Well today was the first day I dared to ride a bike. Not suprising as the hotel bikes have no brakes. Pedal backwards and you slow down but forget about emergency stops! Cycled all the way along the Hudson River to the Financial District and then over the Brooklyn Bridge. Was easier than I thought, apart from the bridge which was a bit of a nightmare what with demented cyclists and oblivious pedestrians and me with no brakes! Biking is a lot easier than walking though and New York is very flat.

Went into the Museum of the American Indian which was both interesting and strange. At security I managed to set off the alarm and virtually had to strip off to prove I wasn’t carrying a bomb. Not as bad as the rather distinguished elderly gentleman behind me who happened to be carrying a rather lethal looking knife on him (some kind of family heirloom I think). He seemed suprised when he was told he couldn’t bring it in!

The view from Brooklyn Bridge was amazing and the nice bit of Brooklyn (near the river was lovely). Downtown Brooklyn was a shock. Obviously very poor and quite different to what I’d already seen. Also had my first experience of crazy religion. About every 50 yards there were people exhorting me to repent and turn to the Lord! Given the contrast between Manhatton and Brooklyn I would have thought they’d have realised that Mammon had won the spiritual battle. Downtown Brooklyn is like East Berlin mixed with the worst parts of Coventry. Not nice but gritty. Where the American Dream turns into nightmare! Didn’t stay there long.

No gig today because I was too into biking. Back tomorrow.