Day 78 (Mon) *NYC Day 3*

woke up like 6 in the morning...skipped breakfast and made a mad rush to the subway all the way to the south ferry station...we really gotta rush to queue up at around 7 in the morning to wait for the ticket counter to open at 8 andden booked the ferry tickets and monument passes...the ferry tickets are not the problems but rather the monument passes...these passes allow u to go inside and up the statue of liberty and only a limited number is given out each day...we tried booking the monument passes online at wildwood but it was already given out...so had to try our luck early in the morning at the ticket booth to see any left anot...

after all the morning hassle and bussle...finally reached castle clinton in Staten Park where the ticket booth is located...relieved to see that the queue is still quite short even though we arrived somewhat considerably late at 7.30am...ahhhh now crossing our fingers to see whether the passes are still available...according to an uncle in the queue we stand a pretty good chance...heh...

relieved to see the queue quite short outside the ticket booth

4 butts squeezed together while waiting for the ticket booth to open for business

Finally at 8am sharp...

HOORAY!!! All the effort not wasted...all 4 of us manage to get the monument pass...into the Liberty we go

On Board the ferry heading towards Liberty Island

Solo shot onboard the ferry...can see Statue of Liberty in the background??

Yee yeah!! getting closer to the destination

and closer...

Hello Lady Liberty!! Greetings from Singapore!!

landed on Liberty Island after a 15 minute ferry ride...1st impression of the world-famous statue...not as big as it turns out to be on TV and movies and how come it is green not white meh?? took some pics around the island before we proceeded into the monument after some heavy security check...even stricter den the airport where we have to even pass through this air chamber where small puffs will be blown at ur body...to detect for any traces of items such as anthrax...went into the museum and learned quite a bit about the history of this landmark statue that people in the world have come to associate with America...as a civil engineering student was also somewhat interested in the construction of the statue...and to my surprise the whole structure was made of copper and the reason why it has turned to green is because of exposure to the elements such as rain, the sea and resulting in oxidation...was also surprised to find out that Gustave Eiffel the engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower was also responisble for designing the framework that supports the Statue of Liberty...another interesting news is that no labourer or worker died while constructing the Liberty when in those days there is no such thing as safety harnesses while 27 workers perished while construting the Brooklyn Bridge...cool stuff yah...lots of it in the museum...glad i woke up early to learn about all these stuff i would not have ever known...

The Statue overlooking Brooklyn...took this shot juz as the ferry is about to dock

Pronouncing my arrival onto Liberty Island

Showing off the less often seen - the Back of the Statue of Liberty

The original torch - the parts have rusted and deemed unsafe to use so in the 1980s...the National Park Services constructed an exact replica of it...so what u seeing Lady Liberty is holding now is a replica torch

an exact replica of the face in the museum

Inside the Museum...where many interesting facts were discovered about the statue

the tools and the cast used to construct the feet of the Statue

an exact replica of the feet

Statue Statistics

Interior of Liberty revealed!! wow seriously complicated piece of structural steelwork...Mr Eiffel is indeed a genius...to have designed and did the complex calculations during times when cars are run on steam and lamps are still run on fuel...impressive!!

after the museum visit...head out to the pedestal of the statue the highest point a visitor is allowed to visit...it is something like a rim around the statue where visitors can walk 360 degrees round the statue with views of Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn...they used to allow people up to the torch and crown until quite recently...when they decide that it is simply not safe for people to go up the torch where wind speeds can be extremely high and the torch can move up to 8 - 10 inches back and forth...wah kaoz sounds like sea dragon to the power of 10...haha...but the view from the pedestal is equally as good...offers spectacular views of NYC...okok enough described when pictures can actually say thousands of words...

View of the harbour from the Statue of Liberty

Behind me is Downtown Manhattan...from the Liberty

Statue of Liberty from the pedestal angle

The Quartet up at the Liberty Pedestal

Coming down the Liberty was a real hassle...no elevators was provided and have to walk down the stairs one by one all the way to the bottom...i really wonder how old folks and wheelchaired bound people are going to cope...in fact this is something i notice in the subway stations too...there are hardly any escalators around in the stations...very elderly and disabled unfriendly...

took a few more pictures around the revered statue and head back to Lower Manhattan for lunch...decided to go Chinatown for lunch again!! Yeepee...this time went to a different restaurant which offer much more delicious and sumptuous dishes den the one yesterday...comes at a higher price naturally and also the waiters self-give themselves tips...charged us $2 higher den the total price and when we question the miscalculated sum...they simply told us right in our face that it is tips...wah kaoz first time i see waiters giving themselves own tips...at least yesterday they gave us back the change and we waived it as tips...this time they juz charge into their bill...wah lau tips should be given as and when the customer pleases lah...but no complaints abour my char siew fried rice though...yummmmy...

Lower Manhattan from Liberty Island...i prefer the cityscape of Hong Kong though

the feeling is really so surreal...seeing the Statue for countless times on pictures will never ever beat being there looking at it in person

May Liberty rulez and freedom prevails

One final Group shot with this modern wonder of the world before we head off to Chinatown for lunch

naf went off to the china airlines branch to settle his air tics...while ken, JK and me head to Broadway to try get tickets for Phantom of Opera...u heard me rite...watching Phantom of Opera...the mother of all musical operas right in the heart of BROADWAY!! the tickets are going to cost us a bomb i am sure but we really wanna catch it...i have heard so much so much abt it but never got a chance to watch it...and what better place to watch it here den Broadway itself...waaah the thought of it is enough to quicken our footsteps but all our anticipation only ended up in disappointment...the tickets were sold out by the time we got there at 3pm and tickets only start selling at 2.30pm!! wah lau soldout every nite...7 days a week...the ticket booth told us to come tml earlier at 2pm to queue...and confirm + chop we gonna to do it...no doubt will wanna sum up our NYC tour with a bang...Phantom Of Operaaaaraaaaa....

we decided to go Rockefeller Center to check it out before rejoining Naf at the hostel to discuss the alternate plan for tonite...hang out in this integrated shopping and entertainment center for an hour or so and head back for a much needed nap...slept for like close to 3 hours...haha...andden proceed to guess wad...Subway for dinner!! wah 3 nites in a row liao...healthy lifestyles we are leading in NYC...haha...we decided to juz laze ard at the hostel...and do some planning for the modules to take next sem...wooahh Round 0 is juz rd the corner man...arrgggh sianz...bidding starts means sch is starting...my american dream is drawing to an end pretty soon...sighhhzzz...

took an easy stroll ard Rockefeller Center after a 15min walk from Broadway

wah lao...shoe shinning can also be so professional...another good business idea to bring back to s'pore

"Tell me when would you be mine...Quando Quando Quando"

Central of Rockefeller Center...almost all the world's nations flags can be spotted here...wah this is more like the UN HQ lah compare to that shabby building 2 nites ago

internet connection really pathetic...have to sit at the bus stop to tap other people's network...one passerby even took a pic of us...saying she enjoys taking interesting pics...hahaha