We woke up early to be able to catch a mass service the monks had advertised with a flyer posted on the pavilion. Joined by a thruhiker named Spirit Hawk of Love, we walked around until we found the right building. After the service we hiked to the nearby gas station to grab breakfast and began the three miles down a road to a town with a train station. Our guide book specifically stated it was illegal to hitchhike in New York so Nepsis didn't feel comfortable doing so. There weren't very many vehicles on this road anyway as we made our way. There wasn't much of a shoulder to walk on and toward the end of our walk to town we had to press ourselves against a stone wall as cars zoomed around corners. Once we made it to the station we only had to wait about fifteen minutes for the comuter train we were taking in to New York City to show up. The train was pretty full because there was a Yankees game, which a lot of the passengers were going to. As we sped closer and closer to NYC, more and more people crammed in and people had to stand in the aisles because all the seats were taken. The ride lasted an hour and fifteen minutes and we disembarked in a frenzy of people at Grand Central Station. We found a way out and started walking to my friend's place of work only a few long blocks away. Of course we were unknowingly heading in the exact opposite direction, weaving our way around all the other brisk walkers for a few blocks before realizing our mistake. We walked a few blocks past marquees and garbage and a lot of people, past Times Square where Spiderman told me he liked my beard, to a building known as the New York Times where my friend works. He came down to meet us for lunch at a burger place brimming with the working elite. After lunch Luke gave us the key to his apartment and directions on the metro to his place in Brooklyn. The metro was a bit easier to navigate here than in DC and in about half an hour we were in Brooklyn. The metro stop was very near where he lived and we climbed up to the third floor and had to shove the door open to get inside. We took our loads off and cleaned ourselves up. We then decided to just rest and watch several episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We also found a new pair of shoes for Nepsis on Ebay at an amazing discounted price and the seller also lived in Brooklyn so we could just arrange to meet to get the shoes. Luke's wife, Andrea, returned home and we chatted a bit while she packed for her evening flight to the Midwest to celebrate the holiday with her family. Luke returned home from work and soon after Andrea left in a cab for the airport. For dinner, Luke took us to a fancy ramen restaurant nearby. Back in their apartment we hung out with Luke watching The Lego Movie until Andrea came home because her flight was canceled due to stormy weather. Soon, we went to sleep on a thin mattress they pulled out of their closet with real pillows: better accomadations than we expected from the typical cramped Brooklyn apartment.
Day 107
We woke up pretty early since we were used to it and watched Luke get ready and leave for work. Then we left to walk to the nearby Trader Joe's in order to buy ingredients for chocolate croissants that Nepsis wanted to make. Back at their apartment Nepsis started the process of making the croissants with a little help from Andrea and I. Since it was such a long process with long periods of needing to let the dough rise, Andrea took us out to see other parts of Brooklyn. We walked north past many cool-looking shops and restaurants, past Brownstones to Dumbo, a cool part of Brooklyn by the bridges to Manhattan. We hung out at One Girl Cookies where we ate small, but delicious gourmet cookies and a bookstore across the street that had a lot of books I'd like to read. For lunch we went to a small Mediterranean restaurant that had the best Mediterranean food I've ever tasted. Andrea left in the late afternoon to catch another flight, and we watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia again. Andrea's flight was canceled again so she came back and when Luke came back home and we were joined by my college buddy who is studying in NYC, we went out for dinner. Just before leaving, the man who sold us Nepsis' shoes arrived and gave them to us. As we were walking to the restaurant it began to downpour and we ran from restaurant to restaurant until we found without a long wait time. After eating the great fine-dining Mexican food we went back to the apartment where Luke introduced us to a really funny show called Nathan for You. Once it was quite late, we all went to sleep, including Jacob for a sleepover.
Day 108
We slept in and ate breakfast in, including the amazing croissants Nepsis made. We walked over to a nearby German restaurant and sat at the bar to watch Germany beat France in the World Cup. After the match, Jacob left to do some schoolwork while the rest of us just rested back at the apartment before going to watch the Brazil v. Columbia match at a wings joint. After that match we walked over to Stinky's, and bought some fancy cheese to enjoy back at the apartment, while watching more Nathan for You. When the time was right we walked over to the Brooklyn Bridge Park to watch the Fourth of July fireworks display over the Hudson. When we got to the entrance the police were trying to stop people from entering, saying there were too many people there already. No one was listening to them so they pretty much gave up. Once we got to the park we stood on some picnic tables at the back of the large and growing crowd to watch the fireworks. After the show we slowly walked back to the apartment amid the swarms of New Yorkers and just hung out until going to sleep.
Day 109
In the morning Andrea was finally able to get a flight to the Midwest so we said goodbye to her for the actual last time. Luke, Nepsis, and I then took the metro to the Doughnut Plant where I got a square coconut cream donut and a creme brulee donut, both of which were delicious. Jacob joined us and we sat in the shop awhile before Jacob had to leave to do some more schoolwork and the rest of us went to walk the High Line, an old raised rail track that had been converted into a thin, long garden and walkway. It is a great way to view some of New York City. Along the way we tried to go to some art galleries, but they were all closed. When we got downtown, Luke gave us an exclusive tour of the New York Times building and after grabbed a couple slices of New York style pizza. We then took a bus to the Whitney Museum of American Art where I got all of us in for free admission with my military ID. The entire museum was showcasing the art of Jeff Koons and it was real interesting to see his art and how it developed through his lifetime. Jacob joined us after visiting the museum to walk around a bit in Central Park and we saw the statue of Balto and the Strawberry Fields, sitting at the Imagine Circle for awhile, watching the tourists come and go. After, we took the metro to Jacob's apartment where he gave me the shoes I ordered and had sent to him, went on his roof, and to another ramen restaurant for dinner. Luke, Nepsis and I went back to his apartment and went to sleep after a big day in the city.
Day 110
We woke up pretty late even though we were going to go back to the Trail today. Luke, Nepsis, and I went to Trader Joe's for some resupply items and back to the apartment. Luke and I walked across the street to a laundromat to start our laundry and when we got back to the apartment Nepsis and I decided to stay another day so I could blog some more. Besides blogging, we went to a good coffee shop and another great bookstore where I accidentally left our IDs when I was paying for a postcard. We went back to get our laundry and discovered our IDs were gone. I called the bookstore and they confirmed they had our IDs. We went to get lunch at an awesome sandwich place and went back to the bookstore to get our IDs. The rest of the day I just blogged until I got too tired of it and spent the rest of the evening watching Nathan for You before going to sleep. It was great to rest in New York City, spend time with great friends, and experience some of the stuff the city has to offer.
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