London

Well, I wasn't to excited to go to London, but I had to pass through the city on my way back to Europe, and knowing that, as a Trinidadian, I didn't require a visa to entire the UK, I decided to spend two days there. It turned out to be interesting, much like New York actually, with its diverse cultures and people, large building structures, shopping complexes and a focus on fashion and posh lifestyles. While traveling through the tube, one may hear people conversing in Spanish, Italian, French, etc; there is also a huge percentage of the population that is either Indian, or of Indian decent, or mixed with Indian [we really are populating the world]. Going through yet another breakup [with my girlfriend] possibly tainted my view on the city, but somehow I prefer Europe, probably because of the cheaper standard of living [in the Euro-land]. The money is one factor, but also the architecture in London is not as "old", ancient and vibrant as Europe's.

Well London, what can I say? It's famous for many things, The Royal Family, the Queen, Princess D, Buckingham Palace, The tube [underground], The Thames, London Bridge [London bridges falling down, falling down], Fish and Chips [something i always wanted to try since I was a kid], The Tower Bridge [which looked better than the London bridge by far; London Bridge was as much of a disappointment as the Berlin wall was], Big Ben [which I discovered was called that because of a huge guy called Ben who's job was to ring the bell everyday], Red telephone booths, Black taxi cabs, Westminster Abby, and of course the 5th of November: Little children in England are brought up on the famous nursery rhyme:

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

This is in rememberance of the Guy Fawkes Night [more commonly known as Bonfire Night, Cracker Night and sometimes Fireworks Night[ which is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5 November 1605 in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England [source]. I had no idea that this V for Vendetta rhyme had anything to do with reality until i visited London; this just goes to show how much traveling exposes you to real world issues and history. Guy Fawkes even looks like V from the movie V for Vendetta!

While here, I took the opportunity to attend one of the amazing tours that I mentioned on my Berlin trip: Sandeman's New Europe Tours. I said it before and I will say it again, I highly reccommend these tours: they are informative, exciting, useful, worthy, and FREE. Anyway, I learned a lot about the Royal Family, and London, fun facts and useful tips. There were tow tours in London however, one on Royal London [which I took], and one on the Old City [which I tried to take but missed :(]. But I saw enough of London to satisfy my tourist appetite, and I my Fish and Chips and ate it too.

For more pictures see:

• London