New York. NYC. The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. Gotham. There is a lot of hype and self deification that surrounds this city and whether or not you like it or believe in it is certainly big.

This is my first visit to NYC and Louise's second. We got the usual prolonged and surly welcome from the Customs and Border Protection people at JFK and then hopped yellow cab into the city. Accomodation is at a premium (for some reason) and we snuck into a room near Times Square for the first night. The next day we searched for some longer term lodgings and found that most hotels were full or charging up to $700 a night. Fearing a flea pit or bankruptcy we finally found a hotel with reasonable prices with good reviews so we hooked it up. We found that the place was a very hip boutique hotel on the upper west side with the most comfotable bed ever and the most enormous wall mounted plasma television. Accidently perfect strikes again!

We have had a great time touring around and seeing the sites of this city. The USS Intrepid is a moored aircraft carrier with loads of aeroplanes (including a Concorde) that nearly moved me to a trouser contained adolescent expression of delight. We have also visited the Empire State Building (no i didn't spit off the top), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This city certainly has some spectacular attractions but if i get offered one more freaking audio tour i will send that person my audio tour of the day after 12 pints and a bad curry!

Thursday night we had dinner and many, many drinks with Tammy who is visiting New York as well. The darts game of "Hell" has been introduced to the US and like the bastards they are they have claimed victory in the first ever Australia v US match. Someone will have to come back and win it back Americas Cup style. After many beers and a convincing Lord Walsingham to a little English Twatt we got back to the hotel at about 4am. It was delightful but painful to see you again Tamster!

After the wedding mum and dad (Helen and David) genorously gave us some US dollars to go and see a show in New York. On Friday night we went to see Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington playing Brutus (Caesar was played by the guy that played the Grim Reaper in "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey"). It was an amazing production and the best Shakespeare that Louise and i have ever seen. A big thanks to my mum and dad for making that happen.

Yesterday was our last full day and we spent it in the fashion district giving our credit card an absoloute flogging. Good clothes are quite cheap here and Macy's was having a sale. When you have been travelling for a couple of months wearing the same damn clothes day after day it was pretty fun to step out in some new duds last night.

Today we fly down to Ecuador via Colombia to join our tour. We have had a cracking time in New York and it is a very fun city.

Hasta manana and stay tuned for Latin American adventures with your favourite intrepid travellers, Tyson and Louise. Proudly sponsored by Stoloicin - America's Favourite Stool Softener!