Departure Day

Late into the night Claudia helped me pack the bike in the cardboard box I got from a bike shop near my house (idea I got from Sorin Boriceanu). I could not have done it without her special ability of locating the things that I had in my hand 5 minutes ago. Or from any other past period.
Things went surprisingly smooth and we were able to pack everything nicely thanks to this guy's detailed instructions: http://iikmisc.blogspot.com/2010/11/packing-bicycle-for-flight.html (although I did not follow them by the book and opened the beer in the middle of the job instead of at the end).

Arriving at the checkin gate a few hours later I have a very pleasant surprise. Because I have no other luggage except my bike box and small backpack I don't have to pay for the bike. It goes in as regular baggage. They don't even care that it is oversize. Their site says otherwise but who am I to contradict them? :)

In Amsterdam the US customs officer looks to me a bit suspicious when he sees my return ticket for two months later from the other coast of the US. Telling him about my plan somehow does not seem to calm his suspicions. After a few questions aimed to determine that I'm not a crazy biker terrorist the atmosphere becomes more relaxed:
Crossfit?
You mean the sport?
Yeah!
No, why?
Points at my shoes and says: Inov8 ... crossfitters wear them.
These guys do have an eye for detail.

Seven hours later after landing at JFK I have to explain my self again, twice, but then I finally exit the airport reunited with my battered bike box. It then becomes clear that I should have done some prior preparation at navigating the maze that is NY metro system because there are hardly any maps on the station's walls. I manage to get near the hostel but I have to go one more km by foot carrying the 18 kg bike box. Lucky that the prepaid SIM card works and google maps helps me navigate the streets of Queens.

To me the area with an industrial aspect empty streets and derelict brick buildings looks like from a bad 2paq movie, but I hear the receptionist explaining to another customer that it is a very safe neighborhood (which was a bit contradicted by a street chase and fight I saw later that night)
After exploring the area a little I find Queensboro Bridge - a huge steel structure filled with cars but that also has a bike and pedestrian path. On which surprisingly are many cyclists and runners. The bridge takes me to where the skyscrapers are, Manhattan, where I spend the rest of the evening, strolling through Central Park (runner heaven), Broadway, Times Square and generally picking streets at random amazed at the scale and vibe of a very impressive city!

I finish the day back at the hostel reassembling the bike and meeting my two german roommates, then writing down these impressions.
Very full day, this city is amazing and I plan to explore it with the bike tomorrow.