Uptown, Downtown girl...

I had the luxury of an 8am sleep-in this morning. Yesterday was so full on I decided I needed that bit of extra rest. Amazingly, there were people in my room still sleeping when I left at 9 - I wonder how they fit anything in?

I strolled to Central Park on a soggy-ish morning. I passed by the American Museum of Natural History and decided not to go in in spite of the dinosaurs - the building just seemed alien and uninviting, and I wanted to see Central Park more.

Central Park is VERY green and leafy, and there are gates everywhere keeping people on the paths. I let the penitential feel channel me towards the centre of the park where I encountered a cute spot called 'Shakespeare's Garden' and the cottage that houses the 'NYC Marionette Theatre'. These both looked nice, but it wasn't quite what I had in mind so I kept turning corners until I found myself near a bunch of people lying on the grass etc. Thinking they might be the homeless of Central Park, I was confused by the standard of their umbrellas and blankets; I turned another corner and realised they were all queuing for tickets to a play called 'Mother Courage', the box office for which is in the middle of the park.

I took a bit of shelter during a particularly heavy shower, and had all these eyes upon me... I lingered long enough to witness some very New York agression between two old ladies about who was in front of whom (honestly, can't we all just get along?) and decided to amble onwards.

By now the thunder was getting very loud, but no lightening in sight. It was as dramatic and scary and warm as you can imagine all combined. I think this is why I have enjoyed NY so much - all the senses and emotions are called upon at once.

I emerged in roughly the right spot to find the Guggenheim undergoing major exterior restoration, so no requisite photo of me besides white ribbon building. I thought the curves were amazing, and once inside the building FLW's vision is clear. By far the most fluid and poetic gallery I have ever been in. The exhibitions were good - the main one was focussing on a London architect called Zahid Wahib, and her designs are mindblowing. Other galleries were showing Jackson Pollock and Vasil Kadinsky, neither of whom I particularly like.

After spending an hour there I ventured into the Upper East Side to find lunch, and needless to say I paid a lot of money for very little (but excellent) food. Having done my Madison Avenue dash, I wandered back to Central Park and found the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is a huge building. There are at least 100 galleries on the first floor, and each one feels like its floor space is the size of half a house. I consider myself a rather intelligent person, but I got very lost very often and ended up a little too flustered to really take in what I was seeing - real mummies, semi-crumbled greek statues, massive oil paintings by Dutch masters etc.

An exhibition by the Costume Institute shocked me out of my complacency. It was a fantastic 'juxtaposition' of Victorian fashion with punk rock. Imagine beautiful gowns with full bustles, gloves and hats made of red and pink tartan and accessorised by safety pins and duct tape gimp masks... Unfortunately, this was a part of the gallery where photos were not permitted. REALLY unfortunately.... this was a bold and energetic showing, and I loved all seven rooms of it.

I recovered my equilibirum by eating an apple on the steps and planning my next move. I had hoped to walk the Brooklyn Bridge, but decided I would just go Downtown and see what I felt like doing once I got there. So, another subway ride (cue noises, smells, heat, manic map and sign-reading)...

I got to the Financial District and saw how many people were walking back from Brooklyn. So, I gave my poor feet a break by swapping one cliche for another - Ground Zero. I could tell where to go just by where buildings weren't. The whole area is packed with highrises, and it is easy to see the gap the Towers left.

There have been ordinances passed against hawking in the vicinity of the location, so there weren't the tacky souveneirs etc I had been warned about. Instead, there was a quite moving photo exhibit showing responses to the disaster. More than anything, it was the actual comprehension of how big the buildings were that brought the impact of the event home for me. I won't pretend I wasn't moved, especially when I ventured back undergound to find my subway Uptown... The space underground is enornmous, so one gets a real feel for the vulnerability of the City to collapsing buildings, gas attacks etc. You can feel the traffic rumble overhead, and it isn't that comforting...

So, to get back on nice things I decided to find an organic and dairy-free restaurant called Rosies' mentioned in my Lonely Planet (Go Planet!) - which is where I splashed out on my final New York meal. Soy American cheese is just as orange as the regular stuff, but it was nice to eat somewhere where I could order anything I liked.

I walked off my meal on the twenty block walk back to my hostel, and am glad I bypassed the subway option. This is where West Side Story was set, and the huge concrete housing projects, chain-meshed playgounds and ethnic restaurants felt very familiar.

I am now back in my hostel and leave at 3am for my trip to the airport. I've loved my U.S. trip, and it is great to see that you have enjoyed reading how I have tried to describe it. Thanks for all your comments and emails. I hope you are all well, and I'll write more from.... LONDON !!