May 8th, 2024: What to do today? Personally, I did not think much about the day. Will it be the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Gardens, or Philadelphia? I awoke at 8:30 a.m., feeling foggy after yesterday’s events. To be honest, I did not have a good night’s sleep in the US. My wandering passion is still alive in my heart. I emptied my bag, which had my clothes and toiletries, and replaced it with a new set of clothes, a raincoat, and an umbrella. Thanks to a student, I was granted access to their system, which featured two displays side by side, allowing me to sketch up a preliminary plan for today’s agenda. It was supposed to be Philadelphia, and based on Rough Guides’ description, I compiled a list of must-see attractions. It holds a significant role in American history. The plan was to travel to Trenton and then take the SEPTA train to Philadelphia.
Until I got a call from Dad, who urged me to avoid going there. I understood he was visibly affected by previous incidents, and he dialed up his classmates to express his feelings. Even though they assured him that it was completely secure, Dad was not convinced. As I arrived at Princeton Junction and purchased a ticket, the idea of seeing the Bronx Zoo came back to mind. I waited on the train to New York and texted Dad about my possibilities. No, he said, “find some other options…” The other areas may have spent more time researching Uptown New York, but a quick glance at Long Island piqued my interest. I’ve heard of Long Island’s gorgeous beaches. I opened my e-book and read more about this. Coney Island and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn borough were accessible by subway, but I looked further east and discovered Long Beach. Okay, let us make a dash there!
I arrived at Penn Station in New York City about 10:30 a.m. I wasn’t really in a hurry today. I went to the LIRR counter, purchased two tickets (one with a return trip, which I have yet to use) to Long Beach, and boarded the train at Track 17, which departs at 10:55 AM. The coach seems similar to the one I used to travel to Jamaica the day before yesterday. A small group of passengers boarded the train bound for JFK Airport. The train arrived in Jamaica at 11:20 a.m. and continued along the Long Beach Line, stopping at the LIRR stations of Locust Manor, Laurelton (the first two are in Queens but are not served by the subway), Rosedale, Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Centre Avenue, East Rockaway, Oceanside, and Island Park (the rest are in Nassau County, New York State). As the train left Laurelton station, the atmosphere and packed aspect of Queens borough buildings gave way to a more barren environment with less rush and bustle. After leaving Centre Avenue station, I had a clear glimpse of the coastal skyline. A Black man sitting inside the coach began talking loudly, while his cell phone played music at high volume. I thought he was a little annoying, so as soon as the train got at Oceanside, I went to the coach behind the current one, giving the idea that I would be deboarding here.
The vista outside the train has changed to a lovely sea-facing region. I arrived at the Long Island station about 12:00 PM. The town appears lethargic with the overcast weather. I assumed that the weather would be the same all day. I walked down Park Avenue before heading to the beach via National Blvd and Edwards Blvd. Even though the weather was growing colder, I observed a number of joggers. The streets were lined with homes and villas. I have not seen any homeless or infirm people on the streets. There were a few apartments on West Broadway. And I strolled out onto the promenade next to Long Beach. Unfortunately, there is a problem. Ocean Beach Park was closed for maintenance. So there was no way of going into the beaches. Poor planning? I had to look aimlessly at Long Beach because the entrance was closed. But I noticed a few joggers and cyclists on the promenade. Viewing the beach from the boardwalk was not a nice sight, especially since you couldn’t actually get onto the beach. Each bench on the promenade has plaques from local families. It’s calming and serene. And apartments on the opposite side of the promenade. I couldn’t do much but walk the entire distance. It took me twenty minutes to walk from end to end. Should I return to the Long Island Station? A closer look at Google Maps, combined with my wanderlust, made me refuse to give up. Go to Jones Beach. I called the phone number indicated on the official website, and the operator on the other end confirmed that the beach is open to guests.
So that’s what I did. It’s an expensive choice, with the cab costing $35 to get there. It began drizzling. I waited for the Lyft cab that was scheduled to pick me up on Neptune Blvd. It arrived after twenty minutes. Sandra was the cabdriver. She was shocked to see a tourist arrive here. She traveled to Jones Beach via Lido Blvd, which also includes two other beaches on the same island: Nickerson and Lido Beach. Before Point Lookout, she turned left along the Loop Parkway and Meadowbrook State Parkway to reach Jones Beach Island. She drove along the Bay Parkway, looking for open beach fields. She asked which fields would be open so she could drop me off. The Jones Beach Island appeared even more barren. There is not a single building here. I believed I had made a big mistake by coming here with no understanding how it even looked. Only luxuriant vegetation on either side. Another contact to the same operator revealed that Field 4, 5, and 6 were open for the day. She continued straight until she reached field 9, then made a U-turn at the roundabout to enter the parking lot. I thanked her as she went, telling me, “Be careful out there! Enjoy!”
Jones Beach is a long one with its own boardwalk. There were a few cars parked here, and there was very little activity on the beach. There are a couple of joggers here as well. I took off my shoes and waded across the beach to see the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was still dreary and dull. Not the best time to visit the beach. I’ll let the images and accompanying video convey the scene here. It was becoming windy. I noticed a couple snapping photos on the other side, while another man walked along the shore. Anyway, I’d have to travel the same ocean back home tomorrow. The tides were not rough because it was midday and 1:30 p.m. I sat on the beach, reflecting on the journey and on myself. My trip to the United States is coming to an end, and I certainly have fond recollections of looking at the water. I spent nearly an hour walking and running over the beach, having fun.
After walking along the boardwalk, I decided to return to the city for lunch. I ordered another taxi to the nearest LIRR station in Freeport, Nassau County. Just five minutes before the taxi arrived, the sky cleared. What the heck? I couldn’t actually sprint back to the sea and see the beach under a clear sky as the cab approached. Nature can be unpredictable at times. A green-colored cab arrived at the Jones Island Administration Building. Mr. Orangel is the driver. Despite his limited English proficiency, he was a pleasant individual. A Venezuelan, I struck up a conversation with him about his country and mine, and I learned that he had recently immigrated to the United States as the cab returned through the Meadowsbrook State Pkwy (one thing, I could see various islands connected by this highway) before reaching the intersection with the Sunrise Highway connecting Merrick and Freeport, where he turned left. Freeport, like Long Island, is a sleepy town.
He dropped me off at the LIRR station at 2:30 p.m., and I used a kiosk to purchase a ticket back to Penn Station. As I placed my card into the machine, two men cast a suspicious look at me and my money bag. I noticed, but swiftly moved on to avoid further incidents. I climbed upstairs to the elevated platform and saw the train heading to Penn platform. A woman was hurriedly climbing the stairs with her bicycles. The doors were ready to close, but the woman’s quick thinking to wedge her cycle between the closing doors forced them to open, and that’s how we got in. Just on time. The train was held up here for another five minutes before finally closing. The Freeport LIRR station is located on the Babylon Branch. I dozed off on the train but awoke when it abruptly stopped at Lynbrook Station. The train took around another forty minutes to pass through Queens before arriving at Penn Station at 3:40 PM.
The classmate pinged me on the chat, stating he’ll be ready to escort me home from Penn if I arrive by 5:30 PM. Whew, I still had time to visit the Big Apple before returning. After eating a huge Margherita pizza at Rose Pizza at Penn Station (I ate 4/6 pizzas while others stared in amazement; heck, even a homeless man entered the store and asked me to give him the pizza pie before the store staff brushed him off). I couldn’t eat the remaining two pies and disposed of them before taking the subway to tour Washington Square Park. I caught the number 2 train downtown to Houston Street, but due to the large throng, I missed my stop and got off at Chambers Street before catching another train uptown to my desired destination. I missed to visit the park and the arch while strolling through Greenwich the other day.
I went down Houston Street, still full from lunch, before turning left onto Mercer and 4th Streets to get to the park. “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the event is in God’s hands,” as quoted by George Washington. This park is one of the city’s most popular sites and is near to New York University. The arch was built to commemorate George Washington’s inauguration as the first President of the United States. There is a fountain near the arch. Many people are here; some of them, as I plainly noted, are selling products, chanting something, artists sketching the arch on their canvases, amateur jazz players playing the saxophone, people wrestling one another, playing music, selling some items, performing a play, or simply getting wet in the fountain. In the opposite corner, a group of people were playing chess. Alternatively, it’s just friends talking to each other. Aside from Central Park, I believe this is where most New Yorkers spend their free time. The landscaping in this park is good. However, I noticed a lot of homeless people hanging out at the park.
I chose to go through the streets surrounding the park. I observed some notable structures, like New York University and the Bobst Library. Walking down the streets (8th St, Bleecker St, Sullivan St, and MacDougal St) allowed me to observe a variety of hipsters, restaurants, and stores, as well as second-hand shops offering items. To beat the heat, I stopped at the Van Leeuwen ice cream shop on MacDougal Street and bought a vanilla ice cream before crossing 6th Avenue to continue on Bleecker Street until I reached 7th Avenue. It was also time for me to return to Penn Station, as it was 05:00 PM. The nearest subway station is Christopher St-Sheridan Square, and I took the uptown numbered 3 line to Penn Station.
I arrived at Penn Station at 5:10 PM and identified the train that the man takes back to Jersey Avenue on Track 13. He supplied the coach’s number to my chat, which I promptly recognized and said “hello” to. He’s already bought the ticket for me. We talked about numerous things I did today, and he was pleased to hear about my experiences. The train arrived at Jersey Avenue (the final station) at 6:30 p.m., and we went to his car, which was parked in the lot. We first arrived to his house because the other guy (with whom I was staying) had not yet returned from work. I spoke with his family, and they were like, “Another guest”. The second man returned at 8:00 p.m. and went back to my room. I slept after the journey and went to bed after dinner (supplied) at 11:00 p.m., knowing that this would be my final night in the United States before leaving.
May 9th, 2024: Last day in the United States. I hadn’t planned anything else for the day besides some shopping that my folks wanted me to do. My classmate suggested that I shop at Macy’s or JCPenney’s in New York City. I awoke around 7:30 a.m. and got ready for the day. He told me to return at 03:00 PM so that I could prepare for the final trip to the airport. He arrived at Princeton Junction at 07:50 a.m. in his automobile and caught an express train to Penn Station. The train coach’s loudspeaker announced Hamilton as the next station, which caused some confusion at first. The lady seated next to me inquired if we were headed in the correct route. I showed her the movement of our direction on the iPhone, which indicated that we were heading north toward New York. After passing through New Brunswick Station, the loudspeaker made incorrect announcements, indicating that it would stop at Elizabeth and so on. I realised that it was a blatant error made by NJ Transit.
I arrived at Penn Station and stepped out onto 7th Avenue. Macy’s will not open until 10:00 AM. And it’s 9:00 a.m. here. Remember, there are no Walmart stores in New York City. There is a Target department store on 34th St. I entered the store, unaware that there is another Target store closer to his home! Nonetheless, it took me around two hours to shop here. And it’s a large store. By the time I got to the counters, my card didn’t function at the POS. I needed to withdraw cash from an ATM inside the store.
The quantity purchased filled seven Target bags. All of these were heavy, and I had to carry them. It was 11:00 a.m., and I crossed the street to enter Macy’s. I couldn’t thoroughly investigate the store because of the number of bags I was carrying. My hands and forearms ached, but Macy’s refused to help the customer. Nobody helped me. I went to the sixth floor to reach the information center, as advised by a security guard. At first, the elevators were bewildering. Finally, I made it to the sixth floor, lugging them with difficulty while passing past the stores to reach the place. Unfortunately, the luggage storage center is not available. Since COVID, it appears that Macy’s has not restarted the storage center facility. It’s a shame that Macy’s was unable to provide this amenity. Should I blame myself or Macy’s for this? I believe both.
I had a quick glance at the stores here, and they weren’t really interesting to me. I swiftly exited Macy’s, keeping my bags down and panting for a few minutes before bringing them back to Penn Station. You should have seen how my hands actually looked! My battle to handle these luggage lasted thirty minutes. I didn’t buy a ticket because I already had one from yesterday. I got to Track 8 and walked downstairs, my hold on the shopping bags slipping with each step. Wow, this is extremely aggravating. There was a small crowd on the train back to Trenton about 12:00 p.m. The lady on the other side was reading music notes. In front of me were Target shopping bags. My buddies for the day. I arrived back in Princeton Junction around 1:30 PM. The spare ticket was definitely useful. I couldn’t walk a few more yards with the baggage only to get the ticket.
After a ten-minute wait, the man arrived and took me up from the station.
Continued: Part 7.
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