Battery Park & Lady of Liberty

Kalau dah sampai New York, orang mesti tanya - tak pergi melawat Statue of Liberty? Bukan untuk mengagung2kan patung tu, hanya setakat memberi sedikit ilmu kepada anak2.. orang kata jauh pandangan, luas pengalaman ...tak gitu? And, we were just lucky to be there....now a bit on the Lady. Located on a 12 acre island, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986. The first time I was there, we could only go up till her crown since she was under repairs. So, on Sunday we took the subway from Roosevelt Island to Bowling Green, - the nearest subway station to Battery Park. Of course not without a transfer. We had to walk a bit to a different transit station. Surprisingly, people are very friendly in New York and they speak with
good English too. The black guy who showed us the way must be from out of state or an international. Hubby has come back from KL. With him leading the way, I felt more assured of where we were going. Battery Park now is much smaller than it was 20-something years ago. Dulu lebih cantik, penuh dengan pokok-pokok dan bunga-bunga especially tulips. Sekarang ada beberapa bangunan di sekeliling menjadikan Battery Park lebih sempit. Several Lady of Liberty wannabes ( who are mostly men, from the looks of them ) were seen perched on their pedestals posing away for cameras, expecting at least a couple of dollars in exchange. They know when to start posing & they don't give away their still forms for free! The sculpture on the right above, was from World Trade Center which survived 9-11, put temporarily at Battery Park. The line to board the ferry to Liberty Island was already long when we reached there. A "Time Pass" reservation system has been implemented by the National Park Service for visitors who plan on entering the monument. The "Time Pass" enables you to visit the Museum Gallery and Pedestal Observation Levels only. There is no access beyond the top of the statue's pedestal now. The rest can only visit the island's grounds and take pictures from the bottom of the Lady's 'feet'. My advice is to get tickets early as they allow only a certain number of people to enter the statue on a first-come, first-served basis. "Time passes" are available at no cost from the ferry company with the purchase of a ferry ticket. An adult ferry ticket costs 11.50 and it includes a stop at Ellis Island. Best is to get tickets on-line at: http://www.statuereservations.com/ . I was fascinated by the old man playing the violin while we were in queue. Without asking where we were from, he started playing Negara Ku. Ok pulak tuu...we couldn't resist giving him a few 'bucks' in return. He continued playing all other national anthems, asking first the people in line their home country..Korea?, Colombia?, Italy? France? Huih..you name it, semua dia tahu! Respect betul pak cik tu..with just an old violin, a good musical ear, and an everlasting memory; dia boleh cari rezeki. Before boarding the ferry, like anywhere else here, visitors had to go through a security check. Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It was added to the National Park System and through extensive restoration, its main building opened as a National Museum of Immigration. The ferry stopped at Ellis Island on the way back from Liberty Island to Battery Park. Most passengers did not go down to visit the museum, maybe due to exhaustion...keletihan macam kami sekeluarga! Image of the museum taken from the ferry..