London is amazing!!! Quite a different city from the last time I was here 3 years ago with Lill and when I was obsessed with London. This was a more expensive and posh trip, but in a way that kinda bugged me. Claire and I both are sick after New Year's, her with a nasty cough and me with a cold. But I'm always cold here in England, seriously. Can't quite get rid of it. OR I'm really really overheated in the Tube, never quite comfortable! We meet up with Hannah Rzysko, who I haven't seen since INDIA!! It's so so so good to see her, she hasn't changed a bit and still has that lovely aura about her, someone who's just so pleasant to be around and always telling fun stories. The 3 of us get along quite well, Hannah is telling stories, laughing, smiling, and saying "Oh, it was fantastic!" and "He was such a proper dude". We reminisced about our adventures in India and tell Claire alllll about our crazy, fun adventures. She spent two months in India, traveling partly with me and partly by herself to places like Varanasi, and then Goa with her boyfriend Olly.
In London, we spend a good part of the day on the Tube bc none of us actually know how to get anywhere. She shows us Camden market with all these ethnic restaurants, old stables, little shops and weird leather shops too. It was fantastic! We stop at a little Moroccan place for mint tea- Claire's throat is really raw, but it helps. After, we take the Tube to, well, first stop- Westminster to see BIG BEN and Westminster Abbey. A little walk thru the park to the London Eye and to see the Thames. Waterloo to Piccadilly Circus to see the little Times Square and walk to Chinatown and thru the sex shops of SOHO- great atmosphere, esp. in Leicester Square. Oh! And we walked thru Harrod's- which was absolutely packed. But we hit up the Chocolate Bar and get fresh strawberries, cream and fondue chocolate with double chocolate tart and espresso. Mmmmmm. Totally worth every pound!
Eventually we make it back to the hostel to settle down for a bit- I feel kinda bad for making Hannah stay the night in this shitty hostel with shitty dinner (just a sandwich() when there's nothing really going on tonight for nightlife. Meh. We didn't have a crazy night or anything but it is nice to spend time together- we make friends with these two Israeli dudes and French guy. We drink red wine and make fun of this cheeeeesy movie w/ an English Bruce Willis. Some h*** outside with the Israelis, where they teach us Arabic phrases that we'll use in Morocco, such as numbers, phrases and greetings. They write it down for us in a "easy-to-read" format haha. We all walk to the Lock Tavern for drinks before it closes at 2am- good music, good beers. Me and Hannah just talk the whole time, kind of ignored the other guys by accident, oops. Off to The Stables for dance, music and drinks!!! Very cool club, all open with these different rooms and lights. Hannah and I have a good chat on the way back, she feels bad that we were on the Tube half the day! I say we both love her to death, no hard feelings, it's not her fault that the city was just packed all day. She tells me about her dreams to move to Australia with Olly and 3 years and get married, which I just think is so so great...good for them! We stay up until 3am talking- this morning she left immediately, a little strange, I feel bad. She wanted to get out of that hostel and catch the first train back to Reading. Oops.
Claire was so so sick but trooper-ed on cuz she's amazing, what a good sport. We first went to Buckingham Palace to drop in on the Queen, she wasn't in for tea though...too bad! Then to St. James' Park for lunch at this cute little cafe called Pickles. Just what we need.
Then to Tower of London for some fun pictures, British Museum for big artifacts and back to Camden for our stuff. WHEW! My feet..are...killing...me....
AMAAAZING Hilton room to ourselves at Gatwick, Claire gets sweeet benefits for working there. We just pamper ourselves cuz tomorrow we're off to...
MOROCCOOOO!
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