Water, however murky, is ever-present in New York City. I guess things could be much worse.

Out for a cruise aboard the Hornblower Hybrid recently, I made the best of stormy weather and shot the city from a maritime point of view, the Big Apple’s urban assault dampened by much water and beautiful shimmering lights. Unfortunately, the city hum and incessant horns and sirens had been horribly replaced by on-board disco. It fascinates me that a sightseeing cruise would not provide its passengers with the option of a quiet deck.

Lower Manhattan from the Hudson

I put my mini Gorillapod to good use and fastened the Powershot to railings, but a boat is a boat, and it rocks. Long exposures were impractical and the ISO had to creep up. Still, pretty night despite the rain and grain.

Before boarding, I had been stunned to find along the Hudson River promenade an informative sign mentioning lined seahorses as common inhabitants of the river pilings, and a strange apparatus in the water with another sign inviting passers-by to look for plankton and fish attracted at night by the solar-powered light source. Plankton and fish? In the Hudson, over which thick Italian espresso has a definite clarity edge?

Someone please convince me!

…

And my apologies for a delayed release of the next installment of Slingshot to Kruger. Free time has been rare and much interference is born from untimely issues. But the next post is almost ready and will mark our arrival in lion country. Stay tuned!