Part One: London Baby!
Trip Start
Jan 21, 2005
1
9
16
Trip End
Aug 20, 2005
London,
United Kingdom
Monday, February 28, 2005
London Baby!
I've always wanted to visit London since I was a child. I grew up watching Disney musicals that always took place in London, movies like Mary Poppins and Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. I either imagined having magical powers like Angela Lansbury or being a workaholic banker who never pays attention to his mischievous children. I realized early on that there was only one place where such dreams could be achieved..
Alex and I at Picadilly Circus
. London Baby!Alex and I hopped a late night flight into Stansted and took the "tube" to our hostel. After a delicious English feast at Burger King we met up with friends at Picadilly Circus to go drinking at Bar Rumba. I started falling in love with London once I was in the middle of Picadilly Circus. The area looks very similar to Time Square, but it is in London and therefore "European" instead of "tacky". So far, London was pretty much New York, but with a slight possibility that chimney sweepers may break into song and shout for me to "step in time!"
"Bar Rumba? Don't go there, it's awful!"
This was the friendly British advice given to all of us from a man we needed directions from. Usually this is a sign not go the bar, especially when his sidekick (standing a foot behind him) reiterates that message with "Yeah, it's awful!" The advice fell on deaf ears to the group while Alex sat awestruck of Picadilly Circus and I stared at the roof tops wondering if the chimney sweepers are in rehearsal choreographing their dance.
We ended up going to Bar Rumba (and paying a frightening cover) only to realize that we should've taken the strangers' advice
Alex at Torino's Airport
. Alex describes Bar Rumba best as someone's basement. The bar was small, smoky, and blasting awful music for British teenagers. We sat at the bar wondering when the parents were going to come downstairs and threaten to call my mom if I don't leave immediately. We left disappointed and headed to an American bar where we all drank pints of beer and reminisced about high school and a time when none of us knew about beer and were all a little thinner.Alex and I ended the night heading back to our hostel and meeting the two Japanese students who we shared a room with. They were on a three week self-guided tour of Europe where they plan on seeing major cities and making unbelievably loud noise while getting dressed at six in the morning.
And so it goes...
