A Crash Course in ...London?
London: Day 1
Today began with a bang.
Well, not really. More like a stutter-start-nearly running out of gas-engine dying-feet dragging-tires popped-clutch smoking kind of way.
3 hours of sleep will do that to you.
I had tired to post the video to You-Tube overnight, but it was 15 minutes, and You Tube has a 7 minute limit. Bugger.
I managed to catch the 6:05 tram, with the rest of the tired looking Czech’s heading off to work. And then run into the Muzeum station to catch the A line to get to Dejvická, squish into the bus 119 to make it to the airport.
And all of those words are spelled correctly.
I checked-in and made it thru passport control without issue.
But then, thinking my SEAT number was the GATE number, began to head for terminal C. WRONG. So I ended going back thru another passport control, as though I was coming back into Prague, just to have to go back thru passport control as though I was leaving again.
My mind was definitely on suck instead of blow.
After I figured out what the hell was going on, and made it to my gate, I went thru security (which is at the gates in Terminal 1 in the Prague Airport) all was good. They didn’t even ask what was in the x-ray proof bag that was protecting my film. Strange.
I boarded the plane and took my seat. It was so nice to hear all the flight attendants and the Captain speaking English. They had to de-ice the plane on taxi because it was covered in frost, having sat on the ground all night... Guess winter is really here.
The flight was uneventful. And for an idea of how out of it I was, I actually slept thru landing. The whole damn process.
Upon landing, and going thru passport control/customs in London I found my bag in 30 seconds or less. It is the quickest that I have ever seen a bag appear from an aircraft. Ever.
One thing that did crack me up in London was the sign saying that you weren’t allowed to bring “offensive weapons” into the country.
What the hell defines an “offensive weapon?” Last time I checked “weapons” aren’t “offensive” unless they are committing a crime.
And last time I checked knives are tools, and guns don’t pull their own trigger.
For those of you who don’t know: the UK has completely outlawed all guns claiming, “we are an advanced society that doesn’t require weapons.”
It’s Bull. Don’t even get me started, but not even the police walking on the street carry guns. I can’t say that I felt any safer knowing that it was only the criminals who had guns obtained through illegal devices.
Anyways. I figured out how to buy a ticket for the Heathrow Express, the train that takes you from Heathrow to Paddington station. I just made it onto the train, and 15 minutes later I was in Paddington. Side note about the ticket: it was 16£. Kind of expensive.
At Paddington I withdrew cash, 150£, and tried to stuff it in my wallet. But the 20£ notes are too large for a normal mans wallet, so they stick out the top.
Nothing in England is standard.
I purchased a ticket for the metro, and boarded the circle line to get to the hotel.
Good God those metro’s move slowly. In Prague you whip along. In London you mosey along... at best.
After 30 minutes on the metro I was at Monument station, where the hotel directions told you to get off. So I did.
I found a map, and using my expert orienteering skills (not really because it had the “you are here” sticker) I was able to find Gracechurch Street.
But HOLY CRAP they drive on the wrong side of the road. You don’t know wether to look left or right. Crossing the street was deadly. Thankfully on most of the intersections it told the pedestrians which way to look to avoid the “bug-on-windshield” effect.
Nothing in England is standard.
And in adding to my ongoing list of “horrible things:”
Worst drivers in the world: Rhode Island
City where you are most likely to be run over: Moscow
City with the worst intersections: London
Aside from the fact that the rotaries run counterclockwise, there are traffic lights to stop people at the traffic lights, and there are more detours than direct routes.
Anyways, in walking up Gracechurch Street, I was able to find the hotel, no problem.
And even better than finding it no problem, was the fact that they let me check in 3+ hours early!
The room was smaller, but it was clean, quiet, comfortable, and indirect lighting.
For those of you who are scratching your heads right now, please understand that the first thing that I typically do when I arrive home is turn off all overhead lights, and turn on all the lamps. I HATE direct light.
Moving on. I called Jennifer upon my arrival at the hotel, but she didn’t answer. She called me back just a few minutes later, and the first words out of her mouth were, “ummm.”
We had been planning for me to take a bus from London to Wales to see a rugby game, and then take a bus back to London for the night. But the last bus back was at 6pm, not 11pm like we had thought. So she was going to have to skip the game, and catch an early bus down to meet me in London instead. For something that could have ended up very bad (ie: getting stuck in Wales), was easily averted.
So while she was working on getting to London from Cardiff (Wales), I took a walk to find lunch and St. Paul’s. The outside was quite amazing. I didn’t buy a ticket to go in because I knew that Jenn and I would be going inside tomorrow.
But it wasn’t St. Paul’s that gave me the experience of the day, rather it was while I was ordering lunch.
HOLY CRAP THEY SPEAK ENGLISH!
I’ve been speaking limited English, outside of that to my friends here, so it was a surprise to suddenly be able to communicate with store clerks, waiters, bus drivers, etc.
I guess I just missed being able to use my language.
Anyways, after St. Paul’s and my lunch experience I opted to take a nap. A much deserved nap I might add. I know, I know. Your thinking, “your in LONDON, and you take a NAP?!?!” but understand that on the amount of sleep I was running on wouldn’t have got me to dinner, let alone after dinner drinks.
So after my nap, I hopped the metro (or tube as they call it in London) to Victoria station to get Jenn and head back to the hotel. Upon arrival Jenn hopped in the shower to wash off the bus grime (can’t blame her) and we went out to see the nearby sights at night.
We walked over London Bridge, down along the river, up towards the Tower Bridge, over the Tower Bridge, and then back towards the hotel. One of the coolest things though was the park next to the Tower Bridge had all these very cool looking modern art sculptures, ultra-modern buildings, and a very interesting use of water jets. I’ll have pictures posted of all these things as soon as they get developed.
By the time we had finished our walk we were starving so we found a pub and ordered some food. I had a hamburger, and fries. YUM. It was almost like eating in Boston.
After dinner we walked to another small bar, which I believe, was called the “Cock and Woolpack.” Definitely sounds English.
After drinks we headed back to the hotel (all of three blocks away) and went to bed. Long day of traveling for both of us. Long day tomorrow of seeing London.