Day 7: Jah.....RASTAFARI!!!

Platforms still smell, but the cars are clean

Statue of Liberty in the distance

It's always especially fun going to NYC if you don't visit frequently (or live there of course).  The energy of the city, its millions of people in all colors, style and languages, some friendly and engaging while others reserved and cold, the endless avenues of towering buildings where oligarchs wheel and deal on the top floors but down below race with bikes, taxis and delivery trucks,  and of course the pizza.

Yoshinoya, Japanese fast food which
is also popular in Taiwan 

After whipping up a hearty batch of granola, I set off by bike to Fairfield station and arrived at Grand Central by 3:30.  Courtney had helped me find a reggae show in the city since good live music is one of the things I missed most while living abroad.  Before I lived abroad I really took for granted the abundance of live music in America and on this trip I hope to see as many shows as I can.  To be honest my afternoon and evening can be summed up quite simply: I walked and walked and ate some delicious pizza and walked to a few stores and walked to a few parks and finally around 8:00, I decided to use the Metro card Courtney gave me for the subway to return to 42nd Street where the reggae show was gonna start.  In the past 7 years, I've been to NYC 3 times and each time I notice the subway cars are cleaner and cleaner, so good on them for that.

Times Square

Grand Central 1am

In Times Square at BB King Blues Bar Capleton, a major contributor to dancehall reggae and a few other smaller groups from Jamaica, were playing a show.  I was curious about what the crowd would be like and optimistic because most people who like reggae have good vibes.  I hung out with this Israeli guy I met and we danced and jammed with everybody on the dance floor.  We drank expensive beers (not special, just expensive) and with some healing of a nation going around and the energy Capleton brought to the stage the show was tons of fun.  I caught the 1:12 am train from Grand Central and pedaled my bike up to Courtney's place by 2:45.  I'm not sure how to quantify what I took away from this NYC trip or how it compares to what NYC took away from me; sleep and money.