Dublin > London

Hi guys
Been trying to write but wi-fi is definitely not as accessible as it is in Canada and I'm also having issues with my converters to keep things charged. Life would be slot easier at the time if we all just had the same electrical outlets! Although I am further along in my trip, I'll just fill you in on my time in London right now, and hopefully I'll get some time later on to fill you in on the rest.

I caught a flight to London last Thursday morning (only cost me $32 CDN dollars, how awesome is that?!) when I arrived at Heathrow I took the subway (tube as they call it in the UK) to my hotel. Well holy cow this was ridiculous! It was about an hour long train ride at +40 degrees, standing up and with a 35 pound backpack hanging on. Not ideal. I finally got off and walked to my hotel, which they misplaced me so I had to walk a few extra blocks to the Imperial Hotel where I was now staying. Not too bad. Dropped off my bag, jumped in the shower and then crawled into bed for what was supposed to be a few hour nap, but turned into my actual bedtime. I was so tired! I woke up at 4am the next day and went out to find my friends Amanda and Taylor that I knew were also in London. They didn't have a phone so I had to hunt them down the old fashioned way.... Foot and map.

I left the hotel around 8 and started my little journey. Google maps only iPad had told me it was about a 13 minute walk to their hotel. Awesome. I could catch them at their hotel before they ventured off for the day. So I start walking and follow my map to Oxford street (awesome shopping street! Good call Angel!) but because I was up so damn early, nothing was open. I last went into an epileptic seizure because this has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I didn't even know the sun rose before 10 am! So I walked, and walked, and walked, and even walked some more and all the sudden, my map just stopped. In the middle of the street, it just ended and I was left to venture out directionless. I walked some more and then finally I recognized a street name from my google maps earlier. I turned left and I walked into a hotel for directions. Listen, I'm not racist, but when I walk into a hotel with Hebrew writing everywhere and brown people everywhere and I'm in a strange city, this white girl was naturally, a little freaked out! Turns out I a) survived b) they were so friendly c) left with perfect directions. Mission accomplished.

So on I go, and like an angels halo in the distance, there it is, the Days Inn hotel. I've made it. My journey has been successful. It's now 10:45 and it took me nearly 3 hours to get there. To he'll with google maps and their "13 minute" bullshit... Maybe if i was half Donovan Bailey and half cheetah!! Needless to say I was very happy to see Taylor and Amanda and I knew a good few days were ahead of me. That day we went out for lunch and then took tHe tube to Buckingham Palace. I was fortunate enough in grade 11 to receive the Prince of Wales Leadership Scholarship which was stamped and sent from the Royal Palace at Buckingham Palace so this was a place I really wanted to see. Unfortunately you have to get tickets way in advance before so we were unable to go inside. We walked through the park and then onto Westminster Abbey where we took a tour of the inside. The Abbey was significant to me because of the funeral of Princess Diana which really saddened me as a child, then more recently, the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate. Very cool to check it out in person. After they we walked by Big Ben and the government buildings and then onto the London Eye. Taylor and Amanda had already seen it so I ventured up solo. This took about 30 mins full circle with great views of London.


Alright... I gotta go! I'll finish up my London chapter very shortly. Off to the flamenco in Barcelona! Xoxo