These mini roller coasters come fully loaded with a roof, a hand horn and if your lucky a banging sound-system. While not for the faint at heart - they are definitely easy on the wallet provided you are not afraid of a little negotiating.
Following these steps kay and I were able to get pretty much anywhere we needed for 50-90 rupee’s.
Ask a waiter, hotel clerk or a local friend exactly how much it should cost you from point a to b.
Tell (don’t ask) the driver where you want to go and how much you want to spend.
Low ball the driver 20 rupee’s less then the price you have been advised (give in at the price you were advised)
Don’t be afraid to walk away and move on to another driver.
If you can walk in to a pit of drivers - speak loudly so other drivers can hear you - this puts pressure on a driver to act quickly.
Once your have agreed on a price – repeat it – ask them to confirm it. This is very important as they may try to say another price when you arrive at your destination.
Once you arrive – have exact fare and hand it to him quickly and walk away – this avoids the last minute pitch for more money.
At night it is more difficult to negotiate as fares increase 50% - 100% after 10pm – you should still try to negotiate but know that you will end up paying more than you normally would during the daytime.
If you are offered a fare that sounds to good to be true- for example – 10-20 rupees for a trip that should be 50-60 rupees. Avoid it - You will most likely be taken to a local shop and be pressured into buying something. Drivers get a commission for customers they bring in.
After 2 months Kay became a professional autorickshaw haggler. She could walk in to a pit of drivers and start a bidding war and end up with a fare that just covers the cost of gas.
The ride to Charminar was an unforgettable one – one of those I’m so happy to be alive and experiencing THIS sorta moments. Our driver sped through the city into small streets allowing us to soak up Hyderabad at work – The best part of the ride was the sound track - this tricycle with a roof boasted an impressive sound system. Check out the video.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a pay-what-you-wish museum. The suggested donation is $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (65 and older), and $10 for students.If you buy advance online tickets you will have to pay the full admission price. After you have paid your admission you will get a colored pin – which you attach by putting it through a button hole and folding the thin end back in order to hold it in place. The pin allows you re-entry access for that whole day, which is key if you want to go grab Some food outside of the museum or take a break in Central Park.The rooftop garden boasts impressive views of Central Park and the city sky line. The Met is absolutely Massive! there is so much to see and experience from Ancient Egypt to The Evolution of Picasso. I recommend getting there early not only is there a lot to see but afternoons especially on weekends get quite busy and you might find yourself waiting in line to get inside.
Admission is free for all visitors during Target Free Friday Nights, held every Friday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for Target Free Friday Nights are not available in advance. We got in line about 3:15PM and were handed tickets at around 3:45PM. A word to the wise – avoid bringing a backpack if at all possible – if you must – then I suggest heading strait to the bag check area behind the ticket counters as soon as you get inside. the bag check lines get long and the guy they have in charge of the queue is very serious about his job and will not hesitate to yell in your ear. I was thoroughly impressed with the MoMa as a student of design I left inspired - I especially enjoyed the Bauhaus , Futurism and Poster works. There were however some exhibits that were a little to “conceptual” for my liking. The MoMa courtyard is now open and is quite beautiful.
Admission to the Guggenheim is Pay-What-You-Wish on Saturdays from 5:45pm-7-45PM. Click here for Regular Admission & Hours.The Guggenheim’s design is innovative yet extremely practical. The spiraling ramp design allows for easy navigation which is a welcome change from the mazes other Museums usually are. In the two hours we had – we managed to see the The Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward Collection along with paintings by the likes of Picasso, Manet and Kandinsky.
On Saturday Morning we made our way to the Queensborough bridge and rode the Tram to Roosevelt Island. A weekly Metro Card (27$) allows access to the Tram, it departs every 15 minutes and the ride to the Island is only about 5 minutes long. Once on the Island you can take the Island Red Bus Service for a mere 25 cents per trip. (10 cents for Seniors/Disabled or free children under 5 or to Students 18 and under(ID Required).
In the afternoon Kay and I decided to venture down to the West Village for some eats.
CLAIM TO FAME Pork Store – Serving the Village for over 100 years – The Finest Sausages and Italian Specialties.
WHAT WE ATE 1 rice ball, 1 potato and 1 prosciutto ball.
THE VERDICT Kay mentioned that had we heated them up in the oven or toaster they would probably taste quite good. That being said I liked the Proscuitto just fine.
In all fairness they are…, well.. just.. balls.
IS IT WORTH IT? Maybe (lots of other stuff to try as well if balls are not your thing)
THE VERDICT I liked the mushroom pizza a lot again not to greasy lots of toppings and fresh. In addition the staff was friendly, it has a washroom and their is a small patio were you can sit and down and enjoy your pizza while getting some sun.
IS IT WORTH IT? Most Definitely.
ROCCO’S – Italian Pastry Shop & Espresso Cafe – 243 Bleecker Street
CLAIM TO FAME
Rocco’s Pastry & Espresso Cafe‘ has been satisfying the great citizens of New York for 31 years. With an astounding selection of baked goods – nearly everything under the sun – Italian family traditions live on at Rocco’s. Our amazing assortment of fresh-made delights are sure to keep you coming back. But don’t take our word for it. Read why Shecky’s rated Rocco’s for Best Cannolis. If that’s not enough to make your mouth water, have a look at what the Zagat Survey is saying.
THE VERDICT I had a difficult time trying to order a regular cream filled Cannoli, the cannoli-lady server kept repeating – “Chocolate Chip or Nuts?” over and over again.I am a newbie this is my first Cannoli is there something I should know? is there no such thing as a plain Cannoli? someone please enlighten me. (I ended up with chocolate chips.)The Cannoli’s are a marvelous creation Rocco’s Cannoli’s were insanely fantastic – both Kay and I enjoyed our first Cannoli experience very much.
IS IT WORTH IT? Obviously, the real question is are YOU worth it?
Finished off lunch with the most amazing creation on the face of the earth – read more here (it needed it’s own artictle to capture its greatness).
Central Park spans two and a half miles from 59th Street to 110th Street and half a mile from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. Map
There is a lot to do at Central Park so give yourself a good amount of time, bring some comfortable shoes, water and lots of energy.
I was surprised by the size of the park and the amount of attractions it provides. Here are a few links to attractions you may want to visit while you are at the Park.
We took a seat in the shade by the pond in Central Park. A group of men set the tone with some soothing Classical Music. We watched as young boys and their fathers spent time sailing miniature remote control boats. Time stood still for me. Truly a perfect summer day.
It seems I wasn’t the only one enjoying this wonderful lazy Sunday.
The view from the roof garden of the metropolitan Museum
I recommend taking a walk around the West Village (Carmine & Bleecker Street) to anyone planning to visit NYC in the summer. Its got a beautiful vibe to it. People walking around enjoying the sunshine – streets lined with pizzerias, deli’s and dessert shops and a nice little park to sit down and take a breather.
Beard Papa’s!!! Kay shrieked as she pointed to a cardboard cut-out of Santa Claus and Popeye’s ‘love child’. Apparently Bearded Papa is a very popular Cream Puff shop in Japan.
I’ve never had a Cream Puff before – in fact I don’t think I have ever said the words ‘Cream Puff’ in my life. Kay however, thoroughly enjoyed making me say Cream Puff over and over again (impossible to make it sound manly, I suppose).
We bought two (chocolate and vanilla) then sat down to enjoy them on a bench in the park. I ate the chocolate one, Kay had the vanilla. I asked to try some of the vanilla – she reluctantly let me have a taste….
My eyes lit up – I was in shock – my girlfriend noticed and slowly inched away from me as I eyed the rest of her Cream Puff. After what seemed like an eternity 30 seconds – I stood up - looked at Beard Papa’s – looked at my girlfriend (repeat x3) – she understood and I ran back for another…..
went back the next day too…
In September we have a 10 hour lay-over in NYC on our way to Australia and a 15 hour lay over in LAX on the way back – Cream Puffs will be had (I’m sick, I know).
Beard Papa’s – Open a franchise in Toronto – Hire me!
On the bench press sweat dripping down my face a whole five minutes into my first training session – thinking to myself “what the hell was I thinking??”
I stretched my arms cracked my knuckles and prepared myself mentally – did a few deep Lamaze like breathing techniques – revved up like all the best body builders do. I let out a manly grunt and pushed the barbell off the safety latches down to my chest and back up again. I managed to do this 8 times – not bad for my first try huh?…. Gasping for air and quickly losing color in my face I went to write down the weight and reps I had done.
Hey Dan, how much weight was that? …
……..uhhh… I didn’t put any weights on the bar yet…
I was a little embarrassed but Dan was real cool about it – we all got to start somewhere, right? He was less worried about how much weight I had on the barbell and more focused on teaching me some fundamentals:
Breathing: Breathe out when you exert (push or pull) and inhale when you are relaxing (bringing the weight back in). Counting: 2 seconds when you exert (push or pull) – 4 seconds when you are relaxing (bringing the weight back in). Form: Doing exercises in proper form will ensure maximum results and avoid injury.
On the bus ride home in between trying to remember when to breathe and tending to my sore limbs - I remembered being on a stationary bike [doing about 0.2km] at a community center in Japan watching in amazement as this tiny girl [90-100lbs tops] raised a loaded barbell over her head [Olympic weightlifting style] like it was a [insert something ridiculously light here].
One day I hope to be as strong as that a girl.
for the record the weight of the bar is about 35-45lbs
After a 5 minute warm up on the tread mill – I met with my new personal trainer Dan Go – We went into an office were I was weighed and provided my BMI.
Dan entered my height, weight, age and measurements into a computer program. A figure appeared on his screen of what my body looked like under my clothes – not pleasant. He also showed me an image of what my body would look like at a healthy weight. He printed this out for me along with a sample meal plan and a few cardboard cards that I would use to track my progress.
203LBS!!
I underestimated how much weight I needed to lose - to be honest I didn’t think I weighed that much – it was a bit of a shock. Dan gave me the low down on what is ideal for my age and height.
203-135 = 68lbs.
Losing 68lbs was daunting – an impossible feat?.
Discussed this with my gf and she gave me some solid advice. Instead of having one big goal like “lose 68lbs” why not break it down into mini goals.
Goal 1: 185
Goal 2: 165
Goal 3: 145
Goal 4: 135
As trivial as it sounds – you would be surprised what it can do for your self confidence. Mini goals allowed me to feel a sense of accomplishment a lot sooner and four mini 20lb goals were not nearly as scary as one huge 68lb goal. – The best part though – each time I reached a mini goal I felt even more motivated to get to the next one. Losing weight is just as much mental as it is physical. Sometimes we need small tricks to help break down the roadblocks.
How many times have you heard “Getting in the gym is the hard part“. What tricks would you use to get over this hurdle? – I will tell you all about the steps I took to get over this hurdle……. eventually.
Write down your goals/reason for joining the gym Lose weight. Not feel and look like sloth.
The questionnaire was a bit longer than that but the questions were all focused around those areas – I believe they also asked about being a Smoker and/or a Drinker – of which I was both. Needless to say… I didn’t score very well.
Had a seat with the fitness consultant – we reviewed my questionnaire and he asked some follow up questions. The main one being how much weight I wanted to lose? – I estimated approx 30-40lbs would be reasonable. (to be honest I wasn’t sure how much I weighed at the time). Finally he asked me to set a goal [time frame] to loose this weight. I gave myself 6 months at first but then he had me work out the math and we agreed 1 year would be a far more realistic goal.
40/12 = 3.3lbs a month versus 40/5 = 6.6lbs a month.
He brought over a 1 year contract and explained the pricing would be approx 28$ paid bi-weekly – I asked if there was a corporate discount – there was – he asked what company I was with but did not ask for any proof. Regardless he knocked the price down to 23$ bi-weekly . I was ready to sign up – thought of it as a commitment and an investment – if I am paying I will surely go!. The consultant sales guy mentioned they had a special promotion where I could try 6 – 30 minute 1-on-1 sessions with a professional personal trainer for the “low low” price of 120$ (regularly 220$) – Yeah.. I am sucker and bought it. – to be honest though I really would benefit from fitness instruction. – besides what have I got to lose? money, weight?.
Scheduled my first 1-on-1 session for the following day. Nando went through the same process but scheduled his first 1-on-1 later that week.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
See you tomorow goodlifenew life.
Maybe it was the beat down look on his face, the bags under his eyes or the smell of ash emanating from his clothing – whatever it was – it was enough to make me think we might be on the same page. – You ever feel like your body is falling apart and if you don’t change something soon…….
ALL THE TIME MAN ALL THE TIME!
Throughout the rest of day we continued our conversation mostly a back and forth of self doubt and horribly misquoted motivational cliches.
WHERE DO WE START? AT THE BEGINNING. HOW DO WE CHANGE SO MANY THINGS AT ONCE? ONE AT A TIME. IT’S TOO HARD! THAT’S WHAT YOUR GF SAID LAST NIGHT!
After much deliberation we decided that the most appropriate entrance point to our new lives would be to join a gym and start repairing some of the damage we had done to our bodies over the years. Nando suggested The GoodLife Fitness down the street.
Must’ve been a nice day out..I thought to myself as I watched the sunset from my balcony. I’d been out partying since Friday afternoon and finally gotten to bed that morning around 5AM. I sat on this old wooden table my roommate had brought from his old place and lit my cigarette. I took one haul and started hacking uncontrollably, inadvertently waking up the rest of my body and boy was it ever upset!.
I turned to my roommate who had just walked out on to the balcony and asked him if he wanted the rest of my smoke because I wasn’t feeling so hot. Truth is I felt like death and not that mid 20’s hangover “death” either – it was like I was falling apart from the inside out and my body was ready to give out at any second. I was genuinely worried that I would not make it through my second smoke let alone the night.
I went back to bed with the realization that something was not right in the world in my world and at 25 I should not be feeling like this.
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