NYC Sightseeing and then the Journey Truly Begins: August 23-25, 2009
Sunday, August, 23, 2009
The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building
Having come all the way to New York from England, I had to visit the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
At the Clinton Memorial Fort, things were much different from 20 years ago. There were long lines and no tickets available to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
Undeterred I bought my ferry ticket and then joined a long line going through security checks. Luckily I had left most of my gear at the Comfort Inn, including two knives, a fork and a rather offensive spoon that would all have prevented me from going over to the island.
With the security check over our band of 200 tourists trooped aboard and set sail for the statue. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and white clouds.
The Statue looked amazing, pale green and dominating the Hudson River. Back in 1988 the statue was coy and his behind mist and fog. Now she was brazen, or bold as brass...or maybe copper. It felt good to visit the statue, like visiting an old friend. It was a good omen that the sun was shining.
With hundreds of people surrounding the statue, though, I was glad to climb back on the boat and head back to Battery Park.
Going High into the New York Skyline
I walked up to Fulton Street and took the subway up to the Empire State Building. Again security involved X-ray machines and long lines of people. With ears popping, I was whisked by elevator up 82 floors. Leaving the inside of the building, there ahead of me was the observation platform.
In 1988 I had gone to the top of the World Trade Center. The act of going up on high was another ritual I wanted to go through. From atop the Empire State Building I could see Staten Island, hazy in the moist heat of the day. Beyond lay New Jersey...and that was where my way would take me.
Monday, August 24, 2009 – entry #1
The Journey Really Begins: With Heavy Boxes of Books and a Free Ferry Trip
The purpose of my journey is to help hospices, which includes visiting as many as I can, and also having people buy the book I wrote about my 1988 journey across the U.S. and Canada, Beyond the Setting Sun.
To this end I had contacted a hospice in New York. Unfortunately they had recently had staff changes and nothing had been organised. I had sent 2 boxes of books to them, but they wanted me to come and pick them up. So it was that on Monday 24 August I came to be staggering through New York with two boxes that weighed about 25 pounds each. Fortunately, I only had to take them about two blocks to the post office.
I also shipped some photos to NHF and then, after a quick lunch at a Wendy’s, it was time to leave New York City behind.
The Staten Island Ferry—Really Free
I was amazed that the Staten Island Ferry was free. Most other things in New York were expensive and also had taxes on top, so you had the “price” and then the real price that was about 15 per cent more. Not so with the Staten Island Ferry.
A tall English man called Pete Saunders, who came from Bath, told me about the ferry being free and I thought he was joking at first. In any case, with no security checks I trooped aboard a big orange boat called the John F. Kennedy and set sail for Staten Island.
Monday, August 24, 2009 – entry #2
Negotiating My Way over the Goethals Bridge from Staten Island to New Jersey
The day was hot, about 90 degrees. Walking with my full forty pound pack, along Richmond Terrace, I moved from bit of shade to bit of shade, as much as I could.
On the back of the pack was my blue and white “Walking for Hospice” sign. I felt like the walk was at last truly beginning.
With the full weight of the pack the walking took much more effort, but it felt good.
At Mariner's Harbour Marsh a park was closed with a message saying “under environmental investigation.” As I read this sign a mosquito flew up and bit me on the arm. I wondered if they had some lethal mosquitoes holed up in the closed park.
Twenty years ago, on my first walk, I had collapsed on Staten Island from heat exhaustion as the temperature that day was about 105 in the shade. I was glad that the temperature was now only 90 degrees.
My First Challenge: No Pedestrian Crossing Allowed
Turning down Western Avenue, I made for the Goethals Bridge, my planned route to New Jersey.
Fenced off container yards and a Port Authority area were marked with No Trespassing signs. As a traveler I always hate to see those. I started to get a bad feeling about the Goethals Bridge. Sure enough, when I reached the bridge there were green fences all along the side and “No Pedestrian” signs.
As I stood there wondering how I would get to New Jersey a security van parked close by. I walked up the van and signalled for the driver to open his window. “I'm walking for hospices from New York to North Dakota and need to get over the bridge. Is there any way you could drive me over, as I'm not allowed to walk?'
The man looked worried.
“No, no. I cannot drive you over. This is a company car and I am just finishing work now.” I could see where the man was coming from and could also see a load of police cars nearby. Plan B came to mind.
I flagged down a policeman who was also just going off duty and explained my problem. “No, the police can't take you. Something might happen while you are in the car and they would be liable.”
Again I could see what he meant, but that wasn't going to get me over to New Jersey. I explained more about the walk and handed the man a card with my name and the National Hospice Foundation details on it. I could see the man was wavering.
“Just wait there. I'll phone someone to see if they can help.” The man got on his mobile and a huge police officer came walking out of the station. The plan was that the off-duty policeman would drive me over the bridge and the big police officer would follow behind in case I caused any trouble. I was relieved. I talked to the off- duty policeman as we drove across the bridge. His name was Joe Garcia and I could see that he was now much more relaxed. At a set off lights Joe dropped me off and wished me luck. At least I'd made it to New Jersey.
Memories and My First Donation!
On the Jersey side was the town of Elizabeth. A garage where I'd got water back in 1988 was still there, only now painted green as opposed to grey. A place called Sweets and Eats where I'd eaten lemon sorbet was now a pizzeria. The place looked familiar, but also different in some ways.
Back in 1988, suffering from heat exhaustion, I had camped at the Graceland Memorial Grounds and cooled off in an ornamental fountain. I had similar intentions, but sadly couldn't find the place. On the plus side a young woman stopped in her car and gave me $1 as a donation for hospice...my show was finally on the road.
Dark and Forbidding Woods, Mosquitoes and Sweat
As darkness fell I was walking up Galloping Hill Road, where British Redcoats and Washington's troops had been involved in some skirmish during the War of Independence.
This was where I had walked before, but no Graceland Memorial Ground was to be seen. Off to my right was a small park, bordered by dark and somewhat forbidding woods. I figured dark and forbidding was better than nothing.
I slipped in amongst the trees and found a spot by two fallen trees. Light came from nearby streetlights, but was barely enough to see by. Even so, in minutes my tent was up.
As I cleaned my teeth and made ready to get into the tent mosquitoes began to bite my legs. Hovering and buzzing in my ears they were annoying. Diving into the tent and zipping up, at last I escaped the little vampires.
Inside the tent it was hot. For days I had been in air conditioned heaven at night...not so now. Outside was a cacophony of cricket, grasshoppers, the sound of cars, people on the streets and the occasional plane. Luckily I was too tired to care. My legs were sore from sweating and chafing, and sweat poured down my face. In the tent I took off my shorts and socks and lay there in a sweat-soaked t shirt. The journey had truly begun.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 – entry #1
Not Easy Sleeping on the Ground
The night cooled and for that I was grateful. Every hour or so I would wake and move my arms and legs to stop 'pins and needles' where I had been laying on my limbs and cut off the circulation. One time I woke to find my right arm completely numb. I had to flop it around to get the circulation back.
By 4 am I figured I'd had enough “rest”. In the dark I put on my socks and shorts, going totally by feel. They were damp in the humid air.
Unzipping the tent, I climbed out and began packing up. By routine and feel everything was stowed in the pack. All the while I was packing up mosquitoes bit at my legs and arms. Once my gear was packed I took out a flashlight from my coat and used it to check that the area was clear and would be left just as I found it, with nothing left behind.
A little light was cast by streetlamps, but the trees were dark and twisted. I tried to sense where fallen branches and snags of wood lay on the ground, as I headed for the road. With a sigh of relief I was back on a sidewalk.
In the dark I now had to find my way to the town of Union, New Jersey.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 – entry #2
A restaurant that was closed had silver metal siding and cast light on to the street. I could see my reflection in the metal and used this to help me comb my hair into something more respectable.
Across the road was an open Dunkin Donuts. Inside were two men who looked Mexican or South American. I told them about the walk and was soon sitting down to a turkey and cheese sandwich, orange juice, milk and coffee. Once I'd eaten breakfast I used the restroom to have a quick wash and shave. I talked a little to my two hosts, who were called Edgar and Boying. It was good to talk to them and feel slightly more human and slightly cleaner. I took a photo of Edgar and Boying and they wished me luck.
Revolutionary War History
The day that followed took me through Union, Summit, Chatham, Madison and Morristown. The towns had mostly been founded from 1715 onwards. At one place the town had been burnt down when 5,000 British and Hessian (German soldiers fighting for the British) attacked a force of 1,500 American colonists. The 5,000 British and Hessians were defeated shortly after.
As I walked I passed neat lawns and buildings that looked like smart homes, but were the offices of doctors, lawyers and such professions. One place had the names of a father who was an attorney, a mother who was an optometrist and a daughter who was a psychiatrist.
More Donations—Including Some Apple Juice!
As I walked people stopped to ask about the walk. There were two men called Geoff, a man called Brendan Keating whose wife was a hospice nurse, and two women called Pat and Susan, who gave donations to hospice.
I walked past the grand-looking Elizabeth Drew and Fairleigh Dickinson Colleges and to the Green at Morristown. It was a good day.
A policeman in Morristown gave me directions on how to reach the town of Mount Freedom. To get there I needed to stay on a small road called Sussex Avenue. The road passed through woods and hills and climbed steeply for mile upon mile. It was with great relief when first a 7-11 and then a Subway appeared. At the subway I ordered a sub sandwich, orange juice and two apple juices. The owner of the Subway gave me the two apple juices for free, once he heard that I was walking for hospice.
Camping Again
With food and rehydration taken care of it was time to camp again. On the outskirts of Mount Freedom was a rough area of wasteland. Covered in bits of fallen trees, bits of metal and junk. As dark came again I pitched my tent and climbed in.
With only netting covering the opening of the tent I gazed up at a break in the canopy of leaves up above. In the gap stars twinkled in the night sky.
