New York City, USA

I almost cancelled my trip to New York as I didn't really feel like coming here again...at the end I decided to come and spend just two days and meet up with friends and ex-colleagues. Now that I'm here, I'm really glad to be back in the Big Apple. Just amazing to see how New York has been transformed over the past 20 years since my first visit in 1986...its a significantly more colourful and clean city compared to 20 years ago. Even further improved since my last visit about 6 years ago. Stand aside Tokyo and Las Vegas, New York is now the place to see the creative neon lights. Gone is the old Camel Ad (which was the Times Square icon for eons) -- In are futuristic neon panels and pixel screens displaying ads and announcing the news as it happens. New York has indeed become a clean, safe, and spectacular city -- particular at night.

I've been to New York about ten times and it still remains a magic place to me. Visited Ground Zero and it was a very emotional experience to read the names of those murdered by the terrorists and to read the line of events as they unfolded on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. The area is still empty and no re-building has started yet. Seeing Ground Zero was a more emotional experience for me than being at the Berlin Wall, visiting Bucharest, or being inside the Kremlin.

Yesterday was sunny and very hot (95 F). Today will be another hot day and I'll spend walking through some of my favourite districts before heading for Toronto on Friday morning. Cant wait to be back in the Big TO to see how it progressed since my last visit.