so I told him to bring the ball and maybe we could play with it in a park".  That is the statement I heard. But what's going through my mind is "it's day 2 in New York, I doubt your going to be looking for something to do".  So none the less, family and ball board the ferry, Lady bound.  We had an audio tour when we got there, I listened to that for a bit but was far more interested in the 'fake selfies' (but that is a whole other story), I was just happy taking in the sights and Peter was beside himself hearing about the construction/engineering specifics about the old girl.

Along the ferry ride, beautiful snaps of the Manhattan Skyline

 

Then came the lady in all her blazing glory

 

 

Another Family photo op...

 

 

So we finish up at the old girl, and exit via the gift shop (such a well positioned marketing ploy), I bought some key rings and a fridge magnet.  We grab a coffee/hot chocolate and join the queue with the other tourists to go back to Manhattan.

 

When we got off the ferry we hear a bit of 'doof doof' music and can see there is a bit of action up in the distance.  We head up that way to check things out and this is where we are met with some cooler than cool street dancers.

 

Show 1:

These guys were doing a bit of these moves as their 'warm up' to get people in. It's like 3 degree's outside and old mate is getting about with no shirt on (crowd pleaser maybe?) Shirtless guy was the ringleader, show master, what ever you want to call him, he was pretty funny.

 

 

 

 

So the show starts, they are doing their thing and then it's time for some audience participation.  Nick is called up out of the crowd and is given a nick name, the street performers called him "White Chocolate" (WC) and we call him that sometimes now too.  So basically in this stance WC is in one of the guys does a running summersault over him.  Good bit of light entertainment and certainly something you don't see every day in down town Geraldton.

 



 

Then they grab a few more people for the finale, but of course before the finale happens, it's hand the money bag around for the donations, people were handing out money left, right and centre, these guys were making a killing. And then with that, it was all over.  Time for these guys to do it all over again for the next ferry arrival.

 

 

Show 2:

Believe it or not, show two happened unexpectedly in McDonalds Wall Street.  Boys wanted Macca's for lunch so in we traipse, this placed was packed and there is a tiny little balcony where there is a chap playing a grand piano.  Who would have thunk it?  It was just beautiful.

 

 

Show 3:

The Rockette's Christmas Spectacular is a New York tradition held at the Radio City Music Hall.  This theatre alone is just magnificent and beautiful.  The show it's self really was spectacular.  I had sooooo been looking forward to seeing this and I reckon I did see the 95% of it, the other 5% was unfortunately spent with a bit of shut eye.  Jet lag is a bitch!!  Peter never wanted to see this show, but was forced into it by the women of the group, he had a tiny bit of shut eye too, but what he did see thought it was brilliant. These snaps really don't do it justice.  Check out those dancing Santa's.

 

Inside the theatre which is just gorgeous, there is this fabulous crystal Christmas Tree shaped chandelier, same story, photo doesn't do it justice, it was mesmerising.

 

Across the road and up a bit from this show is the Rockefeller Centre, it was packed.  Couldn't see the ice skating rink, people everywhere.  How we got out of there unscathed I'll never know.  There was however, yet another photo op.

 

 

So off we set try and find a subway home. Couldn't find our line, at that point we split up.  Hazza and Nick came with me via a cab, Pete, Sue & Mack wandered the streets a while longer to find a subway.  In the end the Boys and I made it back to the apartment about 5 mins before Pete & Sue.  Then round the corner for tea, where poor Nick was falling asleep at the table, and I was battling to keep my eyes open too.