Tis the season to go shopping

It was the weekend before Christmas and it felt like everybody in the entire hemisphere was out shopping in Manhattan. I had a lot of Christmas shopping left to do, so on Saturday I was up early (afternoon) and excited to get going. Armed with my credit card and shopping list I started at Central Park and Fifth Avenue. The plan was to walk down Fifth, shopping and admiring the window displays.

I was not let down! It was unbelievably busy - the streets were swarming with people. The NYPD were out and had police tape up at the lights to stop people from crossing at the wrong time. There were barricades to prevent shoppers from walking on the road. It was nuts. I spoke to some British tourists who argued that not even London Christmas shopping crowds could compare to this.

I loved the window displays, they were incredible. The lights and decorations were so great I kept stopping and causing busy (and angry) shoppers to collide into me. On two occasions I was hit by one of the street vendors pushing their carts along.

I could not help but stop and peak into Tiffany's to check out the decorations. It is breathtaking inside. I felt like I was stepping into a set from a movie. The staff are super happy, friendly and strangely rehearsed "Welcome to level two, where dreams come true!"

Further downtown on 34th Street, Macy's was something of a spectacle. I have never in my whole life seen that many people inside a store. One shopper phrased it well - "It's the one time of year tourists and locals alike flock to the same places with the same goals."

There were long queues to board escalators and guards and the top and bottom controlling the riders. I am ashamed to admit I found this such a novelty that I took a ride to the same floor twice. It was too much fun to only try once! On my second trip up I overheard two shoppers talking:

Shopper One: I saw a coat upstairs and it looked just like 101 Dalmatians! I want it so badly!
Shopper Two: Isn't the point of 101 Dalmatians that you aren't supposed to want the coat? The puppies would have to die for the coat! That's why Cruella De Vil was the bad guy...

When my arms could hold no more shopping bags and my credit card was getting tired, it was time to go home. I was quite reluctant - the crowds were such a tourist attraction that I could have cruised Manhattan shopping hot spots all day.