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Walked from Midtown New York yesterday to East Village. Went to a mad bar that has been in New York since 1854 & they have not changed it since. They only have two types of beer on draft - light or dark and they serve it in old half pint mugs & you get two whether you want them or not! I tried the light & the dark - both excellent. They have the beer barrels outside on the street and even still have the sawdust on the wooden floor.

Then went onto a bar where they have 300 beers from around the world. Met some great people yesterday in this bar. Met up with a Canadian guy & his wife originally from New York & a guy from Chicagco who was originally Swansea whos grandad comes from Solihull! - he now lives in Chicago with his girlfriend who he was with also. Great people, we all ended up going for a few beers & then ended up going for a curry afterwards! We had a small fahal taster also - not as hot as at home!

Shared a cab with them back to Midtown & then I went back about 11.00 to hotel & then catched the last lift up the Empire State which is only around the corner from my hotel, for some last minute photos & then went to a good bar around the corner for a night cap. Had a great last evening in a great town! But, onto another today - yes by this evening I will be rockin with the king in the south - bring on Memphis, rock & roll and the blues!!!!

Yes I know I am behind on this blog- it is now day 4 & my first update. In the city that never sleeps, you have to remember to sleep also - but it is difficult with such great nightlife. Flight from Heathrow went smoothly - have no jet lag. Hotel is just off 5th avenue 2 blocks from Empire State Building & 4 from Times Sq. On my first night went to an Irish bar & met a load of people. Then went up to Times Sq.

Day Two - went on bus tour around NY & took 175 photos - mostly of skyscrapers - I don't know what they house or anything but they are big & we don't have them in Brum! Went to a bar then in the evening has a rooftop bar- overlooks the whole of Manhattan for $9 a pint. But well worth the price for the view.
Day 3 - (yesterday) got a new memory card for my camera ! & then went around town & then went on the NY helicopter tour - amazing - flew around the Statue Of Liberty twice & then flew past Manhattan skyline - some great photos - of which I still have to find somewhere where I can upload them onto this site! Last night went to a bar in Uptown as the waitress from the rooftop bar the previous night worked there - got a free drink from her and beat people on the pool table 5-0 ( and I thought I was bad!). They were all friendly but I moved on to see more of the nightlife. Decided to make a sharp exit then, so I headed down to the West Village went to about 4 bars, all of which had live music. Went to a bar where they had karoke (did not sing!) - I thought that it was a blues bar & was dissapointed not to see any live music in this bar. Little did I know when I walked out just over an hour later that the blues bar that I was looking for was in fact above! So I went to this blues bar & saw an amazing blues band that were playing for free. The guitarist & vocalist was excellent playing a BBKING signature guitar (I know I'm a geek) he sounded like BBKING. I couldn't believe that there was only 4 people in the club & that a band of this quality was playing for free. I chatted / bored them for a bit about my trip & love of the blues. Also I met a guy who was in there at the bar who actually plays harmonica with BBKING and other blues musicians that the readers of this blog probally won't know so I will not mention them! New York is an amazing town & really friendly people, but you have to tell yourself you cannot see everything in 4 days - so you have to make the most of the time here and remember to yourself that it may be the city that never sleeps - but you have to sometime! Out around town now (12.55 in the afternoon here) & one more night in New York. Then off to Memphis tomorrow!!!!! Further updates to follow!!!!

£6.95 for a breakfast consisting of a weetabix & a thimble of orange juice that you couldn't drown an ant in for breakfast at my hotel. 4 hours of people trying to sell me things i would never normally buy, but now seem strangely essential items - a bottle of whisky, a tie, a raffle ticket to win a sports car & a passport warmer. Yes, essential items. Roll on 2.00, for lift off!

I have finally got all of my tickets and am ready to start packing. I've got my worldwide travel adaptor, by the size of it, there will be only just room for a t-shirt in the case. No point in ironing anything have just chucked it all in the case - including the Elvis jumpsuit just in case they need yet another impersonator in Memphis on the 30th Anniversary of his death! Looking forward to checking into the Hotel at Heathrow for use of all of their facilities and the 'cheap' (£10.95) all you can eat English Breakfast on Tuesday morning before I fly out to New York in the afternoon. I am sure the passenger behind me will be eternally grateful that I decided to have extra egg & beans! Well I will be certainly leaving more than a carbon footprint!