I maintain that the worst part about traveling is, well, the travel. I awoke at 3.30 am in Iceland to snag a ride to the airport. My 6 am flight was delayed 2 and half hours but eventually our wheels touched down in London. Whatever excitement I had as I trudged through the airport was quickly quelled when I saw the line for customs wrapped around the corner and out of sight. Another 2 hours of waiting.
Like any veteran traveler, I had done my homework and knew which train I had to take to which station to get me from the airport to the hostel. Alas, the station I was supposed to go to was closed. Time for a "plan B". After various other cancellations I finally got on a train headed into London. From there I took the underground, weighed down with my bag, and walked the remaining 0.6 miles to the hostel.
A former student had suggested I stay near the Tower Bridge, so I did. I spent 3 days in Wombats City Hostel and let me tell you, a better hostel you will not find. If Wombats had a hostel in Fargo, North Dakota I might consider going there. The hostel has all you can eat breakfast, a huge basement bar, and the rooms are all equipped with a bathroom and shower (doesn't happen a lot in hostels).
Free of my heavy bag, freshly showered, and suddenly with new life, I was out to explore the town. First stop was the Tower Bridge but not before I grabbed a quick bite from a food truck just below the bridge. I walked across the bridge while eating my dinner and spent some time on the other side just peering in shops and restaurants. I had always been weary of travel to Britain because of the exchange rate but because of the Brexit vote the Pound Sterling has never been weaker! It made me want to run up to an elderly British person and give them a hug (I didn't because I am foreign and therefore repulse them).
I returned to the hostel in time for the Euro Final which was being shown on a big screen in the bar at the hostel. I met a traveler named Joe, from Los Angeles, who was at the end of his journey and would be returning home the following day. Soon after, we were joined by a friendly, and rather attractive Canadian girl and suddenly we had a crew. The rest of the night sped passed filled with conversations of places we had been and places we were going.
The next morning arrived quicker than I would have preferred, and let's just say I was moving a little slow. Time was tickin' however so I was out the door by 9 am and ready to be a tourist. A few things are different here. For one, you can easily lose 10 pounds just by having a few beers (unfortunately, it's currency). They also drive on the opposite side of the road. I knew this coming here but wasn't fully prepared for how confusing it would be. Seems simple enough, just look the opposite way you normally would when crossing the street. But somehow in my brain that became quantum physics so at every crosswalk I perform what I have called "The out-of-town octagon" where I look in 8 different directions with dizzying rapidity. So far, no injuries.
I spent the morning and most of the midday exploring Westminster and seeing sights such as The London Eye, Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace just to name a few, and enjoyed the sunlight by eating my lunch in St. James Park.
That evening I successfully navigated the underground up to St. John's Wood so that I could see the famous Abbey Road. I sat at the striped crosswalk eating my dinner and watching tourists try and recreate the Beatles album cover while their music played through my earbuds. One group of tourists seemed a little more excited than the others and when I looked up I realized it was John Cho and Karl Urban, who apparently are both in Star Trek and were in town because the premier was the following night.
The next day would be my last full day in London and I still had a lot I wanted to see. I began with a tour of the Tower of London then headed West into the financial district of the city and in search of St. Paul's Cathedral. The weather was a little nastier today and in no time at all I had whipped out my rain jacket and continued down the streets. Some business men were prepared with umbrellas while others simply conceded defeat and walked on with drenched suits. I eventually found the cathedral as well as a place to warm up and dry off.
Once the rain had finally subsided I was set to meet up with a friend for a few beers. Jon lives in London with his wife and now 2 year old son. I first met Jon and his wife 4 years ago in Mancora, Peru. They are avid travelers. Erika, his wife, will go to her 99th country later this year!
The rest of my final day in London was spent bar hopping with a few Aussies before turning in for the night. Today, I will catch a train to the town of Salisbury where I will be staying with a couple I also met in Mancora. I have a few more hours before by train so I am off to explore London one more time. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment