Day 1 New York

Well no going back now. Mo and Edd dropped baby Hanah off at the Ruhforth clan and kindly took me into Glasgow for the airport bus. Bit nervous and excited. First bit of good fortune was BA checked me onto an earlier flight to save rushing at the Heathrow New York connection. It did require a sprint to the gate which I made more interesting by stupidly going to the international departure area instead of the domestic ensuring chariots of fire all over again with a heart pounding second to spare. Woosh and off left the plane.

Plenty time at Heathrow. Out with the pipe and slippers for a bit relaxing. I asked customer services how much a taxi from JFK airport to central Manhatten was. This would prove to be my second piece of good fortune.

Double Woosh off went the plane for New York and my first trip in a jumbo jet. Big are they not. Delighted with BA and the inflight on demand movies.

So here comes the first scam. The airport announces you will be met by a taxi rank official who will co-ordinate. So the first guy i meet near the rank goes come this way (towards a nowhere) and does my brain go "why no uniform" ...nope but it did go how much..to which the reply came a hundred dollars. Step away from the vehicle I said to myself and high taled it back to the taxi rank and yes to the official in the uniform! BA had told me earlier forty dollars. Phew.

Met a nice mother and daughter from Manchester at the rank who were next to me on the plane and got chatting which settled my nerves after the near death taxi experience (slight exaggeration but need to build the tension). Shared a taxi with another mother and daughter this time from Yorkshire and saw a pattern here. Both were looking forward to the shows and the shops. Quite right fill your boots I say.

Arrived at the hostel and retained the composure as best as i could before my first ever foray into hostelling. Sharing a mixed six bed dorm with complete strangers. Nobody around so popped out to a seafood resteraunt. Very nice it was and took solace in writing my journal. Loved walking along the street in the heat with food places and people everywhere. Bought a map which looked like ancient hyrogliphics until the waitress explained it. Good I'll never get lost I thought....see Tuesdays blog!

Poor sleep in new suroundings and getting used to the time difference. Going to bed three in morning uk time and getting up two in the afternoon is never straightforward. Oh and neither is wearing ear plugs!

So far so good.