More free time. My plans had included having lunch with my Uncle, however he was unable to make the date so we rescheduled for Friday; hopefully. So instead Javier and I took a trip down to the Village to do some more shopping. The ultimate goal was Forbidden Planet, a gigantic comic book store. On our way we of course got lost, too many streets going in too many different directions; a veritable Bermuda Triangle of NYC. The story of the day lies within one act of kindness from a stranger. While Javier and I were stopped looking at a map a nice gentleman approached us and offered directions, our obvious inability to navigate the streets must have put a large neon sign above our heads which read “TOURISTS!” After pointing us in the right direction he asked us where we were from. Insanity; among 8 million people, the one who stops to help us find our way, is also from El Paso; Eastwood High School, and a UTEP Alum. How is it we made a connection between three people in a city of strangers. Doug The Neighbor, Douglas Gowland to be more precise, an actor and writer gave us a quick tour of Greenwich Village and The White Horse Tavern before sending us on our way to Forbidden Planet with the promise of drinks or lunch together in the next few days.
The comic book store was great, their prices not so much. I guess with space coming at a premium here, the items which take up that space are also come at a premium. No worries, there is always eBay! Javier and I walked to Union Square and took the subway up to Times Square for some more shopping. It turned out to be more disappointing commercialism. I was really looking forward to the NHL store, but their prices were worse than what can be found online, including shipping. Why?!
After that I went back to the hotel to recharge for a minute with plans to go to Coney Island for the evening. The subway ride was long yet interesting. You could see, as we passed through what seemed like hundreds of subway stops, the culture, society, even color, of the subway change. It was like a mixing and separation taking place in front of me. After about an hour and a half we arrived at Coney Island to severe disappointment. Maybe because of the weather, maybe because of the time of day, or maybe because of the time of year, it was virtually deserted. 99% of the boardwalk was shuttered, there were a few people walking along the beach, but that also seemed like a vacant lot. I was looking forward to some rides, games, and food along the boardwalk but oh well, checkmark for Coney Island and my list. Nathan’s Famous before heading home with long faces and remorse. Some dessert and bed; big day tomorrow.
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