Images from the site of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center

"Ground Zero"
It really looks different than what you see on TV these days.  It's just awful to look at this very large (18 acres!) crater in the middle of lower Manhattan.  As Esther said when we were there, "if you didn't know what it really was, it looks like a construction site."  They are well below street level in the excavation.  

                
These two buildings are on the left and right sides (respectively) of where the Towers were.  Actually, there were a total of six building destroyed or collapsed.   These two buildings are still structurally sound, but have lost the face/side of the building facing the site.  Both draped to cover / protect the affected areas.

This picture didn't come out well, but I hope you can see it anyway (cropped and zoomed from a larger picture).
This cross was found in the rubble as is, with the crossbeams forming this cross.   They have erected it next to the site, with the ripped-up building in the background.

Mural along the viewing platform with the names of all who died there.   Wow, that was gripping!  As you can see in the picture, people have left their loved one's picture and funeral cards near the column with their name.  All the firemen and policeman were noted.  I was surprised how many firefighters- guess I thought it was similar to police, but actually a lot more fireman died trying to save others. 

These are horrible pictures of the multitudes of memorials that have been erected all around the site.  As you can see, flags, posters, pictures, candles, baseball caps, memorabilia, and an overwhelming amount of chains of origami cranes (Esther thought they were symbolic of peace and long life).  Esther and I - like everyone-   just walked somberly around the area looking at all the stuff.  We noticed that much of the stuff was "fairly new."  So the rescue workers must be maintaining it somehow.  It was really a flood of emotions.

Finally, beams of light in remembrance and hope. 
On the 6th month anniversary of the attack (March 11th), they starting turning on, at night, these beams that radiate toward heaven.  The picture is blurry because I didn't have my tripod, but had to use a really slow speed to capture the lights at night.

    On to NYC sites                          On to people in NYC

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