New York, New York!

Just a very few of the many skyscrapers in NYC!!!

Memorial Cross at the site of the former Twin Towers.

This IS ground zero. Lots of new construction is going on.

Kayla in front of the Statue of Liberty!!!!

WOW! What can I say about New York City? Just WOW! It's a jungle of buildings! The large tall sky scrapers number in the hundreds and tower way over our heads! It is an awesome place to visit (though much to busy for me to live). Last night we walked to Time Square. Some people just sit for hours watching the flashy signs and wonderful billboards. It's quite mesmerizing. The streets are blocked off and people sit in lawn chairs. Street vendors are selling hotdogs, roasted nuts, cheap shirts, cheap Coach handbags and sunglasses. It was fun. Our room at the YMCA is on 63rd Street. We walked to Time Square which kind of starts on 47th-42nd. Somewhere along the way I got turned around and walked many blocks in the wrong direction (what's new, right?). I noticed that I didn't recognize my surroundings at about 35th Street. Kayla and I had walked about 30 blocks by then. By the time we walked back to the room we had walked over 60 blocks! My feet and legs are sore, but there is no mercy. Today, I do believe we walked even further than that! But no complaints in this department; I saw the STATUE OF LIBERTY, and GROUND ZERO today! I think those two were the most awesome things I have seen yet. The shopping in New York along Canal Street is famously cheap, and that's where we bought our T-shirts, and other souvineers. Tonight we are going to the Empire State Building! The day has been very full and very fun! I know some of you want to know how I did finding my way around NYC today....well, I never let Melody (our leader) out of my site, and when we were given free time and told to return to our rooms via the subway on our own, I latched on to two of our very street smart young students, Claire (France) and Stephano (Italy) and let them lead me back to the YMCA! We took THREE different subways to get back here. I am very impressed with them. they are truly amazing kids- -thank you Claire and Stephano for doing for me what I seem to be unable of doing for myself in this big city!!! I LOVE NEW YORK CITY!!!

Tomorrow we head to Lewes, Delaware where the kids stay with host Rotarian families, and the chaperones have a break. Yeah!!!