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Published: January 2nd 2007
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Follow the yellow-brick road...
or in this case the yellow signs! As the plane began descending, I was looking out the window at the quaint houses and I noticed the road…and this very thought occurred to me: “Oh my gosh, they really do drive on the other side of the road!” Not that I didn’t believe it, but it became clear to me that I really was about to land in England!
The landing was smooth and soon I was off the plane and heading toward customs. Since I had nothing to declare and I was only there for a short time (what they refer to as “transit”) my customs experience went smoothly; I had a nice chat w/the customs guy and I was through the door…I WAS IN LONDON!!!
The first order of business was to call home, so I made my way to a phone. I realized as I was standing in front of an international phone that I had neglected to research how to make an international call to the US…how could I have been so lame??? After one failed attempt, I realized that I could push a button and a nice operator on the other end would take care of that for me…mission accomplished.
Next
The Tube Station
I was waiting to transfer to a different train on my way to Bayswater to find the London House Hotel. I needed to get some cash, so I went to an ATM (I needed to keep as much of my US cash as possible, in case I could not find ATMs in Uganda) and got some British Pounds (not Euros), then I headed for the Underground to find the hostel I’d chosen for my return trip.
Taking the Tube (as they call it) was fun! I’m not one for public transportation in the US, but I actually enjoyed my experience…I could get used to not having to drive most places! By the time I reached the Bayswater station it was almost 3pm local time. I exited the station and there it was, right in front of me: LONDON!!!
I was standing on a street in London!!! And what should I see right across the street??? BURGER KING!! I guess home is never really that far away! I noticed a sign and the phone booth and promptly took a picture of it…cause everyone should have a picture of a red phone booth in their collection!!!! LOL Having no idea where the hostel was exactly (other than an address), I started walking down the street…after a couple of blocks I
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It had taken me 2 hours just to get this far...most of this time had been spent in the airport taking care of business: calling home, getting money, and figuring out which way I needed to go and which train to catch. asked a girl standing in front of a store which way “Kensington Garden Square” was pointed in the proper direction. Unfortunately, there are two streets w/the same name, so I went too far the first time, but after a couple of minutes I was standing in front of the “London House Hotel”.
It was cute! (Sorry, I guess I forgot to take a picture of it! ? ) I inquired inside about leaving my bag for the month of January, for I had explained that I had a reservation on January 22nd. The desk attendant said it was not possible - they only had two luggage rooms and they were “small”. Crap - this was the first thing that had not quite “worked out in my favor” since the moment it became clear I was going to be taking this trip!! So, I asked if I could have a room for a couple of hours - I needed to freshen up and take a nap…I was exhausted! 13 BP (British Pounds) later I was in a room…with two sets of bunk beds and a sink; the “Water Closet” (toilet) was down the hall. I washed up and laid down
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Ken and G, this one's for you!!! Miss you both! for a nap…only for 1 hour though. I wanted to have time to walk around, find some food, take a few pictures and then head back to Heathrow by 7pm since my flight was at 9-something.
I think I only slept for about 15 minutes of the hour allotted for my nap. I spent the rest of the time reflecting on my trip thus far and trying to figure our what to do w/the bag that REALLY needed to stay in London. I decided to ask the desk attendant again as I was checking out, this time explaining why I needed to leave the bag.
After changing and re-organizing my bag I headed back to the front desk…and after explaining why I needed to leave it for a month, the desk attendant said I could, but it was at my own risk - they would not be held responsible if it was missing when I came back. “THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!” I left my bag in the back luggage room (which was empty at the moment), high up on a shelf - “Lord, please watch over this bag for the next month.” I thanked the desk attendant again
Bayswater Station
This is the station closest to the London House Hotel. when I returned the key and as I walked out the door, “Merry Christmas.”
Outside it wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be…or maybe it was all the layers and scarf I was wearing! Either way I was carrying my heavy winter coat instead of wearing it…I thought about leaving it w/my bag, but there was no way to lock it up, so it was headed to Uganda with me.
Since I had some extra time, I walked the main street of Bayswater…such a cute town! There were a lot of shops and restaurants…Chinese, Indian, Italian, even McDonald’s, KFC and the aforementioned Burger King. I had seen a pub that had Fish-n-Chips for 6.95BP, so I stopped there for my first real (non-airplane) meal of the trip. Inside it had dimmed lighting, holiday decorations hung and a certain aroma that I hadn’t smelled in a restaurant in a long time…cigarette smoke! I found a seat at a table and I ordered a diet coke and fish-n-chips. “Oh, I’m sorry, we should post a sign…the gas is out in our kitchen, but there is a pub around the corner that has the same menu.” BUMMER!!! I was
My first sights outside the tube station
"I'm in London!!!" is all I can think when I first walk out of the tube station...and this is the first thing I see! totally looking forward to that meal!
So, instead of searching for another pub, I decided to keep walking to see what else was out there. A couple more blocks and what glorious sight should my eyes see??? STARBUCKS!!! That’s right folks, Starbucks is global!!! I chose not to have coffee though - thought it might not be such a good idea since I had another 8+hour flight ahead of me. I probably could have stopped at any of the fast food places for dinner, but decided to head back to Heathrow instead…I could always find food there.
I was on time and headed in the right direction, or so I thought…in one of my transfers I had inadvertently hopped on a train that was not headed for Heathrow. Lesson: READ THE SIGNS ABOVE THE TRAIN to ensure you get on the correct one. It’s not enough to just read platform signs, as more than one train passes through the platforms. Lucky for me I was able to exit the wrong train and after a 4-minute wait I was Heathrow-bound again on the right train.
The terminal was pretty full, but I didn’t have to wait in any
On my quest for food...
So many comforts of home, except I hate that food...and besides, I'm in London - I want Fish-n-Chips!!!! line because I was checked all the way through when I boarded in LA and security was a breeze. Once past security I wanted to find something to eat…after careful contemplation (cause there were not as many choices as I thought there would be) I decided to eat at a place called “Costa Coffee;” I purchased a sandwich and Diet Coke and found a place to sit.
After eating, I had some time so I wrote on my laptop for about an hour, then I went on a search for my gate. An hour later I was on a plane (again) bound for Entebbee, Uganda. The flight was about an hour delayed in taking off, but I managed a nap in the meantime. Dinner on the plane was, you guessed it, turkey, potatoes, stuffing, some overcooked veggies that I didn’t even attempt to eat and some yummy dessert thing…(the other option was pasta w/meat sauce…no thanks!). I tried to sleep after dinner, but did not have as much luck as during the first leg of my journey (probably due to my pre-takeoff nap)…my sleep was restless at best.
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