Newark, New Jersey is just across the Hudson River from New York. That is where one gets the best view of the NY skyline. About a 1/2 hour car ride to what they call The Big Apple.
Newark is where we landed last night at a very nice sized airport. 1/3 the size of Vancouver Airport. We cleared customs in Vancouver so we were at the luggage carousel in mere minutes. We were to be met by a Princess Cruise person since we bought the over-priced three night hotel package. We are the the Sheraton Towers about 7th Avenue and 53rd Street.
Our travel day was smooth enough, Murphy did not follow us fortunately. As you know there are a zillion steps to get from your home to your destination with your luggage without some glitch. We only had three steps to go as we came down the escalator to the luggage carousel.
1. Will we be met by a driver?
2. Will our luggage be there?
3. Will we have reservations at the right hotel?
As we came down the escalator to the luggage carousel there were several people holding up cards with names on them. I did not see our name so I went to the luggage carousel. A tap on the shoulder by Fellette and she pointed to a man with a sign that I had read a Dial Car! So step one was glitchless after all. Our luggage soon arrived and we were off.
A 1/2 hour ride in a Lincoln Limo, [I told you it was over priced], and we were through the Lincoln Tunnel and into the raw seamy side of NY where we could have gone to a Peep Show, or and Adult Video shop, or Fellette could have popped into a 'Male Room', whatever that is. The streets were packed with people and cars and 4,000,000 cabs.
To the hotel and bingo, mission accomplished we were 'here'.
I have visited Newark several times before on early Canada Ticket business. In 1979 I made a visit to finalize plans to buy our first press, I was meet at the airport by a huge man who squired me around the place for a few days. At the end we shook hands and I gave him $25,000 as a down payment on a rebuilt press and a promise to deliver in six months. I was housed in a motel in Newark, a seamy place but OK.
Nine months later, I was in Newark again, four weeks before Christmas. The press was not delivered, we were living on food stamps and I was a very, very unhappy person. My oversized host was a con-man it appears. He had taken my money and used it to satisfy other people who were hassling him to fulfill his promises. I was 3000 miles away and no threat.
I walked into the shop that day and said I was there to stay until I saw my press on a truck. I again stayed in the seamy Newark Hotel. Only when I had a longer stay, [three weeks], did I realize that the motel was a favourite spot for Friday and Saturday one hour stays by amorous and very noisy lovers!
I helped finish the press, saw it stuffed into containers and left for Vancouver a few days before Christmas. There was not a lot of gifts under the Christmas tree that year, but the kids were used to it by then, as our money had dried up months ago.
That was then, and this is now! Nice to be in New Jersey again, this time to join a cruise and see friends Ian and Judy for the first time in two years.
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