World Traveller 73 
Activity: Overland Travel from Yangon to Bago, Myanmar
“A visit to Bago, Myanmar allowed a quick visit into the heartland of the Yangon Division of Myanmar. With access to a private car and a guide, we were able to get around to see many of the local sights with excellent local interpretation.”
For our next day, I had arranged for a car and driver through the hotel to take us on a private trip to Bago – about 90 minutes drive along a very bumpy 4 lane highway North East of the City. Our travel schedule didn’t allow for a more intensive trip up to Mandalay but I wanted to get out to see a bit of the heartland. It’s also worth noting that, at the time of our visit, like some other countries, the entire country is not open for exploration. Similar to North Korea, you’re only permitted as a foreigner to travel to specific areas. Military check points on the highways kept people in check. The highway itself was in terrible paved but rutted condition, having been built by military engineers. It made for a very bumpy ride at highway speeds.
The Lonely Planet guidebook described Bago as a collection of gaudy religious sites – and there were quite a few. They were spread out over a large area, so having a private car and driver was very handy indeed as the public transport to and from the sights was almost non existent.
However, the charm of Bago was the in fact local kids and their surprise of seeing westerners that was the most entertaining part. The children at the school next to the Buddha probably hadn’t seen a digital camera with a screen for a while because they were super excited to see us and have us take their picture. If you look closely, you can see the thanakha– sunscreen made from local tree bark that they use on their faces since they don’t buy or have access to any for purchase.
Shwethalyaung Buddha:
We made it through several other religious sites, including a 2 km walk across a religious complex barefoot where Ms World Traveler 73 got bitten by some red ants. The foliage was so green and leafy, from an era gone by.
Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery:
We also visited the Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery complex where the monks were in the process of writing their final exams. The Kha Khat Wain Kyaung Monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in the country. It was a lot like B-School back home with everyone studying except these guys had more determination than I did and my other fellow students.
Bago Market:
The red ants situation was quickly forgotten when it was time to go shopping. A stop at the market was another local’s interaction. Ms World Traveler 73 was able to get a metal stackable container for her lunch materials back home that were common in Myanmar. Of course, everything is for sale and the locals were interested in us foreigners as much as we were interested in them. For me, it was the spices that were the most interesting part of the market.
Taukkyan War Cemetery:
On our way back to Yangon, we stopped at the Taukkyan War Cemetery. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The War Memorial was for all the British and Allied soldiers that passed in the Burma and Assad campaigns of World War II. There are some 6,374 graves honoured here, in addition to the 27,000 soldiers that are commemorated with no known grave.
The next day we boarded our return flight home: MI 511 RGN-SIN. As we were dropped off at the Yangon airport, we cleared customs again with no one in the foreigner’s line. I was surprised to see a Thai Orchid Lounge there that looked to be a room with about 6 chairs in it. Surprisingly, we didn’t run out of money, having paid cold hard cash for absolutely everything except the hotel for the last 4 days.
Reflecting on our Visit:
I really enjoyed our visit there and wouldn’t hesitate to go back. The country did feel like it was Asia 75 years ago. Except that when I was 6, I wasn’t able to tell that there was an excitement amongst the air with the people as the country developed a-new. There is a renewed excitement amongst the people there. They were full of hope and wishes for a new future. Its always strange explaining to people that you just traveled 25 hrs in a plane to visit their country when many of them haven’t traveled 2 hours up the road and perhaps know no different in their lives. Yet these people seem much happier than the stressed out commuters back home. Perhaps that is what the attraction is about places like these.
Editorial Note: Since we took this trip, the military junta government that governed for 39 years has installed a civilian government. They have followed with reforms to allow for the release of political prisoners and these reforms have led to a seat on ASEAN. I would believe the country to grow like any other as it matures into a new nation.
Till our next adventure. . . Visit Myanmar soon while it still has its charm.
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Attraction Visit: Shwedagon Paya, Yangon, Myanmar
“The Shwedagon Paya is the main event in Yangon. It’s beautiful colours of gold sparkle under the warm sun. Plan to spend several hours visiting here. Sunset photographers will be generously rewarded.”
Our next day brought rain showers but we managed to make it out to the main event: the Shwedagon Paya. The dome here is the most sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar and the stupa is 2,500 years old and covered with gold leaf, a generous sprinkling of diamonds or “other stones”. It is said that there is more gold plastered on the stupa than there is in all the Banks of England. The golden dome rises 322 feet above the city of Yangon. The Shwedagon Paya is reported to be over 2,500 years old. The Shwedagon Pagoda was recognized by UNESCO as being of outstanding universal value in the year 2018. Seeing this is like seeing Table Mountain in Cape Town or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the unique shape of this symbol is just seared into your memory and it makes for some terrific pictures.
We bought our tickets ($5) and I paid the camera fee ($5). We left our shoes at the front as you do in all Buddhist structures and took the elevator up. Tradition says that you have to walk around the structures clockwise so that is what we did.
We spend several hours there and met with a few brave people who approached us to talk about the structure and explain its features. Of the several hundred people that we saw there over 5 hrs, I believe we saw one other western couple. We met this kind man who wasn’t shy about spending time chatting to us; explaining the features of the stupa.
The most spectacular feature of the Shwedagon Paya was the color against the stupa as the sun dropped for the day. The colors of the sky and the contrast as the sky faded to black was absolutely amazing. The grounds became alive with Burmese citizens who stopped by at the end of their working day.
The Bottom Line:
The Shwedagon Paya is a must see attraction in Yangon, Myanmar.
“Try to time your visit towards sunset when you can take advantage of cooler temperatures, beautiful pictures and seeing residents stop by for evening prayer on their way home”
I was really struck with humility by the people who came to pray at the end of their working day – who spent time there relaxing and being thankful for what they had – which I am sure was a lot less than I had back home. Here and everywhere we went in Yangon, people approached us. We were outsiders to them and they were interested to hear what we had to say. “Is there really snow in Canada?” we were asked, amazed that such a thing could exist. English was the main language here prior to Burmese when the British occupied the land and the conversations that we had with the older generation were unforgettable.
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City Visit: The Streets of Yangon, Myanmar:
“A walking tour through Yangon is like a trip back in time. A developing city, mixed in the cross roads of 2,000 year old religious shrines, low rise tower blocks mixed with street markets makes for an interesting sightseeing day”
The next morning we took another $2 taxi into the heart of downtown Yangon. Visiting in September, it was rainy season and the city had a very gray and dark appearance. Its industrial charm poked through with some old British structures that had long been forgotten. The sidewalks were covered with vendors selling products and food in between crumbling structures new and old.
Downtown Yangon:
Of course, one of the sad realities of some parts of the world, if you’re old enough to accept cash, you’re old enough to work. In this case, it’s birds and food for sale.
Sule Paya:
We first visited Sule Paya, which is in the middle of the city. It’s not every city that has its center marked with a 2000 year old temple with a traffic circle that surrounds it. The mix of a old temple surrounded by newer Asia and their apartment blocks makes for a stunning contrast for life in what was one the capital of the country.
Around town:
After a quick visit there, we set out on a walking tour around Central Inner Yangon, which was previously set up in a grid street system thanks to the British. Many of the buildings were over run with plants and run down. The Colonial Architecture was evident in some structures. Repairs were slowly being conducted on others. Some other buildings had a uniquely Asian stone look to them which I haven’t seen anywhere else. At any rate, there was a stark absence of any franchising or signage of the usual Western products. The Burmese script on the signs was also exquisite and interesting. The walk around town a mix between decaying parks and through streets and covers set up due to the rain. There was a complete lack of western tourists on our visit. The City Hall is pictured below over looking Mahabandoola Garden.
Throughout the streets, there were street markets with vendors open for lunch.
Many of the streets were ripped up, but instead of modern day construction and paving equipment, many of the repairs were mixed and dug by hand. We ended up wandering through the central market in Yangon; the Bogyoke Aung San Market. As can be expected, there was a whole assortment of stuff for sale. The market has been operating for 70 years and used to be called under its British Name “Scott’s Market”. The majority of the items were fabric to create the elegant longyi’s wraps that many wear out and about around town.
After a quick stop for some wonderful Chicken Biranyi with rice for lunch at the Nila Biranyi Shop, we wondered over to see the local circular train that runs around Yangon. The Yangon Circle Line runs in a circle around the city and is a means of discovering commuter life in the city. It was a relic from a different era, but in terms of a train buff, it was a pretty neat thing to see.
We further wandered down to the water area surrounding Kandawgyi Lake. It was a nice picturesque and grey area despite the clouds. The water walk way had Shewdagon Paya peeking through in the background. It was a pretty wet experience and we got throughly soaked halfway through our walk.
After we got a little soaked from the train, we headed back to the hotel for a little dry off, before headed on to the main attraction of the city, the gorgeous Shewadgaon Paya.
“Yangon is the place to visit if you’re looking for old Asia, before the tourists arrived. You’ll be mostly on your own here. Pre-plan accordingly”
In Conclusion:
Yangon itself somewhat reminds me of what South East Asia may have been like many years ago. Although there are cars and trucks running around today, the markets and food vendors are from an older era. They transact in cash. The lack of franchising and other western influences is pervasive throughout the city. The lack of western tourists was astounding. All of this adds up to a wonderful and safe travel experience that is unique in the world in exploring one of the world’s newest cultures.
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Review: The Governor’s Residence Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar
Arriving to the hotel:
We arrived to the hotel at about 4 PM, making it through the city to The Governor’s Residence. The Governor’s Residence is in a leafy embassy / residential district and is one of the few places in Yangon where tourists are found. Our rate ($159 USD) included a buffet breakfast. After Myanmar officially opened to tourists, the property was acquired by and is now operating under the luxury Belmond brand.
Traffic is pretty normal on arrival to a completely closed country and there were peek a boo views of Shewadagon Paya as we wandered through town.
Inside the Governor’s Residence:
The Governor’s Residence hotel was built in the 1920’s as a colonial residence and has been wonderfully maintained given its age. Based on the appearance of the hotel, similar to the palaces that you see in India, you wouldn’t believe the crumbling infrastructure surrounding the property outside of the walled compound. The property is situated in Yangon’s residential embassy district. Teak and old world British order are the flavour of the day throughout the residence. I’d highly recommend staying here if you pass through town.
“The Governor’s Residence Hotel allowed us the experience to stay in a British Colonial mansion that represented an era of Burma’s past. The property is wonderfully restored and invokes a moment in time of history long ago”
Overall, our stay at The Governor’s Residence was very comfortable. The breakfasts were of good quality and the hotel had everything that we needed for a comfortable 4 day stay. It is a little “sleepy hollow” at night since there isn’t anything within walking distance of the hotel. This property would easily be a first choice to stay at on my next stay in Yangon, Myanmar.
Dinner at Monsoon, Yangon, Myanmar:
On the date of arrival, we found a taxi and made our way into town to Monsoon for Dinner. The taxi was a flat rate $2 USD anywhere in town. I’m sure the locals pay much less on the bus. Since Myanmar has had trade embargos on it for the last 20 years, most of the cars are falling to pieces. If you’re lucky, you can catch a ride in an abandoned embassy car that was left behind. Each one had their own personality. On the ride in, the streets were deserted empty.
I always find that you can tell whenever you’re in a second world country by the number of electrical cables that tap in to the power boxes like in this photo.
We had a great tasty dinner here before retiring to the hotel for the evening. The taxi cab driver was so desperate for a fare back, that he waited for us while we ate before collecting us to take us back to The Governor’s Residence for another $2 USD fare.
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Trip Introduction: The Twilight of Burma, a Visit to Myanmar
Travel Planning:
I had been traveling to Singapore from the West Coast of Canada (Vancouver) ever since my first trip as 6 year old. My grandparents had retired there from Malaysia and my mom, who had been an expat since she was 20, made sure I got to know them. I got to travel to SE Asia quite a bit through the late seventies and eighties. It was an adventure to experience lots of travel before I knew how much it actually cost. Needless these adventures of transiting through Kowloon, Hong Kong looking at Chuck E Cheese Pizza Parlors and massive neon lights sprawling across the streets awed me. Travel at a young age set me up for a lifetime of travel yearnings and exploring.
When we got a bit older, my mom would always try to spice it up a bit for us by booking a “Free and Easy” holiday booked through the Chinatown bucket shops in the People’s Park Complex off New Bridge Road in Chinatown. After having the opportunity growing up traveling to this part of the world, my interests started to get a bit more adventurous than the usual family trips to Malaysia and Thailand.
“Of the South East Asian Countries to decide to visit, Myanmar was among those that were well off the regular beaten track”
My last family travels to Singapore in September of 2010 brought me for my cousin’s wedding and I decided that I wanted to get more out of travel. I wanted to go somewhere adventurous. Somewhere off the beaten track. And Yangon, Myanmar was it. The appeal of visiting a country, which was stuck in time enthralled me. I had been told that Myanmar was like Asia was 75 years ago and I was keen to explore and see what it would have been like for my mom to have traveled with me Trans Pacific like she did in 1979. Indeed, for a while it was as isolated as North Korea, once famously related to the World’s Most Dangerous Places list by Robert Pelton.
Through some sharp salesman ship, (and a promised decompression trip afterward to Bali with a private villa) I sold Ms World Traveler 73 on a 4-day trip. She had never traveled to a 2nd world country before and Mexico didn’t really compare to what she would likely be experiencing here. Would we survive? Would we be able to get food? Would we see anything interesting? Would I ever get to do this again?
In search of these answers, I booked a ticket on SQ’s Silk Air MI 518 SIN-RGN, which was served by an Airbus 320. I was Star Alliance Gold at the time and was of course a bit disappointed that there were no lounges or Star Alliance Points to my FFP.
Getting to Myanmar from Singapore:
This trip was before I had really started travel blogging so I didn’t take any on board cabin photographs, nor did I bother joining Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer frequent flyer program for this short segment. The food in economy was acceptable and there was free beer. I think I was the only one on the plane indulging.
Upon the landing approach to RGN, the fields surrounding the East of Yangon were so green and free of any of the usual structures that you’d find around agricultural zones. It seemed so remote and we hadn’t even gotten on the ground.
We deplaned into a jet way and walked through the relatively modern and sterile airport. The immigration lines, like most others in the world, was split into residents and visitors. This was the first time ever where I have gotten off the plane and we were the only ones on the flight in the foreigner line, with the other 100 passengers lining up for the other 4 immigration agents.
I had arranged for our Visas directly from the Myanmar Embassy in Ottawa Canada, which was an easy process. There were reports that there was Visa on Arrival services but they had cancelled this program by the time I arrived. SQ (or SATS) ground staff didn’t really check over our passports too much in SIN when we checked in.
I booked our hotel “The Governor’s Residence” directly via their website. I made the decision early on that if I were ever to get to travel to another, err less than 1st world country; I’d better make sure that MrsWT73 was comfortable. Based on the hotels that were available to foreigners and were of decent quality, it was The Governor’s Residence or Traders by Shangri-La. Traders didn’t look too appealing- it was just a large mid rise building on an anonymous block. I had booked the car service transfer add on through TGR but somehow the wires got crossed and no one was there to meet us.
Not knowing if Mr Pederman from Seinfeld could make it through Burma without speaking Burmese, I didn’t know how I would do exactly? A felt a quick panic set in. Would I be able to pull this off and not look to freaked to my traveling partner a mere 5 minutes after arrival? I was expecting us to be rushed by touts wanting money and payment for imaginary services. Surprisingly, we were totally ignored. The spotlight was then on me to try and get us to the hotel. Thankfully, the ones that did catch our eye was the tourist information desk in the arrivals hall. They recognized my plight and were able to arrange a 20 minute taxi for us for $8 USD.
One of the unusual parts about Myanmar is that there are no ATM’s or credit cards accepted anywhere. Banks do not deal with foreigners and traveler’s cheques are not in use. If you run out of money, you’re officially out. You are encouraged to bring with you clean, unmarked, crisp US dollar bills for use while you stay. Any dirty or torn bills are politely returned with requests for alternate payment. Outside of tourist establishments, and there aren’t many tourist establishments to start with, payment is made in the local currency, the Kyat (pronounced CHAT). The catch is that you can’t get Kyats’ at a bank; you have to change them on the street on the floating black market or through your hotel at a less than desirable rate. One US dollar was trading at 900 Kyats at our hotel. I had heard that the street rate was about 1: 1500. There was a change cambio at the airport but it was closed and looked like it had been for quite a while.
In Summary:
This was a most interesting trip and what I’d imagine a visit to North Korea would be like. Travellers entering into a country that didn’t usually see many western tourists. Either way, we would end up experiencing a terrific adventure of which we wouldn’t ever forget.
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This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class, Boeing 777-300, New York JFK – Vancouver
At about T-35, we headed down to the gate. Boarding had mostly completed by that point and we arrived to an empty maze and boarding area with just us stragglers left.
First Class
Cathay Pacific
JFK-YVR (John Fitzgerald Kennedy, New York – Vancouver International Airport)
CX 888 – First Class (Z)
9:55 PM – 12:45 AM
April 27, 2014
Booked: Boeing 777-300
Flown: Boeing 777-300
On Board Cathay Pacific First Class:
Boarding through gate 5, with only single door boarding today with a small bit of a line on the jet bridge.
We again had the personal escort to our pair of seats again at Suite 2K and 2D, our pair of seats today. I was originally booked into 1A, but was able to switch to the bassinet seat (2K) on check in. As it was on our outbound, the spaciousness of the cabin was fabulous and among the best in class.
“Cathay Pacific First Class is still the carrier to beat for a trans-continental flight in North America. Stellar wines, wonderful service and a super comfortable space”
A pre-departure beverage was offered of offered of Krug, poured at the seat with the bottle. A towel service was also offered on the tray. Load today was 6/6 (although reward space was available as late as the night before the flight).
A wide variety of Asian and International newspapers were also offered.
It was a similar order of service as to on our outbound. Menus were dropped off. Amenity kits were dropped off, along with sleep sets on a tray. My wife joined me in the jump seat of suite 2K during the pre-departure beverage, and these items were also presented to her in 2K.
Nora stopped by to introduce herself as the server today, along with the senior purser who also stopped by and personally introduced herself.
Cathay Pacific Amenity Kits “Ermeneglido Zegna”:
I took this opportunity to take another look at the amenity kits that had been handed out. The male kit was the same as the outbound “ermenegildo zegna”.
Having already had one, I actually wanted to trade the male kit in exchange for a female kit for my sister. Regretfully, Cathay only had enough kits for the current passengers (kits perhaps loaded by sex?). Nora brought me a business class kit for her instead. I ended up taking away both the male First Class kit, and the Agnes B kit from Biz.
The pilot announced a a 45 minute delay due to localized thundershower that was making them lose their slot. We were eventually underway with a taxi and takeoff on runway 22 R.
Cathay does an excellent job of making you feel taken care of. Again, the Vancouver based crew was stellar and did an excellent job. Must have been reported around here about CX crews and how they make their passengers feel. I’d have to add to that in that the crews are very personable and are the most personable of those F cabins that I’ve had the opportunity to experience. On board, MrsWT73 joined me in the foot rest quasi-jump seat for dinner service today. A table extender was set up on the table to allow dining together face to face. We started with the usual nut service, followed by more Krug.
Food and Beverage:
Today’s menu was presented:
The menu was followed by the usual fantastic wine list, and the Bordeaux Wine Promotion.
The First Service: Dinner “Chinese Favourites”
“The Cathay Pacific dinner service was ever spectacular; with another five course supper with Asian flair. Even though it’s just a North American flight, no expense was spared with food quality at International First Class levels”
The table setting in First Class never seems to disappoint. It was also a unique experience being able to dine across from your significant other.
I started with Seared tuna with couscous artichoke mousse trimabel and yoghurt mint sauce, paired with more Krug Champagne. Good combinations but not too much taste on the tuna itself.
The second course consisted of double boiled ginseng with silkie chicken soup, served with cold plate marinated turnip with carrot, paired with, alas, more krug champagne. Typically asian and freshly prepared. Although some may have reservations about eating something that looks like a softly boiled tarantula spider.
Thank you “Bon Appetit” card, that was missing from the previous inbound service, from our server Nora Reiko.
Followed by the main course, a steamed sea bass with Chinese preserved olives, served with steamed jasime rice, kailan with black mushroom and carrot flower.
MrsWT73 went with the fettucini with alfredo sauce and truffle oil with pine nuts. It was freshly tossed and the freshest pasta she’s ever had on a plane. I sampled some and it was excellent. Based on the presentation, it must have been prepared and tossed on board as the sauce was fresh and did not have usual stale glaze of pasta that had been sitting and subsequently re-heated.
I was stuffed by this point. So I went light on the dessert and stuck with chocolate Haagen Daz ice cream, paired with chateau Pontent-Canet 5ieme Grand Cru Classee of Pauillac 2007- per the promotion card, the first classified growth estate that has moved to 100% bio-dynamic farming.
MrsWT73 had the cheese plate of brie, stilon, taleggio and machego which was brought out on a slab for her to chose form, then cut and plated in the galley. No noticeable galley noise today on this flight.
Of course, there had to be small chocolates at the end of this festivus, along with a towel service.
Cathay Pacific Sleep Service:
After the orgy of food, I requested the turndown service for the bed and dozed off for a few remaining hours of flight. The only minus of this flight is the length, in that you get a fantastic full meal service and a short sleep which personally causes me some sleeping pains when trying to nap on such a full stomach. This time was no different. Full from the food and not really tired- more nappy.
I woke up about 30 minutes from landing with the captain’s announcement of arrival. Lights were turned on gradually, which made it easy on the eyes to wake up. The service with this particular flight seemed much more relaxed than the continuing service aircraft from HK. YVR based crew.
On the descent, MrsWT73 announced, “I wanna stay on to Hong Kong.” She found it a better flight having experienced the mattress pad this time around.
Arrival at YVR on runway 08R (unusual- usually it’s 08L) and taxied to gate 64. Long walk for YVR to the arrivals hall through the beautiful concourse past the waterfall, native art and down the usual escalators. Four out of four Nexus machines broken tonight. Bags were out before we hit the belt.
The Bottom Line:
It just doesn’t get better than CX F on board. Combine it with LH F ground services in FRA and you’d have yourself a perfect carrier. Even MrsWT73 was impressed. I usually have a hard time impressing her peculiar tastes but even CX was enough to keep her reeling their praises.
“There is no more comfortable way to cross the North American
continent than in Cathay Pacific First Class”
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: British Airways Galleries Lounge & Pre-Flight Dining, New York JFK, United States
After some time in the British Airways First Class Lounge, I took a spin over to the British Airways Business side of the lounge. It was much busier as can be expected with so many departures this evening. I actually enjoyed the layout and brightness of the sitting area a bit better than the First Side.
Inside the British Airways Galleries Lounge:
Food and Beverage:
The wines were also bit cheaper on the business side. These were along side regular Smirnoff (the horrors
) and Gordon’s Gin.
Inside British Airways Pre-Flight Dining:
Pre Flight Dining is offered by British Airways with the idea that you can eat before your flight, then settle in immediately for a good night’s sleep, arriving refreshed in the morning. I was looking forward to trying it out.
“A terrific concept that unfortunately has all the charm of a Las Vegas buffet at suppertime”
We got a little puckish with the late departure of the flight, so the time came and we headed over from the First Lounge side to investigate. The entry was guarded by another lounge dragon.
First impressions? My gawd, a terrific idea but super crowded. It’s worse than attempting to get food at a food stall in Asia. It was almost like the line up at the Royal Fork Buffet on half price special night. All sorts of people here, families with kids, senior citizens taking up tables and extra chairs with only a few empty places to sit.
The evil eyes here at my photo taking: This is supposed to be a dignified dining area!!
The food was pretty average bland cafeteria fare. It was all help yourself buffet, with the exception of the noodle bar. The noodle bar was supposed to be chef attended, but the chef must have been off on a 15 minute break during our visit.
After the Las Vegas buffet line up and the search for the noodle attendant concluded, I settled in with a light noodle bowl- a Vietnamese noodle dish with chicken and broth, along with some smoked turkey and salad along with a Bancroft Sauvingon Blanc white.
After we devoured that, we got out of there pretty quick. It wasn’t exactly a relaxing environment, but it beat wandering the terminal looking for food.
Inside the Elemis Travel Spa:
I topped off the evening with a quick courtesy shower at the Elemis Spa. British Airways offers “quickie” spa services to it’s Business Class and First Passengers. This service is not extended to Cathay First or Business passengers. However, there was no problems with the shower.
There was no wait for a shower room. Again, peel back the layers, the facility is showing signs of wear. I’ve seen better towels at my local YMCA.
After the shower, I retired back to the First Side prior to the flight. Overall a pleasant time made nicer by the fine selection of hard alcohol and spirits in the BA First Lounge.
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: British Airways Galleries First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
Forgoing the Dial 7 car service we booked a Carmel car transfer this time with a day’s notice. The driver arrived 5 minutes later in a new black Toyota Avalon that was in much better condition that the Dial 7 car, and earning AAdvantage miles to boot! A quick 40 km/h and 45 minute drive in heavy traffic to JFK and before we knew it, we were in front of British Airway’s T7 check in. The experience was much better and more professional than Dial 7 and we would book again with Carmel in the future.
Checking into Cathay Pacific First Class:
Cathay Pacific offers premium check in services on the far left of Terminal 7. It’s a facility that’s shared with British Airways and Iberia. Once inside at the premium check in desks, the Cathay Pacific check in desks at the British Airways area were manned but not open at 6:20 PM – with a sign displaying a 6:30 PM opening. No mazes set up yet but the queues to check in had started already.
There were at least six British Airways flights to London during our departure times!!
At 6:30 PM, the displays came up on the monitors and we joined the first line. We ended up stuck beind someone having trouble with his ticket and had to deal with a manager to sort it out.
When we booked the tickets, I was assigned Seat 1A and MrsWT73 was assigned 1K on the far other side of the cabin. Seats 2A and 2K are usually the bassinet position. With some reluctance, and radio clearance from his supervisor, I successfully got the seating changed to 2K and 2D.
Our bags were tagged without issue to Vancouver. We headed over to the Fast Track Security which feed all BA First / Business, Iberia and Cathay flights leaving. Bizarrely enough, the entire security line was sloped uphill about 15 degrees causing an interesting balancing situation with shoes off and bags not really wanting to slide up the conveyor in to the X-Ray machine.
The fast track deposited you in to the end of the terminal, so everything is backwards. Clearly added after to fact, the express services make you now wander through the busy terminal in order to get to the lounge, entrance of which is located by the main regular entrance.
Once into the terminal that is the chaos that is JFK T7. There were several overseas flights leaving, including 5 flights to LHR within the next 2 hours, an ANA flight, a flight to Paris Orly among others, it made for a chaotic experience.
We picked up some duty free, again by the main entrance.
Accessing the Lounge:
A short ride up the escalators and we were given access to the BA First Galleries Lounge, which it shares with the British Airways Business lounge. It included pre-flight dining accessed from the business side. Access was granted thanks to the One World First Class Lounge access policy that allowed access to any One World First Class Lounge based on a One World carrier first class ticket.
Inside the British Airways First Class Lounge:
We started out on the British Airways First Lounge side. British Airways also runs the Concorde Room at JFK, where it accommodates all of it’s “real” British Airways First Class Passengers. All of us One World leftovers are resigned to this lounge. It was pretty tranquil and a bit dated in terms of furnishings.
“The British Airways First Class Lounge is the best lounge for every one other than it’s own passengers that have access to the better British Airways Concorde Room.”
A small dining area was also available.
There was also the occasional low rent touch.
Food and Beverage:
The food offerings were pleasant. Nicely catered. Slighty better than your average international lounge but nothing to proclaim as the “best ever”! At least the food is well presented.
I had a few snacks as we settled in.
One area which the lounge excelled in was the alcohol selection. Grey Goose Regular and Lemon, Bombay Saffire Gin, Laurient Perrier Grand Sciele champagne and a great selection of single malt whiskies available on the first side.
Some okay wines, although I stuck to Grey Goose and Tonic. I was impressed that they had four different reds on offer. ^
In Summary:
In all, not a bad place to be for a few hours with enough quiet corners for some relaxation. Aside from the occasional low rent touch, it’s a reasonable First Class lounge that’s a little dark in ambient light.
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
We happened upon Balaboosta because I saw it on our walk through of Little Italy and it happened to be Zagat rated. That doesn’t mean much in itself but it turned out to be a great choice.
The chef originally hailed from Israel and had appeared on Throw Down with Bobby Flay and had won “Chopped”. She is presently running three New York restaurants (Balaboosta, Taim / Taim mobile and Bar Boonat). It’s sometimes a challenge to get a good middle eastern meal aside from the Falafel stand but Balaboosta easily delivered. The menu featured “Mediterranean meets Middle East” and featured weekly specials with local seasonal ingredients.
The décor of the restaurant is in small quarters. It had a comfortable, neighborhood vibe. It had an aura of chic and “hot” and popular restaurant visited by locals.
The menu had some original items on it. After spending a lot of time in restaurants, menus tend to look a little, the same after a while. Everyone seems to be chasing the same food trends. I’m happy to report that Balaboosta was much different. Here’s the actual menu
And ones from the Balaboosta Website if the actual one is a little hard to read
For the main, I went with lamb tahini with chantrelles and green Persian lime and thanin sauce with kale and pine nuts. The lamb was perfectly cooked and delicately seasoned.
It was paired with white Bordeaux (Sauvingon Blanc – 33%, Muscadelle – 32% and Semillon 34% blend). Okay, I know this doesn’t go with lamb, but who can turn down white Bordeaux? MrsWT73 was also having the boneless organic half chicken “under a brick”. It received rave reviews for both the taste and the cooking delivery.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, it was a terrific atmosphere here. There is something to be said for smaller bistro style dining versus the large format scale of Spice Market. The check was reasonable of $141 USD with two entrees and a bottle of wine. With an 8:45 PM reservation, we were the last cover for the evening. We would easily return. We ended up walking away with the cookbook as well and also found it worthwhile, good tasting endeavour.
Balaboosta
214 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Date of Visit May 2014
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: The Spice Market by Jean – Georges Vongerichten, New York, USA
Based on a drive by on MrsWT73’s Sex in the City Tour, we opted for a dinner at Spice Market by Jean – Georges Vongerichten. Jean Georges has restaurants in many cities, including Market in our native city of Vancouver. I also happen to have his cookbook “Asian Flavors of Jean Georges” so it was a great opportunity to give him a try.
Spice Market
by Jean- Georges Vongerichten
403 W 13th St, New York, NY 10014, United States
The restaurant is in the Meat Packing District south of Chelsea. It became our favorite neighborhood to visit in New York City. The restaurant is two blocks from the wonderful New York Highline, which made for a great walking activity before dinner.
I booked a reservation on Open table two days before at 8:45 PM. Open Table in New York is an interesting process, with some 1,400 restaurants available.
On arrival, we had to wait for 15 minutes while the table was “prepared” despite lots of empty tables. Indeed we were caught between the first and second services as many others were waiting as well. We were offered a seat (or stand) by the bar with the other guests. These people all had bookings since others were being turned away at the door, citing a 30 minute wait.
Inside the restaurant, a pretty dark space all around. It was the most South East Asian decorated restaurant I think I’ve ever experienced. It was done in a tasteful manner, although I didn’t feel like I was really experiencing South East Asia.
The food at Spice Market is delivered “tapas” style. This means that it’s encouraged to share since one person could be completely finished their meal prior to the other person getting anything.
We ended up sharing the satay. It was the best satay I’ve ever had. The peanut sauce was devine.
A side of fried rice with fresh egg. It was well prepared with fresh vegetables and crisp noodles.
We had some samosas with an excellent cilantro yoghurt dressing (not pictured) and a terrific striploin steak with a coriander dressing, paired with a Central Coast Pinot Noir.
The check was reasonable at $131. Spice Market seems to be a bit touristy due to it’s location. Either way, Jean Georges still puts out a solid product. It was a near perfect high end dining experience if not for the slight dis-organization near the front on arrival.
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Review: Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
After seeing Gordon Ramsey on the television through a variety of reality television shows broadcast in North America, it came time to try one of his restaurants. MrsWT73 has been a regular visitor to Gordon Ramsey’s Maze in London on her work travels through there and I was playing catch up as I had yet to have the opportunity. Our visit on was on May 23, 2014.
I was able to get a reservation at “Gordon Ramsey at the London” about 5 days out using Open Table. The booking process advertised a “dress code” and set out the expectations for dress. This struck me as a bit unusual as most other restaurants simply state: smart casual, semi casual or the like. The restaurant is conveniently located a few blocks from Times Square or Central Park at the South End.
On arrival, we were led in through the outer restaurant (a New York offering of Maze – another Gordon Ramsey casual dining outlet) and into the Gordon Ramsey restaurant proper.
The dining room itself was a fine dining décor with colored in grey’s and greys, silvers and golds colors. It was reminiscent of what my British grandfather would have found super classy for an elegant service. In other words, it wasn’t all too contemporary.
Another first impression that we had were a table of middle eastern Arab’s who were dining nearby up wearing Tommy Hillfiger Rugby shirts. Another bit of an oddity to make obvious efforts with the dress code, but then appear not to enforce it. It could be perhaps because I went through the trouble of wearing a suit jacket (laughing).
Dinner service here is on a fixed menu consisting of either 3 course or 5 course offering. We each went with three course meal. As with many other fine dining establishments, each course was supplemented in between each course with additional surprises.
The service throughout the meal was exceptionally attentive and of high caliber. The seating was similar to other high end establishments that next tables in were seated in the opposite corners of restaurant to minimize intrusions and disruptions in your area.
There was no music playing immediately in restaurant, which led to nice conversation volume. There was some carry over of volume from maze restaurant next door. Despite seemingly many tables sitting empty, and no available times on open table, some must not have turned up or cancelled as at least 10 tables (out of a total of 45 persons occupancy) not were not sat by our reservation time of 8 PM. Either that or the restaurant wasn’t releasing all tables to the Open Table reservation system.
Our first amuse bouche was a caviar on pancake and a warm corn veloute soup.
This was followed by a wonderful morel mushroom sherry gellee.
I went with the foie gras appetizer “chaud / froid”. Foie gras hot and cold accompanied with peach, almond, crispy faro, celery, served with lightly toasted brioche. The hot foie gras was seared to absolute perfection. It wasn’t a perfect pairing, but we opted for a bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Noir from the Williamette Valley in Oregon, USA.
For the main I went with the Colorado Lamb Cannon, accompanied with sun choke goat curd puree, spiced eggplant, black olive caramel, shallot powder. The lamb was again wonderfully cooked.
MrsWT73 went with the Organic Chicken, accompanied with tortellini, sweet corn, artichoke barigoule, parsley purée, natural jus
The waiter dropped off a watermelon sorbet prior to dessert to cleanse the palette.
For the desert, I went with the Chocolate Hazelnut accompanied with coffee, burnt cinnamon, caramel ice cream. Again, perfection on a plate.
The meal was closed up with more chocolates prior to the arrival of the bill.
Tab for two with a bottle of wine was a reasonable $440.
Overall the dessert was the highlight of the meal. The comparison of the restaurant offering with Gordon Ramsey the television personality is a natural one to make. The meal itself was similar to a German BMW – exceptionally refined, conservative in flavors with nothing too over the top. Everything was perfectly prepared with obvious attention to detail. I would have expected sharper flavours given the amount of energy from his TV performances. Either way, it was a very pleasant fie dining meal.
MrsWT73 loved the service and the smaller portions. She felt that the environment was very comfortable.
In Conclusion:
We had a great meal here and found it to be reasonably priced for New York. I found myself thinking about the experience throughout the rest of the evening and the next morning so much I must have enjoyed myself. I find that you don’t always remember the meal itself over and over again. You don’t always get memories of dining experience dining out.
Two thumbs up. ^^
Update: As of the date of the conversation of this post to Word Press in Summer 2020, the restaurant had lost both of it’s two Michelin Stars. It closed shortly after our visit to reflect the “more casual dining style preferred by the guests. They really are demanding more of a casual dining scene,” a spokesperson for The London NYC, Amanda Duff, told an online food website. I guess all good things sometimes come to an end.
This post is one chapter in our trip to New York City via Cathay Pacific First Class. This trip was booked using American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Starwood Preferred Guest points. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow us directly or on social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more travel tips and hacks on how to “Upgrade Your Travels”.
Read more from this trip:
- Introduction: New York, USA via Cathay Pacific First Class
- Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge, Vancouver, Canada
- Cathay Pacific First Class: Vancouver – New York JFK
- Westin Grand Central Station, New York, USA
- City Visit: New York, New York, USA
- 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, USA
- The Gordon Ramsey at the London, New York, USA
- Spice Market, the Meat Packing District, New York, USA
- Balaboosta, Little Italy, New York, USA
- British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK, USA
- British Airways Galleries Business Class Lounge & Pre – Flight Dining, New York JFK, USA
- Cathay Pacific First Class: JFK New York – Vancouver
Activity: A Visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, World Trade Center, New York, USA
This has to be, still, one of the harder posts to write.
All of us have been affected by the incidents of 9/11 in some way or another. Even though we’ve each been affected by this act, it can’t come anywhere near as close to anyone that has lost a loved one, family member, someone as flight crew, or a friend on September 11, 2001.
9/11 Memorial Museum,
Liberty St, New York City, NY 10006, United States
on Memorial Day, 2014.
The museum itself is split into two separate parts. The “inner” museum (also known as the Historical Exhibition) contains most of the artifacts and history of the incident. The “outer” museum (also known as the Memorial Exhibition) contains larger artifacts of items involved on September 11, 2001. The “inner” museum was the most difficult museum I’ve ever visited in the world. Both museums are behind the paid admission gates of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
During our New York visit, I knew that I wanted to take in the 9/11 Memorial Museum. After some perseverance, we were able to gain tickets for a visit on Day 4 of the Museum’s operation (Memorial Day 2014). I was unable to purchase tickets on line through the website. It seemed it would not accept Canadian Credit Cards and I kept getting error messages. I ended up going to the ticket office on the day of our arrival and secured two tickets with a 3 day waiting period (the soonest visit times were 3 days away).
Visiting Memorial Plaza at World Trade Center:
First, the beautiful memorial plaza in the shadows of the original towers. There were many white flowers out in memory of loved ones on our Memorial Day visit.
Tickets in hand, we entered the museum with a 1 PM ticket at 12:30 PM. We were subjected to a full TSA airport style security screening (less the ID podium check). It’s the only museum that I’ve ever been to that was under guard by members of the local police department as opposed to a contracted private security company.
Visiting the 9/11 Memorial Museum:
The entry ramp of the “outer” museum started with a sound scape of voices and people remembering their experiences of 9/11. The ramp led to the original foundation level of the twin towers. Slide images of the onlookers on the streets of Manhattan watching the twin towers collapse in horror are shown- they are almost the forgotten images of 9/11. These images were so present during the newscasts of those days and weeks but you don’t seem them so much anymore. Watching the images took you back immediately to that day and the fright in these spectator’s eyes as they watched history unfold firsthand. The downward walk started with one of the last scenic photographs of the Twin Towers, and ended with an overview of the large retaining wall used by the old Twin Towers against the Hudson River.
Some of the artifacts included the original dedication plaque to the towers, some how it survived the collapse.
On the bottom floor, the “inner” museum featured the September 11, 2011 historical exhibition. It’s walled inside a large multi room soundproof container. A sign outside actually recommends that visitors under 10 years of age not attend. I’d have to agree. No photographs are allowed inside the inner exhibition so I only have experiences to share today.
Inside the exhibition it’s a totally different experience from the outer museum. In the Memorial Exhibition, you are pretty much free to take in any exhibit in any order. The Historical Exhibition locks you into a set path where you move along with the group in order of the phases. The exhibition is set up in three phases.
Phase 1 The Day 9/11
Phase 2 Before 9/11
Phase 3 After 9/11
As I said earlier, this was the most heart wrenching museum that I’ve ever visited. I wasn’t alone in thinking this as the sounds of sniffles are ever present throughout the various museum spectators that I had heard as we walked along together, but apart in our viewing.
Starting with the first phase, you’re immediately shocked back into the reality of what we all experienced on September 11, 2001. The museum has collected and assembled the voicemail messages of all those in the towers that called home for help, those that called the fire department to report where they were on floor 100 or higher, those on United 93 that had heard what had happened in New York and had left messages for their loved ones explaining what they planned to do, those radio calls from firemen to their dispatchers desperately calling for additional help to deal with the disaster. The recordings are played in the background as you walk through the exhibits of the museum. The recordings make it impossible to remain impassive about the museum and add a third dimension to the artifacts. I couldn’t help but hear the strength in the voices of the dead – people’s voices with such determination, clarity and focus, knowing full well that we all knew how it turned out in the end.
The museum contained many physical articles (recovered from wreckage) related to the day of September 11, 2001. I was interested in seeing Todd Beamer’s scarred wrist watch and recovered business card from flight United 93. Match that along with the stories of his, and others actions’ on United 93 as the legacies that they left behind pulls at your emotions and what true heroes they actually were.
The museum has a slide show collection of “the falling man images”. As you may recall, the initial news coverage on that day showed images of those persons, estimated to be between 50 and 200 people, that jumped from the top of the towers to their death in the streets below. In my hometown of Vancouver, the media stopped showing these images on television because they were simply too graphic to watch. Here, in a hidden corner of the inner exhibition, was a slide show of the photo images captured of those that decided to jump. Jumping because it was the better option versus something else that was so horrifying, it is hard to turn away. Testimonials on the wall include quotes from witnesses who observed women jumping, while adjusting their skirts prior to falling- thinking that it was a very noble thing to do prior to falling to your death.
The examples go on and on… Hearing the voice of a flight attendant on United 93 leave a last message for her husband, telling him that she loved him and that she dearly hoped to see his face again is something that really can’t be put into words. It’s unusual to be able to get close to humanity in such a way for an incident that was over in a few hours. It ultimately made me pray that all of the Commonwealth lives that have been lost through the war in Afghanistan and at home fighting domestic terrorism have been worthwhile.
The museum itself was so hard wrenching and difficult to consume at time. By the time you get through the inner museum to phase 3, your heart had seen enough. I personally wasn’t able to give the last phase of the museum – the Al-Qeada history and documentary exhibition, the attention that it deserved.
The outer museum permitted photography. It contained the survivor stairs where a few of the last remaining survivors made it out of the WTC towers.
There were also several examples of the 9/11 memorabilia that had been collected, including a giant patchwork quilt and the statute of liberty model found near the base of WTC that contained many patches of first responders that assisted in the recovery efforts.
And some of the steel façade tower pieces that were on the North Building between floors 93-96. The photograph in the placard showed the actual position of this massive piece on the building.
There were several other examples of how massive the force mush have been when the building collapsed. It’s hard to imagine the pressure on steel that is bent and burnt like this.
The memorial hall occupied the end of the outer museum, including biographies of all 2,983 that were killed in the attacks on September 11, 2011 and February 26, 1993.
The hall was further highlighted by a beautiful colored exhibit entitled “Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky that Morning”.
In the memorial exhibition, there was a film entitiled “Rebirth at Ground Zero”. We lined up for it but it was a little hit or miss. It displayed the rebuilding of the site.
Another interesting series of exhibits were the Ladder 3 truck. The Ladder 3 truck of the New York City Fire Department was one of the initial fire crews on site. The entire company was killed in the first response as they were in the building somewhere above floor 35.
There were also segments of the radio and television towers on the roof of the towers that fell to the ground, somehow still intact.
There were also elevator motors that somehow made it down intact after falling 110 floors.
Along with a closer look at the sump wall, there were also a multimedia display of some items that were as a result of 9/11- including a Transport Safety Administration timeline relating to air travel.
Hidden upstairs, above the main entrance, is the auditorium. At the time of our visit, the auditorium was showing a documentary film, with interviews of several key figures: George W Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Rudolph Giuliani, and George Pataki among others highlighting the challenges faced with the leadership in dealing with an evolving situation. This particular documentary had received some notoriety in the press as it felt that it did not demonstrate a significant difference between Muslims and Al-Qaeda. The exhibit was mostly missed by most museum visitors, and is not printed in the museum brochure so be sure to ask for it if you are interested. I found it to be among the most interesting parts of the museum.
In Summary and Memory:
Our museum visit took us 4 hours, including a visit to all exhibitions and all films. I figure I read about 60% of all materials that were presented. If you are interested in giving the museum the respect it deserves, and are an aviation and a law enforcement geek like I am, allow yourself a minimum of 3 hours. We expected about 2 – 2.5 hours and ran over time with a 4 hour visit.
Our children are very fortunate in that they will be able to review history in a manner that is exceptionally well documented and unprecedented unlike any other generation. The sad part about this museum visit is that it will be a deeply emotional experience by the time that they are old enough to fully comprehend the significance of what they are seeing.
World Traveller 73 
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