London afternoon

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Flew into London today. The flight was uneventful, though I didn't get that much sleep. I find it ironic and somewhat amusing that I get the most rest on cheap, no-frills airlines; with no inflight entertainment, no meals, etc., the only thing you can do is sleep.

I landed in London on time, though getting to the hostel took longer than expected. I don't know where the London Tube got it's bad rep though; it seems quite clean, comfortable and convenient to me (once you've mastered the tangle of different lines) albeit a tad slow.

Anyways, my delay in getting settled in at St. Christopher's Village Hostel left me with only enough time to visit the Tower of London (palace and prison wrapped neatly in a fortress package...) and the Tower Bridge. Unfortunately (although not unexpectedly), no photos were allowed of the Crown Jewels. I particularly liked this scepter wtih the Cullinin 1 530 Carat diamond on it......

On the other side of Tower Bridge, there's this really neat place called Butler's Wharf on the south side of the Thames. It was apparently once used as a warehouse complex (hence the high-level walkways connecting the buildings), but is now expensive shopping central.

I just finished dinner after wandering in the west-end Soho district for a while. The place is food central, and the guidebook delivered on this one. Stockpot, on Old Compton St. off of Charring Cross Rd., served up a two course meal at £5, which is unbelievable here; the prices are through the roof. As case in point, take the picture of the Starbucks menu below. The numbers are almost the same as they are back home in Vancouver. Note however, that these numbers are in Pounds. Yeah...I guess my frappuccino craving's gonna have to be suppressed for the next month or two.

I'm really tired (4 hours on the plane, barely any sleep the previous night due to last minute packing, and 8 hours of jetlag), so I'm gonna call it a night. My corner of the hostel (below) isn't exactly luxurious, but at £12 a night, I'm hardly picky.

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Photos

Tower Bridge
No trip to London is complete without a few cliche'd photos.

The Tube
A bit slow, but don't know why it has such a dubious reputation.

Butler Wharf
Quaint little shopping corner (with matching pricetags)

Soho/Convent
Food, food and more food. The place has quite a trendy feel, and seems to have incorporated a mini (clean) chinatown. You name the cuisine, it's here. The price on the other hand....

Cheap Eats.
Soup and Veal Parmessan with salad and fries for £5 - the lonely planet guidebook was good for something. Downside: locals all know about this place -> 15 minute wait standard.

Don't forget to multiply by 2.5
Numbers don't look that bad, until you realize these are in GBP. So no coffee....

Luxury accommodations
Opulence - the £12 a night kind

Comments

[Leung's]

12 pounds a night, that's v. cheap!
Hello Andrew: I couldn't have found a cheaper place than what you found. Great pictures! I wish I can be in London right now. You discovered a part of London that I've never been before (Old Compton St.) Anyway, have fun while you're over there.. take lots of pics! I'll follow your trip closely. Did we ever make Expresso-drink for you when you were over at our place? I promise you that my wife will ive you that caffeine boost that you'll need, when you are back! So try not to bye SB coffee... to expensive.. :-) Bye now and take care. :-)