The 9/11 memorial New York City

On our third day in the City, we took the tour and visited the museum of the 9/11 tragedy, our guide, Ray, who was actually inside one of the World Trade towers when the first plane hit it. Ray gave a very moving and informative talk during the tour.

Amid very tight security we our way to the memorial park where 2 large waterfalls stand on the site of the Twin Towers with the names of the victims inscribed in the surrounding walls.

These enormous square voids, occupying the footprints of the former Twin Towers, seemed to echo the vast emptiness left by the tragedy. We paused at the bronze parapets surrounding the pools, our fingers tracing some of the nearly 3,000 names inscribed there.

As we continued our visit, we entered the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which had opened just months before. Inside, we were enveloped by the somber atmosphere as they viewed artifacts, personal stories, and multimedia displays that chronicled the events of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath.

The area is now being rebuilt with The Freedom tower being the first building to be completed.

Ray also told us about O'Hara's pub which somehow survived the devastation and which was used as a field hospital and is now a preserved memorial itself. 

Ray said that if we had time that we should pop in and raise a glass to all the members of the emergency services who acted so bravely on that terrible day.....and so we did.