On arrival in London, I was exhausted, and somewhat bewildered. I didn't manage to sleep much on the plane, despite the fact that I lucked out, and had my set of seats all to myself. (An interesting note--I was the only person I could see on the plane who didn't have seat mates!) When I looked out the airplane window, I saw a beautiful sunrise around me, and lots of clouds below me. We finally circled in for a landing, and I was amazed, yet again, at how HUGE cities are from the air.

Our plane landed out in the middle of an asphalt wilderness, and they put us on a bus to the terminal. I waited through the line at customs, got my passport stamped, and then went out to figure out the airport. Somewhere in there, I picked up my mostly empty duffel bag from the baggage carousel. (Packing hint--if you're trying to travel with carry-on only, add a fully closeable bag. Then, if they tell your your bag is overweight, you can put heavy things you won't mind losing into it, and check that, and keep the important stuff with you) The first thing I saw, after I stepped out of customs, was a Starbucks. Something to make me feel more at home, I guess.

I found a cash machine in the airport, and took out some money for the next couple of days. I knew that I would need enough for the hostel, and I also wanted money for things like food and travel. When I got home, I discovered that my bank card added no fees when I used it internationally (considering I had been told it would cost me $1.75 per withdrawal, I felt pretty lucky). I also discovered that the dollar had been doing much better against the pound than I had known--rather than the $1.75 per pound I had been deducting, each pound cost me $1.45. So that was another nice treat.

I found my way to the Underground, bought a day long travel card (one that was probably more expensive than I strictly needed, but I wanted the option of making mistakes my first day). I sat down to wait for a train, and then had to leave the station to explore my first European bathroom. I was quite glad I had paid for the unlimited fare ticket, because I would have ended up having to pay twice to enter the Underground if I hadn't. Bodily needs taken care of, I returned to wait for a train to London. The tube was similar to subway trains I'd ridden on in the past, although the seats were more comfortably padded.

During the long ride to my stop (Tottenham Court Road), I began to fall asleep. I stayed as alert as I could, but my eyelids continued to droop. I did my best to keep my eyes and ears open for my stop. Fortunately, I didn't sleep through it. I made my way out of the station, and found myself in London.

But finding myself in London didn't mean I had any idea of how to find my hostel. Which is to say, I was in the right location, and I found the street.... or so I thought. My father was paying for the tour, but since I wanted to get a chance to see London, I had the travel agent move my flight a few days earlier than the tour would begin. I chose not to spend my own money on the hotel offered with the tour--it cost $110 a night! Instead, I had booked a room at the Astor Hostel's Museum Inn, which seemed to be only a block or so from the hotel I would be staying at on the first night of the tour. Due to the good exchange rate, I ended up paying about $20 a night for the two nights I stayed there, and breakfast was included.

But a great price was no good if I couldn't find it. I walked up and down Montague Street, and up and down other streets. I found the British Museum, and the Imperial Hotel (the one connected with the tour), but not the hostel. Finally, I found a random bit of road that turned out to be another part of Montague Street. My hostel was just down the block. I was relieved. I was exhausted. I checked in, paid for my two nights, as well as my key deposit, put my bags in my room, and made myself go out into the city.

I went to check in with the Contiki office, and see what they had to offer. On my way there, I discovered a book fair in the hotel with the Contiki office. Of course, I had to stop and browse. It was only through repeating to myself that I would have to carry along anything I bought that I was able to refrain from buying any books. So I left the book fair, and went down to the Contiki office. They gave me some maps and brochures, and I paid one pound to check my email for fifteen minutes. This is not a bargain. I found better, cheaper places later. But I emailed my mother, and let her know I had arrived safely.

Of course, safe arrival didn't necessarily mean that I would survive London in my sleepless state. But I decided to try. The cars in England, as we all know, drive on the left side of the road. But the nice people in London, probably in an attempt to keep tourists from being unnecessarily smashed by cars in London streets, paint helpful signs at intersections, telling you which way to look. I made my way to a pub the woman at the Contiki office suggested, to have a "traditional" English lunch. I figured, how far off can you go with cheddar cheese, cider, and pickles? And I was right. It was a good, although rather expensive, lunch.

from my journal:
Well, here I am. I feel sort of overwhelmed, but at the same time, as though I'm just thinking of going on a trip. London seems awfully similar to home, and yet... different. It's part of the trouble with air travel: you go from one anonymous block to another, by way of a completely anonymous box. And it's so fast. Yesterday at this time, I was home, petting my cats. It should take weeks to reach another continent, not hours!

As I finished my food, I sat there, somewhat dazed and bewildered. I had no idea of where to start, and I was reeling with sleepiness. A wise person might have gone back to the hostel and taken a long nap, but I had read all the advice in travel books, and it all suggests that you stay awake on your first day. I was determined to do that. I walked around, and found a few bookstores. I limited myself to postcards, and bought several. I walked some more, and bought myself an "ice lolly." Basically, a popsicle. I ate this in the square near the Contiki hotels and the hostel. I was already beginning to feel familiar with that neighborhood!

But I still didn't know what to do with myself, and I had no idea of where to start seeing things in London, especially because I would only have a total of two days there. And because I was very tired and jetlagged. So I went back to the Contiki office, and paid for a ticket on a sightseeing bus. I also paid for a ticket on the London Eye, because it seemed like it would be fun. And I got a map, which I never looked at again.

The bus tour was a good one. www.bigbus.co.uk They allow you to hop on and off for twenty-four hours from when you get the ticket. I had time to do one loop that afternoon, as a kind of orientation, and then I was able to use the rest of my ticket the next day, for further sightseeing. They had double decker buses, although not the red ones, and the tour guides were good, and funny. All kinds of free things and discounts were included, but I only chose to do the ride down the Thames. By the end of the tour, I felt considerably less lost. I had seen several London landmarks, and I had noted the bus connections and Underground stops that were near the places I wanted to go. I also started taking pictures, just because I knew I could take as many pictures as I liked

Click here for a page with lots of London pictures. (Warning--graphic intensive!)

Travel Links Day One London on My Own
London to Amsterdam Amsterdam  The Rhine Valley