UN Week in NY = Blisters and Shin Splints

My week in New York coincided with UN Week. By design. Many of the African leaders were in town and were invited to the African Parks event. But the combination did make for a logistical nightmare.

Along with the President of the United States, the city was packed with foreign ambassadors, diplomats and world leaders. And they all take up a lot of room.

Just try to get a cab. I dare you. And if you do manage to wrangle a cab like I did successfully only once, try to get to where you are going in a normal amount of time (and for a normal amount of cab fare.) Stopping you are barricades. protests, marches and assemblies, all clogging up the streets everywhere. Entire hotels on the east side of Manhattan were quartered off with extensive security check points. Not mine thank goodness because I was on the west side. But still I had to make my way from the west side to the east side many times over the week.

I used the subway of course, but I did a lot of walking too. A lot! The weather was just gorgeous and half the time I just couldn't bear the thought of going underground. Besides I hardly walk anymore in Joburg so I was making up for lost time. East 70th and Madison to Lincoln Center? Sure! West 77th Street and CPW to Fifth Avenue and East 16th Street? Okay.

I may have had blisters on both my pinky toes and a bad case of shin splints, but I had a smile on my face. Love walking in NY!