Originalsly:
Hmmm...Cubs fan?...I thought they kicked that team out of the league for under performance! Following!

We won the world series last year for the first time in 100 years. I caught the fever right there and then

Finally I get to my destination in time for my meeting.

Train stops along the way...

Who else is a Cubs fan like me

Pix no 4, see Oyinbo cemetery. Chai

Sorry my people,

This Amrika hard no be small. All the trekking I've been doing. And visiting friends from house to house. Oh boy!!!

Anyways, we took a 17hr greyhound bus from NY to Chicago via Ohio. It was so uncomfortable omg!!! I'd trade greyhound for an Amtrak anytime.

Photos from that trip are on Hubby's phone. Will update later.

So for the first time this trip, I went into town myself without baby or hubby. Me time never felt so good.

1. Waiting for the 22 bus from Clark to take me downtown
2. Slightly crowded blue line train station downtown
3. Entertainment at the Red line train station.
4. Very crowded train . I had to stand most of the way

Im planning to take a city tour over the weekend. And get proper up close and personal views for you guys before we take the return trip back home.

We had to forfeit DC. E pain me sha, but a family trip is quite tiring and not as exhilarating as a solo trip.

Watch this space

Bridges full everywhere for NY. I cannot keep up.

Williamsburg bridge
Brooklyn bridge
Manhattan bridge

And they all look alike.

I also learnt about DUMBO recently. One of the most expensive parts of NY

District Under Manhattan Bridge or something like that

Some more
The guy in red is our tour guide. An Original new yorker

More pictures

Photos from the NYC boat cruise

Originalsly:
NYC population...8 million. 5 million plus ride the subway per day... should I warn them?

LWTMB!!! I'm literally rolling on the floor!

Originalsly:
Hmmm.... no mail....no missed call! Retry. ..send txt msg....send pm...be desperate!..you should be!
... You must be real rugged to be jumping in Times Square area during the week with ehmmm.... two babies!... but not so bad.....one can walk! ...then the journey overseas to get back home in S.I.

You have a way with words.
I've sent you another mail

Zocken:


Good thread madam. I will be visiting Newyork for 5 days on family vacation for the 1st time next week. I need help on how to use trains and buses o. Can't afford the cabs biko. Where and how can I buy the bus/train cards on arrival? I always have difficulties buying stuffs online. Help a village man biko. Or can I send u private mails?

If you are travelling with family, it will be difficult navigating with public transport, esp when no one is experienced. I learnt the NY system a few years ago on a solo trip so it was easier this time.

Its kinda a lot to take in. I had to patiently teach hubby all the signs, colours , numbers, letters etc.

Usually you buy the MetroCard after you come off the air train in Jamaica station.

Originalsly:
@Op...... need network solution?...and more? Pm me.

Bro, you got mail. I called but you didn't pick

fredoooooo:
Wanderlustian babes hop e you're enjoying yourself . How's that cutie of yours ( your baby) ?
We are following ...

Walahi, NY is too stressful, I'm enjoying the scenery and change of environment but biko, the stress is plenty

smithsydny:
This idumota ooooo.. Even as expensive as the town is its dead crowded

My brother. The crowd is something else!

Please forgive my slow updates. I've been on the move.

melochic:
Thanks for your response. I will go to expedia now to book. Does the metro pass cover where you staying in New York?

Ferry is free.

MetroCard will also cover the buses

megastu:
Just be careful oh. Its better to take the cab with your money than to try those subways in NY especially when you are a tourist.

It is not my first time though. And what is wrong with the subway? Too much Hollywood

Pictures from the boat cruise

Originalsly:
Hmmm..... could've dropped by Times Square earlier.....link up..... Originalsly@yahoo.com. ..you need not be spending like a tourist!

Lolz! Bro, will mail you. This phone wey no de work is cramping my style

I will upload photos in a bit. Been out all day currently in the magnificent time square

melochic:
Hi, I would be visiting the US (NY & DC) this summer. I land JFK on the 16th of August to be precise. Please I would like more info on accommodation (I'm traveling with my son) and transportation in NY. Also how do I book the museum tour since the white house is too late now? Please advise me accordingly thanks.

Originalsly has done justice to this. I didn't book the museum tour, the Congresswomans pa did that for me. But I guess you can book on Expedia.com

As per accommodation, I stayed quite far away from the city to save on costs, NY hotels are very pricey.

kachi19:


abeg sista nor vex oh: for this economy ni eh how doest thou gather money ni for this plentiful waka cos me wan enter iroplane too, eh biko

Lol!

I have 2 businesses that are on autopilot. I also work online full-time and earn in fx. Also travel is careful planning. The further you plan the better.

otokx:
Nice update, looks like US is a bit pricey compared to Europe.

I think some cities are unnecessarily expensive, like New York and Chicago. New Jersey is comparatively cheaper. And I'm sure some other states will be cheaper. But compared to Europe last year, I guess this trip has cost us a lot more.

NY is exactly like Lagos, everyone is trying to hustle you and milk you out because you are a tourist, if you don't shine your eyes well, they will success.

My bobo said he will give anything to have Eba and Egusi soup right now! LMAO! We've been hungry since the day we left Nigeria.

SkinnyDude:
you mean W4 took this quality pics ?

Yes o! good old chinko Tecno all the way! One day I will grow up and buy DLR camera as suggested by one of the thread's followers

Thanks people for the love and support.

Yesterday we went on the city tour, OMG! NYC is so crowded. Earlier, we forget our jackets in the airport, so we tried our luck in retrieving them, unfortunately... its gone for good.

We joined the tour bus at 5th Avenue Macys. Macy's claims to be the world's largest store. Then headed off in the direction of the empire state building. The traffic was not funny at all. Bumper to Fender.

So the bus went all the way down on Broadway, through Soho, New York University then we came off at ChinaTown. Another crowded area. It was like the whole world is visiting New York. Nothing of particular interest caught my fancy in ChinaTown so we got back on the bus and followed it to Battery Park for the Liberty Cruise.

This was actually the best part. The tour boat allowed us to view the city from the shoreline, in fact, this can only be told in pictures. I will try to upload the best ones and modify this post once done. There was so much to see and take in!

Im still phoneless and losing business! Note to anyone visiting the US, CHINA PHONES DO NOT WORK! Azzin, does not pick network of any kind!. We practically walked around looking for dual sim unlocked phone at least to get credit alert and OTP, it was such a chore! We still haven't found to buy.

I'm also feeling kind of blue. I had requested though a congresswoman for permission to tour the interior of White House while in Washington. I made the request rather late, as I later found out that I will need to request 3 months in advance to be considered and I dont have that kind of time in the US.

I took the rejection in good faith though, she tried to compensate me with VIP passes to the Holocaust Museum, I don't event know if I stil want to visit DC after this heartbreak. Maybe it's all good, probably the excitement would have been too much for my heart to bear and I may just swoon and faint on entering the White House Lol

Here are photos of the accommodation I booked in Staten Island, I paid $152 for 3 nights. The host says he can provide more discount if we chose to stay longer. He had 4 more buildings on the same street.

So I tried booking hop on hop off tours online but I kept getting $79 for 2 days per person. So I refused to buy and decided to look for the tour salesmen on the street once you come out of Penn Station. Dude was a Benin guy who was excited to see us. Ended up buying the 2 days hop on hop off bus tour for $49 per person with a including the statue of liberty cruise and a free NYC museum. I saw somewhere on the ticket that breakfast is free from 10am to 11am at the Museum.

We make a early headstart tomorrow. Smithsydny, will definitely snap my feet. This time, I'm wearing sturdy trainers. The trekking is gangsta!

Please can anyone help with a solution? My phones refused to roam. US sim cards are not working. I keep looking for free WiFi, thanks Originalsly for the headsup.

I'm using Nokia torchlight and tecno W4.
What can I do?

Finally the ferry opens. A ferry leaves every 30 mins.

Statue of Liberty can be seen in the far distance as we approach the city

More pictures while waiting for the ferry

We were out all day. Just roaming around. I can bet we walked for over 4 hours.

Like Originalsly said Staten Island is called the forgotten borough. It is so serene, I'm glad its a place I brought my family to.

Yday on our way from the airport, hubby said he was mesmerized by the crowd at Penn Station. What cracked me up was when he said they all stood in front of a screen looking at nothing!

Anyways, here are some pictures as we headed to the city this morning

vague:
Biko please post pictures this whole writing writing writing and no pics game is no fun. make see NYC jare

No vex, pishurs yapa!! Just be patient small.

Reading the comments and just had to LOL

I console myself with this

"I WAS BORN TO TRAVEL"

By the way, who said I didn't have investments already? If I did not have such ties to my country, who knows, I may have absconded on one of my numerous trips to strange destinations.

I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't chase young boys, I get my 'high' from going on an adventure and no one said it was Illegal

Hubby wanted us to take a Taxi... who me Take a taxi? In New York? What happened to the subway?

The last time I personally took a taxi from JFK was in 2013, and I paid almost $100 just to Bellerose, in Queens. After then, I said 'Never again". Anyone else, I will hop in, as long as you are paying... but hubby caught wanderlust, and if he wanted to explore, he has to go the whole 9 yards wanderlust style!

So, we took the airtrain to Jamaica Station, and bought metro cards for $1, and topped up with $10 each. A ride from JFK terminating at Jamaica is $5, but within the airports, from terminal to terminal is free. Then we connected the MTA subway to Penn Station. From Penn Station, we took another train to the Ferry heading to Staten Island, where I had booked a really cheap accommodation option. If you had read any of my previous thread, you would know I'm a sucker for cheap accommodation cc @originalsly . Don't worry Bro, I researched Staten Island and saw that it was one of the safest places to be in New York. Hubby could not understand why of all the places in New York, I had to get a place across the water!

Did I mention the ferry to Staten Island is free?

So, In total, I guess we spent $16 to get to our destination.

The other option would have been to take the NYC airporter to Penn Station, but it was $18 per adult! Hell No!

We got into New York just in time to see the sun set upon Lady Liberty... It was just breath taking!