USA: Coast to Coast

The complete title for this post should be USA: Coast to Coast and Nothing in Between. Time constraints forced me to skip the greatest part of the US focusing my visit on two cities: Los Angeles and New York. Some say these cities are not what you'd call "real America"; well, real America or not the places and especially the people that I met over there account for some of the most wonderful and genuine characters of my trip.

Los Angeles

My overnight flight from the Cook Islands dumped me in LA early in the morning. The very FRIENDLY (<- is this clear enough?) staff from customs welcomed me to America and opened the doors to sunny California. Although a few hours in Los Angeles are far from enough, I tried my best to take a little bite to the Californian Way of Life. A bus ride along the ever-impossible web of highways near Los Angeles took me to the beaches. Then a long stroll down Santa Monica beach to revive those cheesy American TV series. No baywatchers within sight nor silicon bimbos on rollerblades but the pier and the hot dogs were still there. Great atmosphere that made for another legendary sunset over the Pacific.

New York

Sunset over the Pacific, sunrise over the Atlantic. Good morning New York City! Said to be the world's capital, NYC really is an amazing place. The city in itself is well worth the visit but if you are lucky enough to share your time there with people like Howard and John... then your hands are boasting aces. I met Howard and John (74 & ?, American) through Couchsurfing, they offered to host me for a few days. Their magnificent apartment (two blocks away from Times Square) is insignificant compared to their kindness and wisdom. Howard guided me through the highlights of Manhattan: Times Square, Bryan Park, St Patrick's, Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center, Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, World Trade Center, Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park, Guggenheim Museum... I'm sure you all have heard about them before. However only a native New Yorker like him could tell you about the legendary burgers of McSorley's (one of the oldest pubs in NYC) or the impressive frescoes of the museum of American Indians.

Once again it seems clear to me that a place is as good as the people you share it with. New York City is beyond words and so are Howard and John. Thank you guys for making my visit to New York such a wonderful time!

Interesting things that I've learnt:

• American hot dogs are nothing but a lousy frankfurt that wouldn't make for a proper snack for a German shepherd. Genuine burgers are, however, small pieces of art.
  
• Americans don't eat junk, at least not more than we do. Some of them are really good cooks that would blow the asses off the French, Italians and Spanish chefs (not the Basque, though! hahaha).
• Opera makes sense. Behind the odd look of the old-fashioned heavy-weighted fellows that sign on the stage there are exciting stories including bloody murders, bizarre sex and all sorts of perversions. On top of that these artist comprise the ultimate showman/woman, they are actors, singers and performers all-in-one.
• Among other things, the new WTC will include an astonishing transit centre designed by the Spanish arquitect Santiago Calatrava.
• Shopping in New York is good and cheap. Don't miss the second hand shops in East Village, especially No Relation Vintage.
• Apparently I am not the only one struggling to build furniture with bamboo. During my visit to the National Design Museum in New York I learnt about Ezri Tarazi, an Israeli designer who's tried to build amazing furniture with bamboo. Watch video!
  

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Por motivos de tiempo mi paso por los EEUU se limito a dos de sus grandes iconos: Los Ángeles y Nueva York. Muchos dicen que estas ciudades no representan la "verdadera América"; sea cierto o no los lugares y sobretodo las personas que conoci allí representan algunos de los carácteres mas genuinos de mi viaje.
Tras 11 horas de vuelo aterricé en Los Ángeles a primera hora de la mañana. A pesar de no disponer de mucho tiempo, mi corta visita a California me permitió saborear algo del famoso "Californian Way of Life". Primera y única parada: playa de Santa Mónica. Aunque se echaron de menos a los famosos vigilantes de la playa (sobretodo a ellas), las torres, los paseantes y los perritos calientes estaban allí.
Con apenas 8 horas de diferencia vi el atardecer sobre el océano Pacifico y acto seguido el amanecer sobre el Atlántico. ¡Bienvenido a Nueva York! La también conocida como capital del mundo es un lugar asombroso. Más aun si se tiene el gusto de compartir la visita con gente tan maja como Howard y John. Estos dos newyorkinos no sólo se ofrecieron a hospedarme en su apartamento de Manhattan sino que hicieron de guias improvisados por la ciudad. Times Square, la caterdral de St Patrick, el Rockefeller Center, la Estatua de la Libertad, Wall Street, el World Trade Center, Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park, iconos de la cultura americana que hicieron las delicias de mi cámara.
Una vez más queda claro que la visita a un lugar es tan buena como la gente con la que se comparte. Nueva York es un lugar excepcional, como lo son Howard y John, sólo espero que todo aquel visitante que se adentre en esta jungla de cristal tenga la suerte de conocerla de tan buena mano.