Plan B...and C

Today was another sightseeing day where I had a plan that didn't come to fruition...and that turned out to be really OK.  It also, unexpectedly, turned out to be a very emotional day.

I was up and out by 9:30 and hopped the train down to Battery Park.  The plan was to do the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty tour.  I stood in line for a ticket and wondered what the absolutely enourmous line, which curled through Battery Park, was.  About 15 minutes or so into my wait to buy a ticket the PA system came on and announced the wait to board the ferry after the ticket purchase was two hours.  Two hours...with no restroom in sight!  No way.  That's what the long line was.

It worked out fine because it forced me to wander around the ticket area and I learned an important tip. You can reserve tickets for a specific time and the line is much shorter and, since it's a timed ticket, you are not waiting with the huddled masses who did what I attempted - buy a ticket on-the-spot.  After I discovered this key piece of information, I wandered around Battery Park. 

Out of nowhere I was overwhelmed with emotion.  I saw a very elderly, short, almost "shriveled" woman in a black abaya waiting in the line to get to Ellis Island.  At the same time, I heard someone playing America the Beautiful on a flute.  I looked and saw an old man - seemingly homeless - with really long white hair and a white beard sitting on the ground playing his instrument.  This was while also being surrounded by a cacophony of languages. Just beyond that, there was a man with a Caribbean accent and a broad smile entertaining the crowd on steel drums.  What a moment in time.  What a country. 

I don't know why these scenes roused such emotion but they did.  It made me think what an amazing country this still is, in spite of all of our flaws.  I don't know if I've been drinking the American Kool-aid too long, but at that moment I felt like I really love what this country represents when it is at its best.  (Even while homeless, someone plays a love song to the country - albeit for money - on his flute.)

With my original plan dashed, I decided to amble over to South Street Seaport, even though I had been there before.  During my walk, I passed the Staten Island Ferry terminal.  I had remembered reading that passage to/from Staten Island was free and it was a great way to view the Statue of Liberty.  "Why not?" I thought.  Apparently a lot of other Ellis Island-dropouts had the same idea but that was OK.  I got on the boat with relative ease.

When I got on the ferry, some American man with his teenage daughter was on a vitriolic tirade about "foreigners" pushing him and "putting a shoe up the man's Nazi ass."  It was horrible.  His daughter was mortified and was asking him to be quiet.  I told him I didn't want to hear him in my ear, either. (He was standing right behind me.)  He proceeded to call me some names that I can't ever imagine any father saying around his daughter.  I wanted to say that "You are teaching your daughter that it is OK for men to talk to women like that" but I refrained.  This was all with the Statue of Liberty as our backdrop.  "This country's flaws," I thought.

The ride over to Staten Island also provides a great view of Ellis Island.  It takes about 20 minutes to cross from island to island.  At first, I thought I'd have lunch on Staten Island but decided just to return to Manhattan.  I soon learned, however, that passengers must disembark.  (I was thinking I'd just stay on the ferry and return but it was going out of service.)  I stepped off the ferry in Staten Island and almost made the immediate return.  I literally missed it by about 15 steps.

I had a cup of coffee and a cookie in the terminal and only had to wait about 20 minutes before the next ferry boarded.  I started off on the east side of the ferry for a different view but decided I wanted to see Lady Liberty again.  Her torch really does seem to glow. (Is it a light?  I'll have to notice next week when I visit.  I made a reservation this time!)

Switching sides of the boat also gave me another good look at Ellis Island.  I felt emotional again as I imagined a long ocean voyage and coming into New York Harbor filled with dreams...and surely apprehension about living in a new land.  (It seems to me that the building on Ellis Island looks a bit like St. Basil's in Moscow.)

After I saw the statue and island again, I switched to the other side of the boat as we were docking in Manhattan.  I got a nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge with the Manhattan Bridge behind it. Notice the heliport on the left.  There were so many helicopters in the sky they were like mosquitoes.

From the ferry terminal I wandered into Lower Manhattan around the Wall Street area.  I stumbled onto Stone Street (a cobble-stoned street) that is closed off to traffic.  Numerous restaurants have tables outside and, since it was such a nice day, they were packed.  One restaurant served great looking pizza on a cookie sheet.  The prices were more than I wanted to spend so I grabbed a soup and sandwich and headed back down to the Seaport. 
It was neat to see the old ships contrasted with the new buildings. 

I saw the water taxis and inquired about getting a taxi to Governor's Island - one of the things on my NYC "bucket list."  This former military base, only 800 yards from Manhattan, has a beach and a 2.2-mile loop around the island.  The water taxi guy told me to head down to the Governor's Island ferry, which I had remembered passing.  Once I got to the ferry terminal, I learned the island is not open to the public until June and then only on Fridays - Sundays.  It wasn't meant to be. 

Hhmmm, what next?  I decided to head back into the Wall Street area.  I took this picture on the right at the end of Wall Street looking uptown.  I thought, "What a canyon of shadows and darkness."  I was thinking that literally but realized that could be metaphorical, too.

I passed 1 Wall Street Court, which once housed the New York Cocoa Exchange and now has condos.  It reminded me of the Flatiron Building.  The picture to the left is from a website.  When I saw the building today it didn't have "Cocoa" on it.

I also saw Trinity Church (again - I worked right next to it for 6 weeks) and the Stock Exchange.  Wow, the Stock Exchange had amazing security.  It is impossible to get too near the building.  Everyone passes through security, which is outside the building.  Police with what appeared to be machine guns stood close by.  It was a little scary.  I can imagine how a terrorist strike on this building could cripple the US economy.

New York Stock Exchange

Trinity Church

The crowds were thick around Wall Street so I headed toward Century 21, the huge store that reportedly has great discounts.  On my way there, I passed the World Trade Center Site.  I had seen this numerous times when I worked those six weeks in lower Manhattan but I had never seen building above the fence.  There has been a great deal of progress since I've been there.  When I read the banner about the 9/11 Memorial Preview Museum I thought I should see it.  I, therefore, passed Century 21 and started walking those few blocks. 

Across from the museum is St. Paul's Chapel.  This wasn't even on my radar previously but it drew me in.  (I knew that one of the large sycamores in its cemetry was destroyed on 9/11 and its root ball is on display at Trinity Church.  Miraculously, none of the 100+ year old tombstones were destroyed when the tree fell.)  Walking inside was my next emotional upheaval of the day.

The church was where many firefighters and rescue workers slept and ate during the 9/11 aftermath.  For weeks, volunteers catered to the rescuers' needs.  Massage therapists, podiatrists, and chiropractors provided care.  People volunteered to cook and cots were provided.  There are numerous exhibits and momentos from this tragic event, including patches from police and rescue forces from all over the world, pictures of those who died, donations from Hiroshima and Nagaski survivors (that really got me), etc.  Many people were taking pictures of these things but I didn't feel as though I should. 

Throughout my visit in the church, my eyes would fill up and I got a lump in my throat that physically hurt.  I felt on the verge of sobbing - the gasping for breath kind of sobbing.  I was surprised by my reaction.  Sure, it's obviously sad and moving, but I didn't think I would react as deeply as I did.  I had to take a moment to stare straight ahead and compose myself before I continued.  This happened three times and then I left.  On the way out I picked up a poem called St. Paul's Chapel by J. Chester Johnson.  It references 9/11 and how George Washington's pew did not go unused.  (George worshipped here before the young nation's capital moved to Philadelphia.  I had to check "capital" vs. "capitol."  As I understand it, "capitol" is the building.)

In spite of myself, I went to the 9/11 Preview Museum.  It's very small and I didn't stay long.  I know that someday I'll go to the completed museum when it opens but I anticipate deep emotion.  I decided to deal with the emotion then.  On the way out I bought a silver (tree) leaf made from the mold of a swamp white oak that is growing in NJ.  This oak will be one of nearly 400 that will be planted at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum when it is done.  The proceeds of my purchase go toward the memorial fund.

At the museum I learned of a T-beam pulled from the Trade Center Site on 9/12.  It inspired the workers as it represented a cross.  This is now located a block a way at St. Peter's.  Eventually this "cross" will be moved to the National Memorial.  (There are two baseballs sitting on the wood block about 1/2 way up the "cross."  Maybe the Yankees have won two World Series since 9/11?)

With a somewhat-clearer head, I headed back to Century 21.  It was so crowded I only lasted for a few minutes.  I just couldn't do it.  I headed to the subway and took the 5 train back uptown.  After walking around 6 hours, I decided to head back to my apartment to rest and plan my evening.  It was a beautiful - and very emotionally trying - day.

None of what I planned today worked out.  But I don't think I could have planned a better day. 

I have a great view from my apartment right now.  Although, it doesn't make me stop thinking about the immigrants coming into Ellis Island or those who perished on and others who tried to help during 9/11.  I pause to remember all of them tonight.