Liberty & Central Park & Tower View

Sunday 10th May 2009

Statue of Liberty was was meant to celebrate the 100years since the declaration of independence. Grover Cleveland unveiled it finally in 1886 recognising the symbolism of liberty and peace behind the statue. The statue is beautiful and the many pictures were taken, of which below is the more silly one as I fail in my attempt at a handstand.

Alexandre Gustav Eiffel was the notable french engineer designer behind this statue and also the Eiffel tower. Poet Emma Lazarus, publisher Joseph Pulitzer, sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Edouard Rene De Laboulaye were also dedicated through some interesting metallic sculptures below the Statue of liberty.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! Give me your tired, your poor, Your juddled masses yearning to breahte free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore; Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus

Museum of Natural History which due to time constraint decided to visit another day. Theodore Roosevelt statue in front.

The museum was facing the west side of Central park. It was a Sunday and was very packed. The boats in the Lake which we did not manage to ride because of the long queue.

The crowd at the fountain belies the true numbers of people who come here on a Sunday afternoon. The crowds were joined by many buskers. The photo was taken after a show in which the finale was a jump but more time was spent persuading the crowds to hand over their cash.

Strawberry fields. We expected to find real strawberries but what we found was even better. There was a group of Beatles Fans who were playing beatles tunes here complete with drums guitars and their voices. So very zen. And the crowd pushed their way through the narrow pathways being very mindful not to block this tiled tribute on the floor. The garden is dedicated by Yoko Ono Lennon as a Garden of Peace.

Reading book with Hans Christian Anderson.

We spent the remainder of the night atop the Empire State Building. The City Pass included an audio tour which was very helpful and informative. Only problem was that it was really cold and windy but I endured it to take in the sights of city from all corners of the Empire State Building. Night scenes pictures will be included in another post to accumulate all my favourite night scenes on the end sem trip. Above is the very top of the Empire State Building in Blue today. I believe it changes colour daily and this is one of the distinguishable icons of the New York Skyline.