Diversity

It was a day of contrasts. We set out early to explore the edges of Manhattan. We started in Harlem on 125^th Street and walked towards 135^th St. We immediately noticed the absence of tourists and were aware we were now the ones being noticed. We walked around awhile before heading to the Tropical Grill & Restaurant on Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. I had read it had a 94% approval rating on Urbanspoon and was described as “…definitely one of the best Spanish restaurants in Harlem”. Once there, we lined up with locals, construction workers and one beautiful old woman who took an interest in us. She obviously knew we were not locals and was keen to know more about our travels (she can be seen sitting behind Stella in the last pic)

After ordering large plates of bbq chicken with yellow rice and black beans ($3.50 a plate), we left 135^th St Station on route to 195^th St. We alighted at Fordham Road Station in the heart of the Bronx and walked a few kilometres in search or more food. We ended up near Fordham University and ate at Pete’s Diner Cafe before heading back to the station. It was Saturday afternoon and the street was packed. On our journey through the Bronx, we were very aware of our own presence. It was an interesting and rewarding experience for us and one that put our good fortune into perspective.

The real contrast came later in the day when we set out to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the upper East-side. We spent the early evening exploring the gallery and marvelling at its collection. As we wandered around, I wondered whether the beautiful old lady from Harlem had ever set foot in the place. We would have loved to have her with us on our visit to repay her kindness.