camwyn | Did not go to Intrepid today.

Too much of a line. But oh, how many other things I got to do...

First off, I got up around 11, though I probably could've done with getting up a bit earlier. I wanted to sleep, what can I say? Eventually I set out for Manhattan with my skates; I'd decided to try and skate down to the NY Waterway water taxi station by Exchange Place. I managed, but the water taxi place was closed, so I thought for a bit and figured, "hey! I've walked the riverfront before- why not skate to Hoboken? Along the riverside, this time, so it's nice and SANE?" So I set out for Hoboken and discovered a massive fear of trying to skate over wood, but got most of the way there anyway. Stopped at the Newport ferry station and thought, hey, it's not the water taxi but it's as close as I'm gonna get...

Ferry stops at Hoboken and Weehawken aside, I shortly found myself at the pier at 38th in Manhattan. I opted to put my skates back on (I took 'em off before I tried to get on the boat- it's called sanity, I should try it more often) and roll up towards the Intrepid. I hadn't reckoned on two things, though:

1. It's Fleet Week here, with ships from several navies in addition to our own discharging sailors all OVER the place, and
2. It's Memorial Day for everyone in the city of New York, too.

The line for the Intrepid was an hour long; the line to tour the John F. Kennedy, one of the active ships pulled in further along the island, was said to be two to three hours long. Eugh, thought I, and turned around to head south. Perhaps I could find that helicopter tour place I had seen while driving to the Holland Tunnel?

Yeah, but it was $107 for a ten-to-twelve-minute tour. Le sigh. Next time I get a tax refund, maybe. And if that were the case, I'd go for the $225 grand tour, thank you.

Ah, well; the riverside park went on, and I still had my skates...

I made my way south along Manhattan, stopping to buy a coconut ice pop and a bottle of water. I almost stopped at Chelsea Piers just to see if I could get some bike equipment (oh! I passed someone on a chainless bike!), but that would've necessitated taking my stuff off, so I kept on rolling. And then, ah...

There is a TRAPEZE SCHOOL in lower Manhattan, and it holds its classes over a net alongside the park that spills past the Hudson River. For $57 you get an hour's instruction by people who OMG YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEM, THE FLIPPING AND THE CATCHING AND THE BOUNCING AND THE FLIPPING EVEN MORE, YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN IT... I may be paying them a visit this week. I didn't do that today 'cos you've got to call and make arrangements first, but I did grab a brochure.

And I did stop for the next bit of oh WOW that I passed, just a little further south...

FREE KAYAKING.

Yeah. I read the sign. I read the rules. "Can you swim?" "Yes." "You over 18?" "Yes." "Okay, sign the waiver and get a lifejacket that fits you. Don't go within fifty feet of the pier or the riverside, don't go farther than that pier down there, and don't go further out into the river than the end of the pier, and come back in twenty minutes."

I spent most of the rest of the day with a horribly wet arse but oh, mein GOTT, so worth it! The river cooperated fairly nicely- I mean, yeah, it was choppy out there but I was able to paddle quite credibly and it wasn't all that hard to keep a straight course once I got the feel of things. I avoided hitting a floating piece of wood and learned to turn and circle pretty quickly to get out of an oncoming two-person kayak's way, and I got back before the water got too choppy and horrid, and it was LOVELY. I have massive respect for circumpolar peoples the world over now- they go hunting in these things? In the frozen Arctic? Jesus Christmas, they still have enough goolies left to breed after a hunting trip like that? They win. At everything.

Click here if you wanna see who's insane enough to sponsor such a thing. I may be paying them a visit this week as well- they hold classes.

After that the idea of going into a museum didn't hold so much appeal, given that I was wet from the pelvis to the knees (cargo shorts). I put my skates and wrist armor on and started south again, thinking maybe I could find my way around the southern tip of Manhattan and get to the South Street Seaport just to visit again- it's been years- or possibly find my way to a train station to get to Chinatown. I made it all the way down to Battery Park and managed to stomp on a few flashbacks along the way (mostly around the area where I had to prepare tea and serve drinks and box lunches to soldiers on 9/12), then decided- you know? I'm tired. My butt's cold. And I'm doing tourist things ANYWAY. Hi, Mr. Double Decker Bus Person! Give me a tour of the city!

Well, I only got half a tour, since I got on at stop 11 and by the time we got back to Times Square they weren't running any more buses south, but I still got some lovely views and got to see the New York Police Museum from the outside- must go back there- and got to spot quite a few other interesting things. I shall have to visit Manhattan again afoot, or possibly once my bike arrives, and go to all the touristy spots on my own. Not by skate, though. The streets are a little lumpy and a little full of lunatic New Yorkers, and the sidewalks have too many people on them. Foot + train or foot + bike, rather. Much simpler.

In the end I decided not to go to Chinatown after all- still had a wet butt- so I got a meatball hero, bought a movie ticket in advance, and plunked myself down for the 6:15 showing of Revenge of the Sith. Not a bad movie, though I'd rather watch Episode IV again than this one. I got out okay and I got home okay, and I'm still quite happy that I got to paddle around in the Hudson, so all's well as far as I'm concerned.

I think I'll go have chocolate milk now.