We made it. We've been zig zagging all over the fucking place. We had to ride north 15 miles to cross two bridges, then ride 6 miles south to cross another bridge which brought us to Staten Island. We got the ferry which brought us back north to Manhatten, where we rode 2 miles to get to the Brooklyn Bridge which took us to, you guessed it...BROOKLYN.
Taking the Staten Island Ferry was very cool because we got to enter Manhattan from New York Harbor. We passed the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My Grandfather's family passed through here on their way to America when they were fled war torn Austria in the beginning of WWI. I became very contemplative on the ferry as I viewed the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
I thought of the thousand teaming masses of immigrants who came this very way into this great city. I imagined the excitement yet fear they must have felt. Knowing that as the boat landed, their long sea voyage was over, but a new long voyage of creating a new life in a foreign place was to begin. I felt a small amount of fear at the thought of navigating our way to our friends house in Brooklyn, but as I already speak English and am and Ammerican citizen, I guess I didn't have it quite so bad.
Riding through the 85 degree heat, with all the crazy aggressive drivers here, Ira and I definitly felt as though we fit Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem on the Statue of Liberty. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses".
As we rode across the Brooklyn Bridge, I was reminded of riding across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We felt a great accomplishment riding across that bridge, which marked the end of the first half of our trip. I also felt a sense of accomplishment as we rode into NY. For so long, we have been looking forward to being in NY and now we are finally here. It may not be the exact end of our trip, but it is the beginning of the end. This will be our final stretch, from NY to Nova Scotia.
I have been looking forward to visiting Brooklyn to experience the amazing ethnic diversity here. I have heard Brooklyn is the most ethnically diverse place in the world. I've been looking forward to visiting different ethnic markets and grocers while here. When we first got off the Brooklyn bridge, we immediatly rode through a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood. All the men and boys had on bowler hats with ringlets, and the women all wore dresses and most had headscarves on.
It was very exciting. I felt like I was straight out of the movie "The Chosen". We've just got set up at our friend's apartment and are getting ready to go out for some Friday night fun.
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