The stay in NYC was not actually planned; the fact that we have spent there some time was a pure chance. We had to spent in the NYC only a couple of hours, because we were in need to change planes on our way from Dubna (Russia) to LA Crosse. However, due to the electric failure in the NYC-Kennedy Airport we were retained there for four more days. On the day one we were trying to buy tickets in order to travel to Minneapolis or Chicago. During this exercise we by chance have met an international couple a Russian Julie and an American Mike, who helped us immensely.
At midnight we have set our sail to explore NYC; in the first instance we needed a place where to stay. Julie and Mike were very helpful and even this situation which was far from being ideal finally turned out to be a pleasant adventure. As Mike has put, we had �great people� to help us and �great things� to experience. All together it was �a great story�. In fact the NYC transpired to be a captivating and delightful city. We were lucky to be accommodated in the wonderful Milford Plaza Hotel, which is commonly called as "The Lullaby of Broadway." It is situated in the heart of Broadway's Theater District, just a short stroll from the Rockefeller Center and the Times Square.
The next morning we took a bus accompanied by a professional tour guide. This enabled us to see all of Manhattan Downtown. We visited the new Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Madison Square Garden, the United Nations, the Greenwich Village, Soho, Little Italy and the Brooklyn Bridge! At Battery Park we boarded a boat and enjoyed the Statue of Liberty from a close distance. This statue greeted millions of immigrants as they had come to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries at Ellis Island. After the sea trip we took another bus which took us through the famous Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn, an independent city up to where New York starts.
As the evening approached we went home along the Hudson River, through the place where stood the former twin towers of the World Trade Center. The WTC fell a victim of an atrocious attack in the September 11, 2001. We were saddened and appalled by the tragic view and hope that new beautiful buildings will rise here soon to retain the event in people's memory.
In the night we were entertained to a farewell dinner at the restaurant by our new friends Julie and Mike. They have made for us so much! We talked to them and promised to write them and share our feelings with regard to America and Americans. They were particularly interested in our opinion. They saw us off at the bus station and then went to their home in Richmond.
New York is commonly dubbed "the city that never sleeps," and this night we experienced it indeed. The Broadway and the Times Square were full of lights, neon signs, shops and of course a great variety of different people. We were anxious not to get out of touch from each other.
Next day we got up early: we had to visit the Uptown Loop, which took us to some the most exciting sights of New York. Surely this city is a world of cultural diversity. It encompasses everything from famous museums and churches to the vibrant neighborhoods of Harlem. We stopped at the famous Central Park and spent some time sitting on the grass and watching different sport activities. This Park looked like a kind of a ``paradise�� in the centre of the largest city of the United States. On our way home through the Museum Mile (this is the name for a section of Fifth Avenue, where the most famous museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art are located). Unfortunately the lack of time prevented us from visiting at least one of them. In the evening we were in a hurry to take our suitcases from our hotel and to find any internet-cafe in order to write to our parents and relatives that everything was fine and we were fine as well.
The coming night was going to be somewhat complicated. In order to save some money and which counts more, not to miss our flight we were planning to spend it in the NYC-Kennedy Airport. However, it went without any serious accident. Next morning we have flown to Minneapolis and changed there for the flight to La Crosse. Although we were very tired we were still very happy to achieve our final goal and to greet our dear friends and host families which had been waiting for us for so long!

Ljudmila Leonova