New York, New York!

New York, New York

New York...a city of dreams. Sounds like something Fitzgerald would say. Actually, something he would precisely say: "The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in it's first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world." - F. Scott Fitzgerald on New York City.

New York City is a place that you would like to give time and patience to explore. There's just so much to do and so much to see. Taking a tour bus would be ideal if you are staying a short while. But if you have the time (and energy), I suggest you just walk most of the city and make use of the trains. Walking would be the best option as you'd see a lot!

There's lots to do in New York City. There's the mainstream tourism - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Photography Museum, Times Square, Broadway, Empire State, Freedom Tower, Central Park, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Wall St and many more things. However, here's a list of things that I personally enjoyed:

1. The Photography Museum: is conveniently located at 43rd street, busy ends. It looks pretty small, and it is. But it has millions worth of information. The photographs clicked are beyond amazing. There are creative displays such as tiny photographs made to look like windows of buildings. The place does not allow you to click photographs, but that's alright! Who wants to create art by clicking pictures of other art? Art is for appreciation.

The museum is under the International Center of Photography, so if you are interested, you could sign up to become a member.

Phantom of the Opera

2. The Museum of Modern Art: most commonly known as MoMA; one can easily spend a whole day at this museum. The place is filled with works by famous artists like Ansel Adams, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dal, and many more. MoMA is a huge place to explore. There are different floors, categories and genres.

Times Square

3. Broadway: If you're in New York, please do try to go for a Broadway show! It's one of the best experiences ever. The show that we went for was The Phantom of the Opera. The show is magnificent, the acting is brilliant and the music is grand as ever. An interesting fact is the music is performed by music students from New York University some nights. Also, remember to dress up all fancy!

4. Times Square: Busy central! Times Square is a photographer's dream...sometimes. The place is always so busy, it's unbelievable! There are people dressed up as characters walking about, there's ten different genres of music playing about everywhere, there are street artists performing or painting, and there are the group of tourists clicking pictures from all sorts of angles. If you're the kind that likes to observe crowds, Times Square is the place for you. Grab a cup of coffee or a bowl of Cold Stone ice cream and just sit there, observing people. It's not the weirdest thing that can happen there, trust me!

View from the Empire State Building

5. Empire State Building: Catch the best view of New York City from the top of the Empire State Building. The best time to go is during the night, when the city is lit up and you photographers can capture some breathtaking pictures. It gets quite crowded, but everyone gets a chance to enjoy the view.

These are my top five "to do" things in New York. Comment below on what you would like to do or have done during your visit to the world's busiest city, New York!

All Photographs taken by Author.

Rhossili Bay!

Cliffs at Sea

I've been to Rhossili three times, and this was my fourth trip. I was excited, as usual. There's nothing more than travel that gives me an adrenaline rush. Tanushree and I headed to the bus station from Swansea University. We were meeting a few more friends there; that's what made the whole trip more exciting! The three different trips had been three different experiences, because of the people I went with.

Turns out, our friend, Ketan, was the only one there. His roommates were meant to join us. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they couldn't make it. We didn't let that affect our excitement though. It was Ketan's first visit to Rhossili, and we were determined to make it lots of fun!

Walking around

We took the bus. It was more or less a 45 minutes journey. We did our own things - clicking pictures, listening to music, talking - and finally, we were there!

It's like the weather suddenly decided to match our moods, and it was sunny! Rhossili Bay is gorgeous when the sun shines all over the damp grass. The waves across the bay look dramatic, no matter what weather! But the colour of the water, that deep, oceanic...almost "can't-stop-staring"...blue, happens only when the sun is out; and this time, we were lucky.

Our lovely walking surface!

We walked on top of the cliffs, daring to approach the edges. We clicked many pictures, putting our photography skills to work. As we kept walking, we saw a young man, of our age. He had a backpack, a small snack and his Nikon D3100. He was seated on a bench, observing the people and scenery around him. We didn't notice how he looked as we were more engrossed in our experience. But I do remember Tanushree whispering, "He's like you! You came alone once, didn't you? So cool!" And I couldn't help but smile to myself, thinking that there are people out there, just like me.

We finally reached the left-end of the bay, where we could get a sort of clear view of Worm's Head. There were pebbles between the end of the bay and Worm's Head. It was 13:30hrs and the tide comes in at 17:00hrs. We were all seated, gazing out and taking in the beauty of the nature (and the warmth of the rare sunshine). Just when we were discussing whether or not we should cross to Worm's Head, the young man we had observed earlier stood behind us and smiled. He greeted us.

The four of us exchanged names and a few facts about each other. His name is Brian and he is a student from America.

Stopping to click photographs

Then the most amazing two and a half hours of my whole stay in Swansea, began. We crossed the stretch between the bay and Worm's Head. It was lots of walking, climbing, jumping and photography. Alongside all that, it was a lot of laughter, stories and talking mini-autobiographies of our lives.

We finally made it to Worm's Head, like it was a hike from one city to another. We were not tired. We still burst with excitement. And this journey just made our hearts pump with more adrenaline. After a few photographs at Worm's Head, we headed back to Rhossili Bay.

At Worm's Head

There, we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset, where Brian said something I'd never forget, "God is just showing off now!" Indeed he was...and why wouldn't he? The world is so beautiful.

The beautiful sunset

Needless to say, it was one of the most epic journeys of my life. I met a new person, discovered new things about people I knew, did what I enjoyed most - photography and adventure...and had a new experience. Like I said, Rhossili is a place where you are guaranteed to always have a different experience, no matter how many times you go.






Some helpful facts:

- If you're travelling from Swansea City Center to Rhossili, take the bus number 118.
- Buy a day ticket - it should cost you 4.70 Pounds, with return.
- Wear waterproof shoes as you'll have a lot of walking to do in a lot of wet land.
- Carry water and some snacks as the cafe closes pretty early (around 5pm , if I'm not mistaken).
- If you plan on crossing the stretch to Worm's Head, good footwear and a decent backpack is recommended.