The Surprise of the trip

My trip to  USA is coming to an end and it just one more week of stay and on 30th October I am with Anu.  She drops me in the station to go to Manhattan. I am very excited as I am attending a program in the UN where Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev is a speaker.
We go into the UN with special passes (which Vinu has got for us) and I am thrilled that I am going into the UN building and also that I am going to see Sadguru and hear him.
After the program we walk back to a restaurant and after some time Vinu says we can go to Bryant Park.
We walk to the park and go and sit in a bench.  I suddenly see a  young person with a
Spider man mask dancing near the water fountain to the music which he is listening from his phone. He is giving HI FI to all and sundry and I am not surprised because the next day is Halloween where every one will wear some costume or the other.
After some time he starts approaching us and dances around us and tries to give a hifi to us also , which Vinu kind of shrugs off.
I don't know something tells me he might be Anand, but I am not sure  and I try to search for Kathaleen in case this is Anand but am not sure and can not call the bluff also. Anand who lives in  the other end of USA (the time difference being 3 hours) and I remember I had spoken to him the previous day .
 All these facts make me feel that the Spider man is not my Anand.   When I try telling Vinu he says such characters are in plenty in Manhattan and I should not compare them to Anand! Suddenly the Spider man comes and tries to hug me which irritates Vinu and Shruti so much that Vinu  starts moving away.   Now that Vinu is so irritated I am sure it is not Anand and I try to check if my chain and other belongings are in place !!
I keep looking at the Spider man from the corner of my eyes and oh oh suddenly he has started following us.  I tell Vinu ' hey look he is followiing us' and now I am really worried.
Now the Spider man is very near and Vinu is trying to push him and he is not able  show anger and not able to  control his laughter any longer. Now it dawns on me that this is my 'arun' 'balwantsingh' son Anand.
By now Kathaleen also joins us and he removes his spiderman mask. It is all done with the connivance of Vinu and also Anu who also knew.
Vinu drags us all to a far off Indian restuarant in train ,  leaving all the other nearby restuarants for dinner.

When we all settle down and order our food, hey and presto we see Anu standing in front of the table.  This is a surprise for Anand also  this being a week day no body expected her to visit us as she had to rush back to New Jersey the same night. This was a secret between Anu and Vinu.

 She is with us  for a day on the week end and we all have a long walk in the rains (yes it is raining and quite chill in Manhattan by then) go for walk in the HighLine park and have brunch in a very nice breakfast place and walk around in rain in the Central park.
Anand  and Kathaleen leave the next day ,  and this becomes the highlight of my US trip.

USA 2014- Niagara and Boldt Castle.

We proceeded to Niagara.  Vinu had booked in a place called Seneca resort and Casino a very big and nice Hotel  very near the Niagara Falls.

The Canadian side can be seen.  The buildings on the other side is Canada.

 The lovely American Falls.  The far side is the Horse Shoe shaped Canadian Falls.

                                                      The other Falls  only Mist can be seen.

On the Viewing Platform.

We parked the car and proceeded straight towards the Famous Falls.  It was walkable distance from the hotel.  it was still evening and enough   sunlight was there .  We had to walk through a big park and went near the falls.  It was a huge  falls called the American Falls.  which can be seen from the American side. Just across the river is Canada from where you can get a very good view of the horse shoe falls or the Canadian falls which is much bigger. Even that Falls can be seen from the  American side but only partially.

The Bridge which takes one to Canada. Alas we don't have a Visa.....

Another View from a different Location.  The American Falls.

The Color lights are lit against the Canadian Falls.  The View would have been fantastic from the other side but we have to be happy with what we saw.

Now I understand why it is said that this place is  the first choice of Indian tourists.   I see very  many Indians and they were by far the largest tourist group in this place.  No wonder there were so many Indian Restaurants on our way to the Niagara parks and falls.

 We walked across a little bridge , crossing the gushing waters underneath and go to a point for a better and nearer view of the Falls.  It was so Huge.  I felt one with Nature and tears started to roll down my cheeks on its own  accord, I  just stood rooted to the place looking at the great phenomenon of Nature.  Just a few days ago I had the same feeling watching those Lions and Elephants in the huge plains of Africa  and now this sight, humbled the minuscule me.

We returned to the hotel and rested for the night.

Next morning after BF we went  back to the Falls to go on the 'Mist of Maid' boat ride. Wow! Out of the world experience.  The boat took  us very near the big Horse Shoe falls.  That is the Canadian Falls.   I felt  very scared , at the same time very excited.  We were  given rain coat type plastic covers.  The water from the Falls sprayed  on us , The Falls is not visible only the mist.  It is cloudy and drizzling and so no rainbow.  (any way I have seen one in the other small falls it self).

The Maid of Mist entry point.

In front of the Boat.

                View from the Boat as we go near the Canadian Falls.  Nature at its best.

We could see birds near the falls. but could not see any fish for which the birds are flying so near the                                                                       water.

We came back and climb on to the viewing place near the American falls.  We went  very near the  huge Falls  with water splashing on us.  Suddenly the direction of the wind changes and whole lot of water rained  on us.  I felt  as if the Falls is communicating with me by saying Hello in its own sweet way. .  I just stand and watch the falls while getting drenched in water and with great reluctance come out of the place and also come out of the magic of the falls.

             When we went near the American Falls and the water splashed on us and send a big Hello


We came back to  vacate the room, went to the Casino and played  in the slot machine .   Pa was the lucky one while me and vinu kept  losing.  So we just watched  him play and  for playing 5 $ he got  12 $.  which was redeemed by us !! ( we would be the only ones who redeemed such small amount!)  Again we asked him to play and he played  for 10 $ and lost   it all.  So  we just move out with a loss of 3 $.    Now it was  time to start for our next destination.





We drove towards a place called Fort Drum near Alexandra Bay.   We stayed  in a place called
Candle wood suits.  The drive is very Scenic.  It is a very small town.

There is a big Walmart store next to where we stayed.  My sonny who was refusing to take me to Walmart (he hates such shopping) had  no other go but to take me to the shop.

 After break fast (7th September) we drive towards a place called Heart Island in Alexandria Bay  where there is a place called Boldt Castle and Yacht House.

This was owned by a Rich New Yorker of Gilded Era (which is from around 1870 to 1900 when there was a rapid economic grown in USA especially in the North and the East.)
Later the property changed hands and recently a Charitable  trust was formed to restore  this to the original Glory.

The Yacht House from the Road side.

A Boat called THIS!

Free Shuttle to the Castle.

 Yatcht house entrance from the River side.

The Restoration Work.

The Restored Hall

The Silver Cutlery on display.  Notice the letter B.

The Rotating Table in the restored bedroom.   Reminded me of My   Father's Rose Wood Rotating Table which  I have kept in my home in Coimbatore.

A Restored Bedroom . 

A Bedroom not yet Restored in  upper Floor.

                                                        In one of the upper Balconies.

Close up of the roof and the castle.

The Hall which looks so cinematic. We have seen much better places in Paris, Versailles and London,  but this place also has its own charm.

The lovely garden

Can not believe it is chillies they are grown here for its beauty.

                The Entrance pillar from the river/lake  with the Stags on the top.

The lovely begonias.

                                                         The lovely yellow begonias.

                                                     A place to relax in the Garden.

There is a small Yatch house and a beautifully restored Castle.  A boat takes everybody to the Castle from the Yatch house.
It is a wonderful place and we would not even know that some such thing exists until we reach there.

  It is virtually in a nowhere land  and very near Canadian Border.  They are still restoring the Castle and done a very nice job.  Many tourists are there from Canada also who have come in bigger boats.

We  start back  from here through a huge National park called Adirondack National Park .  The speed limit is 45 mph and this is a preserved Forest Land protected by the Govt. which is very vast area of wilderness.  It is quite a dense forest and we drive slowly through the wild and reach Albany late in the evening.  What a contrast from quiet Forest to Busy town. We stay in Best Western which is quite good and go to a Indian Restaurant for dinner.  It is very noisy and the food is not that good.
We start the next day after hotel BF and reach NY Manhattan before lunch.
Very memorable trip.
All the lovely pictures were clicked by my hubby.  A big thanks to him.  Please click on the picture to see them properly.

2014 USA condtinued.. Corning ..

It is so unlike an Indian that I had not visited Niagara Falls  even after 15 years of  my regular visits to USA.
At last Vinu made it possible for us to visit this famous Falls.  I was told by Anu that the view from Canada is the best and it is not worthwhile to go if we don't go to Canada side.   Unfortunately, we did not have time to get our Canada Visa due to our Africa trip and decided to go to Niagara any ways.

We start on 4th September Thursday by 7 p.m. by Car from  Manhattan.   I very much wanted to go to  Corning,  the place where the world famous Corning Glass works is situated. This is on the way to Niagara Falls from New York.
 We stay in a place called Brimington (in double tree/Hilton group of hotel) reaching there by 10.30 pm.  I have packed lot of food .(being finicky about food it has become a habit with me to take chapathis,  tamarind rice,  etc etc wherever I go.)

Next day 5th September we start from Brimington  and reach  Corning by 9 a.m. an hours drive.
We proceed to Corning Museum.

                                                                Ah My Shop!

                   The bones represented in Glass.  Can not believe it is Glass.

  I didn't know that one could make such wonderful artifacts from Glass.  Many artists have expressed themselves through the medium of glass.  It is too good.

                   Even the wire in this piece of art is Glass.  Unbelievable.

 This art form was started around 1960s and 70s, when glass blowing methods were improved.

  The History of Glass making was also exhibited in the Museum.  Romans and Egyptians had made Glass even before Christ (in BC) .  I found out Glass was introduced to India only in 16th or 17th Century.  (How I wish we had a Museum in India for Metal Art like Gun Metal,  Bronze etc and it would be amazing )

          The exhibits are so amazing that it is unbelievable that it was all created so long ago.

                                                             What a Beauty!

 A box made with glass beads

                                                               Perfume bottles

           can you believe  that, this picture is made out of tiny glass mosaics.  amazing!

                             In this close up picture the pieces one can make out the pieces .

I never expected to see such an impressive Museum in Corning.  I had heard about Corning ware and Corelle dinner ware etc could be bought cheap here.   (May be that is the reason I insisted on going to Corning!).  What ever the reason I felt happy that Corning Museum turned out to be so good.

               Some more lovely exhibits.  I fell in love with these lovely colours.

                                                       Yes this is also Glass.

We saw two Demonstration of Glass Art.

One with a mobile kind of fire which could be like a hand held torch (the heat is unimaginable it is 3000degrees plus.)  The person demonstrating held two  glass sticks or rods  and fused them by turning the rods in both hands and kept moulding it with the fire from the torch which was kept in a stand.  He kept pulling it and giving it shape slowly.  and wow he made a humming bird with a long beak with those two sticks.
He said he is in this place for the past 24 years and was an apprentice here and it took 6 to 8 years and  thousands of hours of practice to become a professional.  Amazing !what Passion! For some one who wants to do something different from the ordinary this much of dedication is needed.

                                                Demo the rod and the torch.

                             Hey and Presto .  the Humming Bird the End Product.

                                                          The Second Demo
               As the product which was made had to be cooled we see lots of Vase sitting in the
                                              stage which are already cooled.

                                          Heating the Vase in the hot Furnace.

We saw one more demo with a furnace which was like 4000 degrees plus heat and glass was blown to make shape and made it into a nice thin flower vase. Fusing with another glass stick, blowing again heating in the furnace, the continuous process  was amazing to watch.   The piece had to be cooled very gradually so that it does not break.

We did go to Corelle and Corning ware section where I could get my dinner plates at discount rates!!

Outside the museum there were benches and tables where we could sit with our picnic food and eat.
Corning is a little lovely town .  We went  to the city center  to have our coffee after lunch.

                                                    The town centre Corning.

We started our journey to a state park called Letchworth State park.  This is a deviation from the route towards Niagara .  Since Vinu wanted to take us to as many places as possible,  had planned it this way.
There is a Canyon on the side of which there is a winding road with lots of trees.

                                                                       The Canyon

                                          The lone wild animal we saw the Fox.

          The Falls and the rainbow can be seen faintly. it was much brighter than the picture.

 It  has small wild life like jackals, deer etc but we could sight only a small fox.  There are many view points where you can see the canyon down below and a small  river is flowing.  There are three falls called lower, middle and upper falls.    As it was late afternoon,  due to sunlight we could see a rainbow across the falls (water).  It is  a  'Picture Perfect' sight across the Niagara falls, but may be we saw it here as the next day when we went to the Niagara  it was cloudy and so no rainbow.