California, I need you again and again!
After Death Velley and Yosemite we went to San Francisco. I wasn't prepared for all the wind and for the 17ºC, and because of that we didn't get to explore it as much as we wanted to because we didn't have warm clothes with us. We drove up and down the beautiful hills and I got to do some shopping in the most amazing thrift and vintage shops. I strongly recommend Decades of Fashion for real vintage. In the same street you'll find a bunch of other vintage and second hand shops. Sadly, Mission Thrift was my second favourite but it closed some months ago. There I found the most amazing ethnic and sequinned skirts as well as cool scarves and tops for really cheap prices.
We went to a very cool curiosity shop called Paxton Gate. And in the end of the day we got to see the amazing Golden Gate, we have a copy of it in Lisbon, so for us it was like 'Ooooh! So this is the real deal!!'. We slept somewhere near Point Reyes National Seashore before going South, so unfortunately we only spent 1 day in San Francisco. We only had a few days left till our flight back to Portugal from LAX, so we went down the Pacific coast freely. Next stop and an absolutely amazing one was Point Reyes itself. What a beautiful and calm place, we felt such peace there and we felt like life was moving slower. Apart from the natural wonders we found little villages with cute shops and art galleries.
As we went up the hills in the direction of the cliffs and the ocean, we were welcomed by a dense fog and fast swirling winds, which made all even more whimsical.
Between the golden fields and the friendly cows we found the bluest shores. Down at the beach, a family of elephant seals was resting, raising the curiosity of two deers that were strolling down the rocks. We couldn't stop staring at those fascinating creatures in the wild.
After we went South, stoping only for curiosity sake at Silicon Valley. We drove to Santa Cruz. We visited the funfair and got to see some really sociable sea lions at the wharf. We heard about a place called Mystery Spot, we usually don't go to these kinds of places but I have to say that if you have kids it's a pretty awesome place to visit. It consists in a house that's totally crooked, located on a hill, so all perspective points are distorted, thus when you think that something is going up it actually goes down and vice-versa (they say it's a gravitational anomaly.. hum...). As I said before, we're not very into guided tours or any situations that include a guide, but it was quiet ok.
After Santa Cruz we went to Monterey, a lovely city with hundreds of sea lions swimming around the fisherman's wharf. We also got to see some cute harbour seals catching some sweet hot sun rays in the morning after.
It's a pity that we don't have a lot of photos from this part of the journey, but I guess we were really soaking up all the beauty from places like Carmel-by-the-sea. Which was the place where we really started feeling the Spanish influences when it comes to architecture, since we visited the Carmel Mission Basilica Museum. After it, Point Lobos was absolutely glorious. There we were able to spot, right from the coastal trails, and really near us, a few dolphins, harbour seals and even blue whales! We didn't want to spend our money in those boat trips where you have like 50/50 chance of seeing a whale. We got really lucky, they were far, but totally visible without binoculars. In the afternoon we passed by San Luis Obispo, a place where my dear Luis had already been and that's where Madonna Inn is located, a super kitsch inn/shop/restaurant, very Disney style.
We spent our evening in Santa Barbara, a place I regret not having seen in daylight. The next day we reached Santa Monica, passing through Malibu, but it looked too crowded when compared to the places we've been the days before. It has the tall buildings so typical of seaside resorts and we only went to a Camera Obscura that's near the beach just for fun and we drove away right after it.
LA was amazing but I felt we didn't have enough time to explore it. We were also tired as it was the end of the trip. After all we drove more than 8000 km (about 5000 miles) in 17 days. We walked around Venice Beach and drove around the city. I did a bit more vintage shopping at Melrose Trading Post flea market (which happens every Sunday), located in Melrose Avenue, which is also where you can find a lot of vintage shops. We drove around Beverly Hills, and the mythic Mullholland Drive. I really wanted to see the Sheats Goldstein house and nearby there was a house with loads of things for people to take as they pleased. I got a lovely hat and some cool books that I brought to Atlas Hostel in Leiria. We went to Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights, a very old neighbourhood with beautiful Victorian-era houses, that was used countless times as set for movies and tv series.
There was still so much to explore. I guess I have to go back and stay longer. I'm sorry the posts about this trip were published so slowly but I've had so much work lately that it was impossible to keep a fast pace. If you have any questions about what to do or places to visit don't be shy. I hope to be able to post as I travel on my next trip (which is in about two days!!!). I'm really excited about it! See you soon!
<3
Death Valley Is Love
After Monument Valley, we wanted to go West, back to Nevada, so as we drove we stopped a few times and we didn't really know where we were going to sleep. Our usual method was to go to a McDonald's to connect our wifi and find a place to spend the night. Because we always use offline Google Maps, I was able to spot a McDonald's in a place that looked like a little village in the middle of a desert. As we drove on the road that led there, we started seeing signs that read "if you're transporting nuclear or toxic waste, please go to the right" and all sorts of other weird warnings. We drove forward until we saw a toll and we decided to turn back.
After a few minutes driving we realised, after spotting some gas stations with alien drawings, that we were on the whereabouts of Area 51! Looking for it on google maps, instead of that yellow little person that you place on the street for street view, it actually appears a spaceship instead! We ended up staying in a town called Beatty, a place near Death Valley.
The next day was one of the most amazing days. We started it by visiting a ghost town named Rhyolite. It was created back in 1905 after some successful prospecting in the area, but short after as the main mining exploration declined so did all that was created to support that industry. Next to it, there's Goldwell Open Air Museum, where the last supper is represented by some ghostlike human size figures, among other art installations. I was so impressed by how easy the land in these deserts is used for artistic purposes. I wish there were more places like this in the world. There's also the mysterious grave of Mona Belle and all the land is dotted with warnings about the presence of rattlesnakes.
After Rhyolite we drove to Death Valley, California, and I guess that it was when my love for deserts had its apotheosis. Our lovely Nissan QASHQAI's thermometer hit 50º Celsius (122º F), but what I felt, stepping out of the vehicle was perfect bliss!
It's hard to describe how the hot air embraced me and how amazing I felt when it did. How the arid vastness filled my eyes and my heart with awe. That was also the second time I saw a coyote and the first time I saw a danger sign warning people about bees!
I couldn't get enough of the beauty of the landscape and had an urge to dance inside its greatness.
I was also fascinated by the different parts of the valley. The land was always changing, from totally dry to rocky, until we found Owen's lake, which is a huge salt flat with the most wonderful colours (due to the diversity of minerals found there), near Lone Pine. In some parts the water and salt had different shades of orange: from tangerine to coral, there were also pink, bright green and turquoise. In Lone Pine we were able to stare at the dramatic mountains, including the famous Alabama Hills, that served as set for hundreds of movies since the silent movies era.
It's wonderful how in the same day we experienced extremely different landscapes, on our way to Yosemite National Park we were able to see mountains with snow and waterfalls.
<3
From White Sands to Saguaro
I'll be honest, whenever the word Roswell comes to my mind, I directly connect it to aliens and UFOs, so I was expecting a whole lot more alien related places and decor all around. The street lights are adorned with cute alien eyes and McDonald's went all the way architecture wise with its spaceship structure. But I guess that I was hopeful that the whole place lived up to perpetuate the buzz around the 1947 'incident'.
Sometimes things don't live up to your expectations, and I generally tend to underestimate them so I don't get disappointed. And after my disenchantment with Roswell, White Sands National Monument was wonderful and so much more than I could have ever imagined!
Surrounded by mountains that peek from afar rise the fairest dunes. And where the soil is plane, the minerals of which it is composed of, with the casual help of some water pools, reflect all that is possible to see like if it was a flawless mirror.
After some hanging around the desert, we went towards Tucson, Arizona. We arrived at sunset and we couldn't have chosen any better time. No wonder most of the car plates have purple mountains and cactuses with a sunset behind them. That purple is really there. We went to Saguaro National Park to watch the sun slowly hide behind those mountains and though there were some clouds in the sky, I can tell you that it was one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life. I was so sad that our photos taken with a phone could't even capture half of the mystic and all the vibrant colours graciously moving towards dusk.
The day after we explored Saguaro National Park further more. All those huge cactuses that already made part of my imaginary turned real and there are thousands of them, everywhere, with their arms twirling around their bodies and rising up to the sky.
We wanted to end our day in Salvation Mountain, in Southern California, so we decided to cross the border to Mexico. To do that we passed by the Sonoran Desert National Monument and through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which are really worth exploring.
Cosmic Texas
That is something that I guess I only felt in some parts of Spain. The awareness that you can walk endlessly in any direction, having the broadest sight range ever is absolutely overwhelming.
In south USA, right above the Mexican border, with only the infamous Rio Grande separating both countries, there's Del Rio. A sounding name for those fond of western movies. My reference was "No Country for Old Men" by Joel and Ethan Cohen. Del Rio has received us in a random motel at night time. As always we spotted countless deers and a badger crossing our path in the arid landscape, which will never get old for me, as I love animals. The first thing we spotted in the morning was the beautiful railroad bridge, surrounded by a desolate landscape, contrasting with Lake Amistad pale blue waters. We drove around the lake, finding lovely and quiet spots to just sit and breath in all the lovely nature that moved all around us.
We had to stop at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area. Though they have reportedly been seen mostly at dusk and when the sky gets darker, we just wanted to take a look. After being in the USA for several days at this point we can understand now how so many people report sightings of weird things in the sky and different other phenomenon. In Miami we were in a street where there was heavy rain in one side and the other was perfectly sunny. We saw weird little tornados, heavenly sunbeams and even a waterspout! So, it actually looks like the perfect place for something "otherworldly" to happen.
This part of the U.S. Route 90 is filled with adorable communities. One of them is Marathon, with its very peculiar houses, it is known for its super dark night skies, which make it possible to see clearly all the marvellous stars up above. The views in this area are amazing. You have huge open and endless fields. That is something that I guess I only felt in some parts of Spain. The awareness that you can walk endlessly in any direction, having the broadest sight range ever is absolutely overwhelming.
In Marfa, we visited the Chinati Foundation, a beautiful example of how a small city was put on the map by artists and art lovers. And we also went to El Cosmico, a cool shamanic trailer park hotel. Nearby there's a shop just by the main street where you can find bewitching minerals. Some of them coming from mines nearby.
As anyone who knows a bit of art and fashion, I've always been intrigued by "Prada Marfa" installation by artists Elmgreen and Dragset, it is actually located in Valentine. Built in 2005, this structure has been vandalised two times and it is a showstopper for anyone who's been driving around. While we were taking some photographs these three cowboys stopped their pickup on the shoulder and went to contemplate the windows of this fake shop. I wonder if they were trying to find the perfect handbag for their old lady!
Though this time we were more driven by nature and we went to visit smaller places, I hope next time we'll get to check out the big Texas cities. I can assure you that crossing Texas from East to West is absolutely worth it. The landscapes are endlessly amazing!Next Stop: New Mexico <3
Heart of Dixie
Having watched Hart of Dixie tv series (yes, I'm not ashamed!), I've since wanted to feel those hot sub tropical Summer days with the casual thunderstorm and rainfall and that was exactly what I found in old Dixieland. Our first stop in Alabama was Montgomery, home of Rosa Parks (click the link to know more about her) <3 . To our surprise, and having arrived at dusk, the night was weirdly calm and the city rested in silence in the absence of people. We walked by the river for a while and I loved the Riverfront Tunnel with its psychedelic lights! <3
The next day we visited Selma. Edmund Pettus Bridge is absolutely overwhelming, for all that it symbolises. I'm usually as tough as it gets, but I felt something that I really can't explain. This bridge staged two sequencial voting rights movements, the first one called 'Bloody Sunday', in which peaceful and unarmed protestants that were marching from Selma to Montgomery were massively attacked by state troopers, back in 1965. To think about how much african-americans had to fight for their basic civil rights and knowing that it wasn't that long ago gave me the chills!
In the middle of Alabama River there's an island that was used as set for a Tim Burton movie called Big Fish (2003), which I've always been fond of. 'Town of Spectre" is located in Jackson Lake Island, Millbrook. This set portrayed a once prosperous town which fell into decay, being found by Edward Bloom (the main character) many years after he'd been there for the last time.
We arrived at the entrance very late. The gate was closed and the sky was already dark. We decided to snuck in and because it is an island, we figured there would be a bridge to cross. Apart from that figuring we really didn't know what to expect. The darkness was so intense that we couldn't see 2 meters ahead of us. After walking for a while Luis asked me if I wasn't afraid and I said that of course I was! I didn't want to fall down a pit-hole or into the river or have an encounter with a witch! But then he reminded me of all the wild animals that we knew that exist in Alabama and could hungrily from nowhere to attack us, for example: black bears, coyotes, alligators, snakes... As soon as I remembered that we started our way back in a super fast pace, deciding to come back early in the morning, when we would be able to see everything that surrounds us.
The next day, while visiting the place we were pleasantly surprised to see that the only animals that could be found during day hours in the island wore friendly goats!
We spent the rest of that day driving around and crossing the State of Mississipi in order to arrive in New Orleans, Louisiana, in time to have dinner. As soon as we arrived, one thing that made me super happy was the street name sign tiles on the sidewalks (these kind of little things make my day!). We had some Pho and went to Café du Monde to have our first beignets. I could stay there forever eating those absolutely amazing fried pastries and sipping a cold coffee and orange juice! After that we hung around and decided to have some drinks at The Spotted Cat down at Frenchmen Street. I was told by my friend Paulinha that it was the cutest jazz bar, super fun and upbeat and she was utterly right! We had a blast! The ambience and the band that was playing were what I'd always imagined and the couples and friends dancing swing and picking up people from the crowd was the cherry on top of this delicious cake!
NOLA has a pretty heavy party scene and there are people making all sorts of fun things! The group on the pic above was listening to super loud music while dancing and driving their rad bikes! There are loads of bars selling this weird super colourful alcoholic slushies. And there's people singing and playing music all around the French Quarter.
I'm so in love with the beauty all around. In the city center it's hard to notice traces from hurricane Katrina's devastation. All the houses, the trees and vegetation that thrive in the beautiful cast iron balconies are absolutely exquisite, most of them scattered with mardi-gras necklaces.
While in New Orleans, it is mandatory to try a Po-boy sandwich (they're absolutely amazing). I had mine with fresh catfish (and loads of Tabasco sauce) at Domilise's, a little place that has had its doors open for almost 100 years! You also can't miss Hansen's Sno-Bliz, which is open from spring till fall. A sno-bliz is made out of layers of fluffy shaved ice and home-made syrups poured in between. It is heaven on a cup! I would definitely encourage you to go to their website and check out all the flavours they have because the information laid around the shop is pretty confusing! Due to the whole messy communication I just told the girl to do whatever she wanted leaving out chocolate flavours, which I'm not very into. So the result were these two perfectly delightful and refreshing big cups, one with cream of coconut and spearmint and the other one with ginger and hibiscus (which was a limited time flavour). Waiting in line will definitely be worth it! <3
At the end of our stay we went to visit the beautiful Laura Plantation, which is located right next to the Mississippi river. We're not very into guided visits, so we skipped that, driving around instead and seeing the magnificent Oak Alley. While hitting back the road we realised we hadn't seen no alligators yet! As the road we were driving on had a swamp running parallel to it, I focused my attention on it. I'm not sure if it was luck or fate, but I spotted one and we stopped the car ant then there was another one, just swimming calmly at sunset, coming from their hiding places in the shadows to protect themselves from the intense and hot summer sun.
Floridada
We arrived in Miami, Florida, and it was a great beginning for our journey. Our plan was to drive from Florida to California in 17 days. It actually felt more like a year!
In Portugal we've always consumed a lot of culture coming from USA. So we have various preconceptions of what to expect from the country and its people. I have to say that it was sooo much better than what I expected! I've had the most amazing time in the US and I want to show you how good it was and how welcome I felt!
We arrived in Miami, Florida, and it was a great beginning for our journey. Our plan was to drive from Florida to California in 17 days. It actually felt more like a year! Miami is bubbling with art and design and it's so much more than what I expected. Our hotel was near Ocean Drive, with all the beautiful art deco buildings, so we walked along the beach and amidst the beautiful neighbourhoods in South Beach. There we stayed at Freehand Hotel and we loved its vibe, though we had to take a look at The Miami Beach EDITION, which is super cool, so we went there in the morning and we wanted to see its amazing bowling room and ice skate ring. Though they were closed at that time of the day, we met the nicest cleaning ladies to whom we spoke in Spanish and they let us check it all for ourselves!
We went to Enriqueta's Sandwish Shop to have the best Cubano Sandwich in Miami and sashayed through the Wynwood District's street art scene, which is overflowing with cool graffitis and art galleries. Nearby you can find really curious shops that sell accessories, like huge necklaces full of rhinestones and clothes with vibrant prints and colours.
While coming back, as we hopped on the bus we didn't have any quarters to put on the machine to buy the tickets, and a very nice old man, who actually looked quite poor wearing ragged clothes and holding tight to his rucksack, gave us a spare ticket and some money. He actually looked like he was living on the streets and he did it just to be nice. We felt so blessed by his goodness! <3
After Miami we drove towards Tampa, making a pause in the "Shell Factory", near Fort Myers, which is a shop known for being the biggest shell shop in the world (or at least in the US 😛).
We stopped in Sarasota, where we visited Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and we had a delicious Amish potato salad that we bought in a very cute market in the curious Amish community of Pinecraft. Going forward, I would definitely suggest the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) to cross to St. Petersburg. When crossing it, it is possible to see the cutest little islands dominated by vegetation. We took some time to stroll around Ybor City, which is a historical district that once contained plenty of cigar manufactures with workers coming mostly from Cuba, Spain and Italy.
The next day we rambled around the Suwannee River, and the swamps near Salem. With our rental SUV we drove across those quiet lands, feeling the blissful peace that lies in places unexplored. The swamps and its flora, so characteristic from this area make it all so whimsical and otherworldly, with the Spanish moss floating in the warm breeze.
Our quest for alligators and knowing that they're all around this part of the US made us cautious but also super alert, always trying to find them. This way we learnt to be attentive and on the lookout for all kinds of animals during this trip. This time we saw no alligator but a huge black snake crossed our path and it was fascinating to see it rise from the ground like it was dancing to a charmer's pungi music. Before Alabama we still got to visit St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which is so calm and full of birds and has beautiful views over the Apalachee Bay.
To conclude this post I have to say that I'm sooooo in love with swamps and the exotic vegetation I found. Next state: Alabama. Stay tuned. <3
Dreamy Turquoise
We visited the Mayan ruins in Tulum and it was freaking hot, so we had to hydrate and didn't miss the chance to have some natural fruit sorbets! After that we went to the beach in the surroundings and got to scuba dive in the Mesoamerican Reef.
We arrived at Playa del Carmen late and stayed at a lovely renovated place just 2 streets away from the beach. After we explored a bit we came to the conclusion that most accesses to the beach are made through the hotels, so most of the beach area is "private". This bugged us a bit, but made us explore the coast on the following days.
We visited the Mayan ruins in Tulum and it was freaking hot, so we had to hydrate and didn't miss the chance to have some natural fruit sorbets! After that we went to the beach in the surroundings and got to scuba dive in the Mesoamerican Reef. After it, we had dinner at Antojitos La Chiapaneca, an amazing traditional restaurant with great local food. I also got to buy a red dress with embroidered flowers and a blanket in pastel colours.
We visited a pretty cool turtle sanctuary and hung around the beautiful turquoise water beaches that exist between the huge resorts. There are no people there because you can only go by car and also because people from the resorts don't bother to walk a lot to find their place in the sun! 🌞
If you're into ethnical clothing, accessories and decor, you'll go nuts because there are so many beautiful things in the shops. I specially loved a shop called Rosalia. They have amazing clothing, tapestry and other cool things from all around Mexico and the concept is really cool. Can you spot the iguana in the picture below?
With this post I close my first Mexican chapter, hoping to get back one day and explore the whole country. ❤️
From Merida to Uxmal
Here's a pic of the party I talked about on my last post! People have such cool faces! I can't get over them. So, we arrived in Merida at around 8 pm and proceeded to have dinner in a delightful restaurant called Oliva. Then we took a stroll around Merida's historical center. It's a very alluring city with a lot of things going on. There's a square where we had a couple of beers called Parque de Santa Lucía, which has a bunch of busts from famous singers of Serenatas Yucatecas and music to go with it. On our way back we got to try marquesitos from a street food stand and they are superb (it's like a thin wafer rolled like a crepe, usually with goat milk caramel and cheese inside). It would've been amazing if we wouldn't have to leave the next day so we could explore even more this youthful city. If you go there, be sure to hit the Lucas de Galvez market.
We stayed at this wonderful airbnb Colonial Villa. The room was huge with lovely antiques and the bed was like a fluffy cloud with tons of pillows. We couldn't resist a midnight swim on the beautiful swimming pool.
We had an early swim and breakfast and headed towards Uxmal (always through secondary roads). Did you know that most little villages have their own tortilla factory? A real meal doesn't come without tortillas, how would you grab your food otherwise?
Uxmal is a beauty hidden in the jungle. There were almost no tourists, so the place was very quiet and those otherworldly buildings were just standing there, waiting. It's understandable that in other monuments alike they don't let you climb the stairs of the tallest pyramids. We got up the great pyramid fine, but going down was seriously dreadful for me as I'm a bit of an acrophobic and the steps are so steep that it looks like you'll fall straight to the ground below.
Going back to the coast we visited Izamal, the Pueblo Magico, a pleasant little city with a very cool monastery. From there we calmly went towards Playa del Carmen, to spend some days at the beach.
<3
Hola Mexico!
We didn't take the highway, so we got to drive in a road that connects little villages. And what a road!
Luis and I arrived in Cancún at lunch time and as soon as we picked our super cheap rental car we started driving towards Valladolid. We didn't take the highway, so we got to drive in a road that connects little villages. And what a road! We drove through the wonderful jungle and met the people from those pueblos, who are actual Mayans (some of them don't even speak Spanish)! We saw the most amazing pink sunset and took our time absorbing little things that crossed our path, from Mexican red rump tarantulas to amazing birds (Altamira Oriole) and their hanging nests.
Just a bit before we got to our destination we found a village that was having a traditional popular party. We had dinner there and that was where our gastronomic journey began! Maybe because we were the tallest ones over there, there were a few people staring at us. I guess they're not very used to having tourists attending their parties. Mayans speak really low, so apart from the music you could almost hear the crickets. Everybody was warm and beautiful in their own way. Women were all wearing the famous Yucatan traditional dresses, blouses and skirts embroidered with amazing flowers, which I'll forever be in love with.
Valladolid is a very cute little city, with a stunning tiny park (La Mestiza) in front of the church (San Gervacio). It was late when we arrived so most things were already closed. We took a stroll around and came across Coqui Coqui's perfume shop and hat shop (they also have a restaurant and hotels, where I would stay if I go back, for sure). Both shops are amazingly decorated and made me want to live there without even knowing their products!
The next morning we visited Chichen Itza, which is much more than a big Mayan pyramid! It is a city, a civilisation, there are so many thing to see and to feel over there. It's so mystical and beautiful. By the way, if you're thinking about buying cool souvenirs, don't miss the opportunity to bargain.
One thing that amazes me is how Mexicans use colours! They are surely not afraid of them and they write on the walls to publicise a vast extent of things, from Coca-Cola to the next parties in town. We stopped for lunch in a village and we ate a mix of amazing food! Don't be afraid with the looks of the Loncherias, the more simple and humble the place looks, the better the food will be. Everything is so fresh and tasty! Imagine how hysterical I got when I learnt that every meal should be accompanied by Agua de Jamaica or Horchata (two of my favourite beverages in the world).
We decided to drive around and found these pink salines. They're the first pink ones I saw in real life, and what made them even more special were the flamingos in the lake nearby, in Dzemul. As if pink lakes and flamingos weren't enough, we were able to see some pretty cool pelicans in Progresso.
After this we got in the car and started driving towards Merida, our next stop. <3
NY #2
Because we only had 2 days to enjoy NY, and all the best photos were taken on our 1st day, here are some of them. It's incredible how much you can do in a day if you wake up super early. I'm usually very lazy when it comes to mornings, I can sleep for 12 hours easily. But while traveling, there's so much to see that it's not so hard waking up!
Night time in New York is magical because of all the lights and neon signs, but I can assure you that 'the city that never sleeps' does actually sleep. It's easier to walk/bike and everything becomes like it has stopped in time.
The windows at Tiffany's were so mesmerizing. I cold have stayed there gazing at them for the whole night.
We felt so grateful that we didn't have to use the subway that much. Citi Bikes are an amazing way to get around and they have stations everywhere in town!We couldn't miss a stand up comedy show at The Comedy Cellar! It was so much fun! If you ever think about going there, you should make your reservation beforehand. We didn't know that, so we had to wait a bit after giving our names to the bouncer. Some people that arrived after us weren't able to watch the show.
We were very sad to leave because there are so many things that were left undiscovered and unseen. If you're thinking abou going to NYC, I would advise you to stay longer than I did because there are so many things to see, do, watch and experience! Of course it's better when you're loaded with money up to your teeth but there are also a lot of free and/or inexpensive things to do that will fill you up with joy!Next stop: Cuba! Stay tuned!