Hi

Got home on Tuesday after a 3 night stay in New York. Flight from LHR with British Airways. Delayed for 5 hours, then got to JFK to be told our luggage wasnt even loaded on the aircraft, and we had to wait 45 mins for the next flight to land with our bags on it. Pathetic service from BA, and my seat back TV wasnt working.

Anyway, stayed in the New Yorker Hotel which was great. Clean, comfy, nothing special, but the room was warm and the hotel is in a great location. We got there 11pm Friday, gutting as we should of landed at 4.30pm. Anyway, walked up to Times Sq, 10 mins away from the hotel.

Wow, never been somewhere so busy, I was sat in TGI Fridays having food at 1am and beer, and the place was still buzzing with everything still open. Crazy place. As for all the car horns and traffic, god, makes Cardiff city centre look like a quiet country lane.

Next day was helicopter ride around Manhattan, brilliant. Great views of the Statue of Liberty and central park. Didnt do the ferry seeing as we had just seen the statue. Bought a ticket for the open top bus trips and this was the best purchase all weekend. It was $37 and covered all downtown, though, as they dont check the tickets, we also did the uptown trip with it too, and used it all weekend!!! Really recommend this trip, the tour guides are excellent and you see so much on the trip.

Got off at Rockerfeller centre, absolute chaos, so so busy. You could only shuffle past people, basically you couldnt fall over if you tried! Used the credit card Top of the Rock booth outside and bought tickets. 5 min queue and we were up at the top. Wow the lifts! Clear blue skies meant great views. Back down to try and get close to the xmas tree and ice skating rink but it was so chaotic I was glad to get out of there.

Hop on bus again, see more districts and more sights, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, UN Building, Chrysler building, Trump towers etc. Then jumped on the uptown tour (should of paid for the trip, but they didnt check tickets and I didnt realise so had it for free!). This was great, two hours, maybe three, up one side of central park, past ghostbusters tower, into Harlem, back around and down the other side of central park, past celebrity homes, Gugenheim, Carnige Hall etc. Traffic into evening was just chaos, and it got cold on the bus so wrap up warm! We had an open top bus. which was better for taking photos.

Spent night in the Tick Tock diner next door to hotel, was ok. Went up Empire State building in the evening, 10 min queues, totally amazing views. Well worth the money, dare I say, I preferred this more than Top of the Rock then back up in Times Square.

Next day back on the bus, and used the hop on hop off a lot more, went down to WTC site, very sad, especially in the church opposite. Did some shopping. On bus, got off near United Nations, walked past Chrylser Building, and then into Grand Central Station - wow, what a stunning place. They had a christmas show on with projected moving images being beamed on the side walls with music, was such a christmassy atmosphere in there. Loved the place.

Back on bus, up to Bloomingdales. Again, total chaos up here. Lots of designer shops. Trouble is, for a tourist, you have bag on your back, thick coat on then walk into these shops, which are packed and more like a sauna, not fun.

The rest of Sunday was spent shopping, Macey's, Bloomingdales, and all the designer shops around there BUT - I didnt find the prices any cheaper than the UK. Infact, they were mostly the same. I did buy some IPods from the amazing Apple store which were £80 compared to the £99 in the UK. What a shop that was, queueing to get in, the queue to get out. Used the subway on the Sunday to get around - wow, the acceleration and speed those trains go is amazing!!! Make sure you hold on!!!

I bought some clothes from a designer warehouse under Tk Maxx, and some aftershaves from a perfume shop on a side street, basically, I found the smaller shops away from the department stores a lot better value for money. Food in the smaller places were also much better. We had breakfast in a bakery sort of place which seemed full of New yorkers, a fresh baked roll containing eggs and bacon, with tea, and my dad had an omlette with potatoes, and freshly baked bagel and coffee, was $11 - about £5.50.

I actually came home with some money. The duty free shops in the airport were good prices so I spend a few quid in there on the aftershaves. Flight back with BA was on time and much better, how it should have been going out.

Overall a great trip, did so much walking I am still aching. Weather was great, no snow, but dry with clear skies. Colder here in the UK. I wouldnt rush to go back, and not for Christmas shopping though. I am glad I have been for the experience, and the the bus trips took us around downtown, midtown and uptown so we saw a lot but I wont go back now for a few years!