I landed in London Friday afternoon, and it took me over an hour to find my friend Ash. I didn't expect him to be on time so I didn't let it worry me, but it turns out he had been waiting for me somewhere where I wasn't. Anyway, after I finally found him, the very first thing we had to do was go to a police station and explain to them that Ash was no longer a missing person. Apparently his mother reported him missing after she couldn't get a hold of him for a few days.
Later that evening, we went to see where the Olympics will be held later this year. We saw the different stadiums, what will be the athletes villiage and later apartments, and the biggest mall ever.
Gold Metals for the Olympics and Paralympics
Countdown.
After that, I had some cider in one of the bars while we waited for Ash's friends. We hung out with them for a while before Ash got a call from his mother, and we went to a party. The party was a reception after a funeral, but if nobody would have told me that, I would have thought it was a birthday party. Everyone was certainly celebrating that mans life! After that, we decided to call it a night so we could get up early tomorrow to see the sights.
We took London's subway (tube) into the city, and obviously, my first stop was Platform 9 3/4. We also saw The British Museum, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Saint Paul's Cathedral, and a lot of central London in between.
Finally got my Hogwarts letter!!
After that, we went to The British Museum, and let me tell you, colonialism lets you have some really cool stuff all in one place. As many of my friends and family already know, as a child I loved Ancient Egypt, so naturally, I spent the largest chunk of my time in that section of the museum. So much cool stuff.
The Rosetta Stone, the museums most famous artifact and the most hotly contested. Obviously claimed by Egypt.
Ramesses the Great
This guy died and was buried before they started using coffins, and he dried out from the sand so fast that he still has skin and hair. He's dated to 3400 BC.
Old chess set I thought was cool, but it must have been hard to remember which piece was yours when they were all the same color.
Easter Island Head.
This was a really neat exhibit. Using the medical records and interviews with a married couple, they laid out every pill, every injection, every inhaler used by these people throughout their lives. It is staggering to see the medicines displayed like this, and to think that they were relatively healthy people. This also didn't include vitamins, and as you walked along the display, you could read about for what the person took antibiotics for ect. Makes you think.
Fish and Chips for lunch!
North Entrance of Westminster Abbey.
Stumbled upon a protest. Just before this Ash was telling me about how the London Police keep getting in trouble, and I think I saw why. One of the police said to a group "Blokes, form a line" very clearly indicating where he wanted it with his arms, and about 8 other policemen proceed to panic a bit and run into each other trying to follow a simple direction. It looked like something out a a movie. Not to mention the pro-peace and welfare protesters didn't look very threatening to begin with.
Ash and I outside of Buckingham Palace.
Later this night, we got home and got ready to go out, only to realize the party was actually the night before, so Ashley, famous at UNC for being out every night, and I watched The Terminal, and passed out after a full day of touring. I still don't know what happens at the end of that movie...
Day 2: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, Globe Theater, The Millennium Bridge, and the London Fire Brigade.
Tower Bridge, over the Thames River, which I learned on TV while I was there, now has seahorses, so must not be as terribly polluted as everyone thought.
Tower of London, read all the information signs here in Spanish. ha.
Ash made a friend.
Globe Theater- In honor of my Courtney Kelly!
HMS Belfast. It didn't seem right not to go see it when my entire childhood I stopped at every ship or battlefield we went by. For you Dad!
This was called a "Peddle Bus" and it was stopping traffic while all of these men peddled to propel this thing down the busy London streets. Did I mention they were sitting at a bar and all had beers? WHAT. Why does nothing in London make sense?
It was a nice taste of fall!
Okay, so this is the part where I couldn't even believe what was happening. Ash and I got ready and went out with two of his other friends, and as we were looking for a parking spot, the entire engine caught on fire. And not just a little fire, a big one, with smoke and breaking glass and the whole deal. Needless to say we got out and ran, but I did take a picture. Ha.
Poor Car.
Damage.
We called it a night after the car tired to kill us, and I got to meet some of the London Fire Brigade.
Overall, an awesome trip, filled with sights, historical and non. Hopefully I make it back to London someday with more time and more money!
THANK YOU ASHLEY.
Cordoba next weekend, and my Birthday after that! Bye for now.
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