US Road Trip - day 4

Oct 10, 2005

I got back on to the road by 7:00 A.M in the morning. By this time I had gotten used to driving long distances. Even though I had to cross two states and another time-zone it didn't seem too hard now. I crossed into the EST zone quite effortlessly and lost another hour in the process. I didn't want to be too late to arrive at Arvind's but I had started a bit late. I took 76E from 80 in Ohio. Suddenly things here had become very green and it started to feel like I was in the East Coast. While I was driving I thought, only two days ago I waI started from Chicago in the noon back on 80E into Indiana. By this time I had become quites driving through Utah through those mountains and now there was greenery everywhere. I had crossed such widely varied climates and geographies in three days, it was unbelievable. I took 79S towards pittsburgh and called up Arvind for directions. It was quite late when I reached his house. I met uncle and auntie and arvind. Had some amazing rasam made by his mom. We had a chat and then I slept. It was nice to meet Arvind after such a long time. Shobhna was in India, I couldn't meet her.

I started at 7:00 A.M next morning towards New York, 80E would take me directly there. The drive was absolutely scenic with fall colors in the trees the entire route. I stopped at several places for taking photographs. This is one route I really enjoyed. It had been about six years since the last time I had seen fall colors and not finally I was seeing them again. I felt very happy.

I reached New York in the evening at around 5:00 P.M. The traffic in New york is unlike any other city in US. I had been to NY before but never in a car, I used the subway system all the time. This was the first time I was driving in New York. Traffic at the entreance of the Lincoln tunnel was like a clogged drainpipe. It took me more than an hour just to inch my way through the tunnel. Then I had to navigate myself to get on to the queen's bridge to get to Queens. Traffic lights do not mean anything for pedestrians in New York, you have to scare them into making way for you. I lost my way and upon asking for directions got a taste of the new york attitude. A cab driver helped me out.

I reached rahuls place in the evening and I was extremely lucky to find parking in the same street as his apartment. Rashi made some really delicious food. We chatted for a long time and then me and rahul went out for a nice refreshing walk. It started to rain and both of us got wet in the rain - I really enoyed that. It had been a long time since I walked in the rain like that with a friend.