In December, while on our short hiatus from blogging, I went to New York City with my family. It was my first time in the Big Apple and I could hardly wait. We flew into LaGuardia airport, took a taxi into Manhattan, and stayed at the Edison Hotel, which is steps away from Times Square and the Theatre District.
The food in NYC was incredible. In the lobby of our hotel was a bustling diner called Friedman’s. We ate there daily. We also enjoyed authentic Italian dining at Carmine’s, yummy late-night dinner at Bond 45, and a fun, classic brunch at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. But by far, my favourite dining experience was The View. This revolving restaurant is on the 48th floor of the Marriott Marquis and offers a 360-degree view of the epic NYC skyline. To get there, you have to take an elevator that looks and feels like a ride at Universal Studios. The food was phenomenal and the view was even better (hence the name). We spotted the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the NY Times building, and more historic features of the world-famous skyline. We could also see into some hotel rooms… Friends fans, brace yourselves—I saw an ‘Ugly Naked Guy’ in NYC!! (I couldn’t tell whether he was actually ugly. He probably wasn’t. But he was naked, and he was dancing.)
We spent most of our days strolling the streets or taking advantage of hop-on-hop-off tour buses; spotting iconic buildings and storefronts from history books and our favorite movies and television shows. We explored Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Plaza, Chelsea Market, and Times Square. We walked through Central Park at sunset. We went to the Top of the Rock and soaked in more incredible panoramic views of the city. We cruised along the Hudson River at sunset where we got another perspective of the skyline, saw the Statue of Liberty (and learned her powerful feminist backstory), and glimpsed the Brooklyn Bridge. We marvelled at the giant Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree and sipped hot chocolate while a light snow fell. It was magical.
One morning, while grabbing a coffee at Friedman’s before heading out for that day’s adventure, I saw a new copy of the New York Times on the counter. The headline: ‘Trump Impeached’. I felt like I was part of history as it was being made. That day, we went to the Museum of Natural History. We soaked in so much information and saw some fascinating exhibits—but I will admit that I was a little disappointed that it looked nothing inside like it does in Night at the Museum or Friends. That evening, we saw Rock of Ages off-broadway. I laughed until I cried.
The highlight of my trip, however, was seeing Come From Away on Broadway. I am a proud Newfoundlander who grew up hearing about the tragic events of 9/11 and how the small communities surrounding my own opened their homes and hearts to stranded travellers. To sit in the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and watch a breath-taking, heart-wrenching, soul-warming performance in the city where the tragedy happened… well, it was really humbling. I felt a connection to NYC and New Yorkers.
Since COVID-19 reached pandemic status and started wreaking havoc on NYC, I’ve felt strong feelings that I never expected to feel. There is a line in the musical: “you’ve found your heart, and left a part of you behind.” There is a part of my heart that remained in New York. I wish there was something I could do to end the suffering, relieve the overwhelmed healthcare system, and revive the beautiful city that I was introduced to just four months ago. I wish there was a way Newfoundlanders could again open our hearts and homes to New Yorkers, just like we did in September 2001.
Please, if you can, donate to charities (anywhere in the world) that are working to fight COVID-19, support vulnerable people through this terrible time, or support essential workers. Please, please, obey physical distancing recommendations and follow the rules your government has put in place. Please, please, please, show kindness to your neighbours and check in on your loved ones. Be safe, stay healthy.
Sending my love and all the swell thoughts to NYC and all of you,
char
Hey world!
The next morning, we went downstairs at 8:30 am thinking we’d just be walking out to the street in front of the hotel to ride bikes for this guy’s video. Nope. There was a driver waiting for us in a very nice car. He got out and introduced himself as being a tour guide for the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. Turns out that we were about to be a part of a very legitimate ad campaign.
We were so grateful to have had this experience. We felt great because it was spontaneous and unique and a hell of a good story. We would have never gotten such an incredible view of Pidurangala and Sigiriya had we declined. We were treated like stars and got to meet some really friendly and talented locals. Then they asked if they could use us for more scenes because we ‘fit the image.’ We accepted, partly out of politeness and partly out of interest to see what else was in store.
After the coconut scene, we had been out filming with these people for more than three hours! We were pretty tired. They asked us to do one final scene. This time, we accepted purely to be polite. This final scene was so corny– and intense. We had lines to say, marks to hit, and two co-stars. It was hot and we were tired. But we did it, and they dropped us off safely at our hotel FIVE HOURS after they picked us up. What we expected to take 15 minutes took way longer than that. The crew understood that we were tired and that they had asked way more of us than was expected. Even though my friends and I were a little irritable by the end, it was so worth it. It was a really fun day and an experience that we could have never paid for or planned. Plus, we have this cool memento of our trip:
Before I dive into all the things I liked about this airport, there is one MAJOR downside to it. Without a local (Indian) phone number, wifi access is limited to just 45 MINUTES per passenger. Yes, without an Indian SIM card, you cannot use the internet for even an hour. And the timing is consecutive, so you can’t use it for five minutes and then check back in an hour later– once you log in, your clock starts ticking. Don’t get me wrong, I can live without the internet. I quite enjoyed being alone to read and people watch. But it was frustrating being in transit and not being able to let my family know where I was or when my flight would be leaving. If it got delayed or cancelled, I’d have no way to let them know. The only exception to this is the airport hotel, which I will get into shortly. So just a heads up, if you find yourself headed to CMB, download your Netflix in advance and use your internet time wisely.
I was really grateful to be able to get a room, except for one issue: when I arrived at the front desk, I asked the price of a room in Canadian dollars and was told it would be $120. That was reasonable as the hotel is a higher standard than any Holiday Inn or Best Western, and at that point, I was tired almost to the point of tears. It was worth it to me. When I got back to Canada however, my credit card statement read $240. Double. I’m not saying that isn’t a fair price for the room. It was beautiful, clean, and had all the amenities. I’m saying that I would have crashed on the public seating instead because I didn’t have that kind of budget. I wish I had been told an accurate price.
After checking out of the hotel I got a western-style breakfast (my stomach couldn’t handle any more rice and curry) at the only place I could– Starbucks. Then, having finished all four books I brought on the trip, I stopped by the bookstore and bought a few more for a really good price. I found a comfortable seating area, ordered a fresh orange juice, then I curled up and read for hours.
When I couldn’t sit still any longer, I got up and explored the many shops and museum-like art installations. I bought a beautiful pair of smart, genuine leather slip-on shoes for a great price (probably would have passed if I knew how much I had spent on the hotel!) and headed to my gate. I still had a solid eight hours to go until my flight, but I needed a change of scenery. I grabbed lunch at Café Indiana– which was awesome because Indiana is my middle name!– and then curled up in the comfy seats and watched Netflix and read until my flight. Unlike most major airports, food and drinks weren’t astronomically priced, which I appreciated. Right before boarding, I grabbed a couple snacks and a bottle of water. I was in for a 16-hour flight and looking forward to sleeping through most of it.
Verdict: Mumbai Airport has everything you need for a long layover. Food, entertainment, and comfortable areas to rest. Everything is fairly priced, but be aware of the cost of the hotel. I would recommend this airport for your next flight path. Keep in mind my several hiccups, and you’ll be a happy traveler.
