Monday 8th October 2012

Monday 8th October 2012 we travelled from Washington DC to New York Via Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is famous for the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Bell.

We arrived in Philadelphia in time to have a look at Independence Hall where
We  we had to go through a security check before entering the Hall.  The army control the security there and our guide gave us an interesting talk through the Court Room and the signing of the declaration of Independence.  We had lunch at a shopping mall and had a look around at some famous grave sites and the Liberty Bell before leaving for New York.

We arrived at New York about 3 o'clock in the afternoon & checked into our hotel - The New York Hotel and Towers on 7th Avenue.  It was a good hotel in a good position not too far from Central Park and 5th Avenue.  This was our last day on the bus and the end of our formal bus tour.  We got all our luggage off the bus and checked into our room.  Peter realised that he had left his wallet on the bus and we were lucky that we just caught the driver and guide just in time before they pulled out of the kerb and managed to get the wallet. Whew!  That was our biggest drama of the trip.

We went for a walk down the street towards Times Square to familiarise ourselves with the area.  New York is an amazing place with masses of people walking in all directions at the same time - generally at great pace.  The traffic is noisy and busy and full of yellow cabs. 
I can understand people that do not like crowds do not appreciate New York. It is every man for themselves when doing a walking tour.  I loved the atmosphere and quickly got used to that way of life.  The shops were very busy and the place is lit up like a Christmas Tree every day and night.