We meet up with our close New York friends every year, so this year it’s our turn to visit them in the Big Apple . There is turmoil in the USA, with inbound travellers having phones and iPads confiscated and, in some cases tourists being refused entry for being deemed “anti-Trumpers”. Consequently, we have all agreed , including the Americans to change our plans.Furthermore, I feel the only way I can protest against Trump's chaos seeking approach is by not visiting the USA. So we agree to meet our favourite New Yorkers in 2025, but it’s going to be in Europe. Our last trip to New York was meant to be for a month and we stayed three months; memorable times , met great people and we felt very safe in the city.

I recall on the last visit to New York  being approached by a smartly dressed man asking if I wanted a COVID vaccination and he  offered me 50 US dollars for doing so – though I’d already had two COVID jabs in Sri Lanka and two in New York.

We arrive at what I expected to be Central Park, but its entrance is a zoo. I’m not a big fan of zoos and locking up animals. A great walk begins in one of the world’s best city parks.

In the park we find an information box with a very smiley and helpful lady. We ask for directions to The Boathouse, and she informs us that the restaurant is closed, though the café is open. We arrive at the outdoor café, much to my wife Jezzabel’s dismay – it’s a bit basic. I ask the staff for a flat white coffee . The girl replies, “No, our machine is not working.”

We walk on, heading north past Cedar Hill, which is probably famous for featuring in films such as The Owl and the Pussycat and Enchanted. Then I spot an Egyptian obelisk – I’ve seen similar ones in Egypt and on the Thames in London. This particular one arrived in New York in 1881. Both this obelisk and the one in London were gifted to their respective countries by Egypt, so don’t let the “do-gooders” claim that they were plundered. These artifacts date back to 1450 BC, so I must see this one. Unfortunately, there’s a fence around it with a “No Entry” sign.

Disappointed, we move on, passing the statue of Alexander Hamilton. I hadn’t heard of him until the musical show came out – we didn’t miss the opportunity to see it. Mixing different musical genres to create a hip-hop sound in a little-known historic story, in my opinion, was risky, but we very much enjoyed it.

Alexander Hamilton was born in the British West Indies and gained a reputation during the revolution against the British, becoming one of the most influential Founding Fathers.
We continue walking northwards and reach the reservoir . What an expanse of water! The sun shines on the city across the water, creating stunning reflections of the buildings. We head west around the water, passing approximately 30 tennis courts; I’ve never seen so many outdoor courts in my life!

After circumnavigating the lake, we head west within the park, passing Summit Rock, 142 feet high. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to climb and enjoy the view or visit Shakespeare’s Garden, so I make a mental note to do so on our next trip. We proceed to Strawberry Fields, it  takes us awhile to find the location . Since that visit, a large circular floor memorial emblazoned with the word “imagine” has been created to mark the location .

Yoko Ono, who initiated the first Strawberry Fields project, contributed  a million dollars towards its  creation.  It is adjacent to her and John Lennon’s apartment block, which she still owns. The Dakota Building entrance, where John was tragically shot on 9 December 1980, was later altered due to ‘dark tourism’, as visitors sought to photograph the entrance. Yoko , now aged 92,  sometimes visits.

“Imagine there’s no heaven, It’s easy if you try. No hell below us, Above us only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today.” – John Lennon

Imagine if John Lennon were alive today – what additional music would we now be listening to?