We left for London on the evening of the 24th. We took a night bus there, operated by MegaBus, which got to London around 7:30. The ride there was fine, and it went pretty quickly because we slept most of the time. Once we got to London, we found a tube station and rode it until Russell Square, which was the closest stop to our hostel. It was really easy to use once we got the hang of it, but the first time was confusing. We weren’t sure how to get tickets, or which train to take, but someone helped us, and we got there just fine.
The hostel we stayed at was called the Generator, and it touted itself as the “premier party hostel in London,” and that is why we chose it. We got there before 11:00, and we could not check in yet, so we put our stuff in the luggage room (which was more than a bit dodgy) and went to the park at Russell Square to have lunch (which we picked up from Tesco Express) and tried to plan out our day. We ended up going to the British Museum, which was really cool. It is a free museum, and pretty much just houses things England has plundered from other countries over the past forever. We pretty much only saw the Egyptian exhibit, because we were so tired that I was practically falling asleep on a bench, and wanted to sit on everything (including ancient Egyptian tombs, which Leah and I got yelled at for doing). I wanted to see the mummies, but they were on the fifth floor, which seemed too high. From there we made the great decision to go to Starbucks and I had a much needed cup of coffee. We planned out what we would do, and then off we went to Kings Cross to see the Platform 9 ¾ for Harry Potter they have there. It was disappointing, like most of my London experience. I’ll post some pictures of it, but it was a really sad thing. The handle of the trolley was broken off, and we seemed to be the only ones interested in it, but that’s ok.
By this time, we could go check into the hostel. We did so, and got kind of lost on the way to our room, but eventually got there. We were in a 14 person room, both men and women. We were so pooped that we took a nap, and then woke up and went to the bar in the hostel (we had free drink coupons). Once there, we settled in to some fooseball and drinking. Later in the night, we were challenged in pool by two guys from Vancouver, with whom I got in a large fight with about the Wild vs. the Canucks and hockey in general. They got boring really quick though, and Leah made us some other friends from Michigan who we ended up hanging out with at the hostel for a couple days. Leah went to bed around midnight, and D and I went in search of food. We started off going to Tesco, but I got it in my head that I wanted a kebab, so I walked into a tandoori restaurant on a street. They looked closed, but had an open sign in the window and they said they were open when I asked, so we went in for kebabs. There were like 6 Indian workers there, and once we ordered the kebabs, we just kind of sat there feeling awkward, a little buzzed in this seemingly nice restaurant, with the staff looking at us. To make everything worse, the kebabs were not good at all. They were not even what I was expecting. They were like grilled lamb sausage, and were just gross. We actually gave mine to passerby because I literally couldn’t eat it. Not cool. So we ended up getting food from Tesco anyway.
That was it for our adventures on the first day. On the second day, we woke up around ten and went to the complimentary breakfast in the hostel. That wasn’t very filling, though I was excited to have sugared cereal. My Frosted Flakes were delicious, but my milk was not cold so it was also kind of gross. From there, we got ready and went to a chippy for lunch/breakfast. I had another kebab, and it was better than the first, but not great. We took the tube to Piccadilly Circus and walked around the theater district for a little bit, and then wondered into and around Soho. We browsed a couple shops, and bought some accessories from H&M. By far the best thing in Soho, and possibly London, was this really awesome toy store called Hanley’s. There were 6 floors, I think seven total including the ground floor, and it was so neat. They had workers dressed in costumes and demonstrating products, and each floor was different. There was a games floor (interactive and board), stuffed animals (an entire floor for them), little kids, girls (it reminded me of the old FAO Schwartz at MOA with the Barbie store. It was amazing!), boys (Leah and D played slot cars there, and there was a ton of awesome memorabilia from Batman, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings there. So awesome!), a Lego floor and probably more. We were there for over an hour, and I called Mike to see if I could get anything for Hailey, his niece, there because it was just so cool. Too bad I don’t know many more little kids to buy for. Everyone is growing up! We went down to the games area to see if they have any cool Nintendo memorabilia, but they didn’t. They did, however, have a Wii set up with Mario Kart, and Rock Band. Leah and I played Mario Kart for a little bit first, and then all the dudes there were sucking at Rock Band, so we took that over and schooled everyone. It was brilliant.
From there we met up at Wellington’s Arch in Piccadilly Square for a free tour our hostel recommended. Our tour guide, Mike, was really good. It is not really free, they work on tips, but it was still a really good deal. We went all over and saw all the major sights including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, Trafalger Square, St. James Park and more. The guide was really funny, and told us lots of interesting things. One of my favorite quotes he told us was by Winston Churchill, who apparently liked whisky. A socialite said to Churchill, “Sir! You are drunk!” and he responded with: “I am drunk, but you are ugly, and in the morning I will be sober.” Pretty hilarious. I was able to take part in the tour, where I helped to demonstrate what being hung, drawn and quartered was. I think I ruined it halfway through the demonstration by asking, “Isn’t this what they did in Braveheart?” but it was neat none the less. It was what they did in Braveheart.
From there, we wanted to do a pub crawl, but it just got too late. The tour was not over until around 18:00, and the pub crawl was starting at 19:30, so we just kind of got some food and got ready leisurely, and then the doorman at the pub, who was an Aussie, told us to go to Walkabout, the Aussie bar. We did, and when we got there it seemed fun, but we were obviously out of place. It was also super expensive. The doorman actually showed up, with a hilarious friend. He was obviously at the least drunk and at the most strung out on something, but he showed up in a shirt and tie, and from there, he took off his tie, wrapped it around his head and took off his shirt so he just had his under T shirt on. Then he started outrageously dancing. It was so funny. Besides that, the bar was kind of a bust, and we left early. We were going to go to a club called Fabric, but the cover there was 16GBP, which is like $30 so we just took the tube back to the hostel. It was a good thing too, because we were on the last train of the night.
Day three was more of the same. After breakfast, we went to see the Tower of London and the Thames River. It was really neat. We walked so much! We pretty much walked most of the east bank of the river and stopped at some neat places, like a cool market we found and the Globe Theater. We also went back to Westminster Abbey and by Big Ben and Parliament again. My favorite stop though, probably my favorite place in London, was the National Gallery. It is a free art museum housing hundreds of works. I went straight for the Impressionism (duh!) and saw some of Van Gogh’s paintings for the first time in person. It was amazing. I know it sounds so stupid, but I literally almost cried they were so beautiful. I did cry while looking at one of the Passion. It was really, really beautiful, but I can’t remember the painter. I wasn’t there long, we got there less than an hour before close, but I am sure I will go back when me and Erin hit London. I bought Trevor a postcard from there. It was a cool one of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
After that, we did some shopping (I bought 4 dresses, all for less than 10 GBP. Such a steal!) and went back to the hostel and got ready for another awesome night at the hostel bar. We had to get up pretty early to make sure we caught our bus home, which left around 10. It was pretty close. They were already boarding by the time we got to the station. The ride home was terrible. I was with a crappy seat partner, and he did not scoot into his corner properly. It was mega long and uncomfortable. No matter how much it costs, I don’t think I will be taking a bus again. As Patty, our resident director would say, your time is worth something, and nothing is worth that again. Oh, but I did do some gambling at one of our rest stops and won like 30 GBP. Not bad!
We got home around 19:00. Jesse, our little brother, was so happy to see us. It was really nice. Everyone was around when we left, and same thing when we got back. There are really good people here. All in all, I really didn’t like London. My first night there, all I wanted to do was go back to Edinburgh. People were not nice, and it was just so expensive. I did like the tube, though. I think next time it will be better, because I will have a better idea of what to see and do, and a more realistic expectation of how much money to plan on spending. I have already been plotting in my head what Erin and I should do there, and I think next time it will be a huge improvement. It will never be Scotland, though, but I guess nothing else will.
Here is all three of us with a solider during our walking tour. They really don't do anything but stand there, not moving or talking or anything. It is really kind of pointless, because nothing they are guarding seems like a big deal (even at Buckingham Palace...they have a big fence and other guards, so why do they need this guy?) I did feel terrible for posing with them, though. I was kinda just like, "Thank you... Sorry..
Here we are in front of the Tower of London. A woman took it for us because she mistook D for her own child and yelled at her. It was kinda funny, but we got a nice pic out of it.
This is by the mall where there is a cavalry display for the Queen's Official Birthday. This is a funny photo because some passerby took it, and it is the most legit picture ever taken by a stranger. He lined it up so there is an extra stump on both sides, and if you zoom in, my face will be exactly in the center. He did a great job!
I know you can't see it well, but there are pelicans out on those rocks. King James would always get exotic pets from visiting dignitaries, and keep them in there. Now, only the pelicans remain. They eat pigeons. I'm not lying. There is a You Tube video: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PO5ifLzLYiU. If that won't work just go to you tube and type pelican eats pigeon and it will come up. It is awesome.
This is Trafalger Square, the center of London.
This is my bird friend I made on the way home. He was so cute and was digging in the dirt. It was adorable.
This is the National Gallery
This is the Tower of London. We did not go in because we have seen so many castles, and this did not seem awesome.
This is me in front of the Tower Bridge. It is really pretty, much prettier than the London Bridge.
A view of the Thames River.
The London Eye. We didn't go on it because it seemed boring and was expensive.
This is a view of Big Ben and Parliament.
Westminster Abbey
More Parliament.
This is a random building next to the Tower of London. We originally thought this was the Tower, and were wondering why it was not very busy. That is because it was indeed not the Tower of London.
Wellington's Arch
Me and another guard.
Guards walking around the street.
The fountain at Trafalger Square.
10 Downing Street. This is where the Prime Minister lives. You can't really see it or get close because Margaret Thatcher has a wall built because everyone hated her.
The three of us on our first night.
These were the random dudes we gave the gross kebabs to.
Our gross kebab box on the floor.
Me with mini Indiana Jones.
Leah with big Indiana Jones.
The Rosetta Stone in the British Museum.
Part of the Sphinx. It was his beard.
The outer wall of an Egyptian tomb.
The outside of King's Cross station. Rail, buses and the tube all meet here.
Me being angry at the Canadian dudes for dissing the Wild.
Me and D before our bus left.
Me and Sara, my bus partner.
Our first Tube experience.
Pigeons bathing in the fountain at Russell Square.
And finally, the inside of the British Museum.
1 comment:
Great talking to you today, Traci!
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