After a hectic day, I was sleeping like a baby ... suddenly at around midnight, fire alarm broke out in my room. I was horrified ... I thought that it was the wakeup alarm ... I was still half asleep ... so I tried to shut the phone alarm ... but to my surprise the alarm kept ringing. I tried to switch off every electronic stuff in my room ... but the alarm kept ringing. Darn !!! Then I got out of the room and saw everyone was outside ... bemused and little bit annoyed ... just like me. So we all went downstairs. Man ... it was freezing outside. So I went back to my room (climbed 6 floors ... wuf !!!) ... got little cosy in my thick jacket ... grabbed the money and passport and ran back downstairs. We all (around 200 guests) stood in the freezing cold ... tired and sleepy ... oh what an ordeal. The fire brigade found that someone broke the fire alarm at 10th floor. They checked all the floors for fire and then we all were let inside. Goddam ... what an anticlimax to an eventful day.
Sunday ... time to see the rest of the stuff today. Today was Westminster and Tower of London day. Took the tube to Tower Hill and as soon as I got out the tube station, I was little horrified to see the weather. It was cloudy and very very cold. Well ... should have known because the weather channel predicted to be a bad weather day. Anyhoo ... got to the tower of London ... boy, it was sooommmeee bridge. I remember that whenever I saw any picture of London, it always had either Tower of London bridge or Big Ben. Seeing it with my eyes ... it felt kinda surreal. As a kid, I always dreamt of visiting all those places whose pictures I saw ... like New York, London, Paris ... and to actually see them in person ... the feeling is indescribable. I crossed the bridge and got to London Bridge Pier from where I took a ferry ride to Embankment. I always enjoy the ferry rides ... there is something in water bodies which makes you go ... mmmmm !!!. After getting out of the ferry ... I went straight to Big Ben. I tried to snap pictures but due to bad weather they all appeared a little dark. So I decided to come back to that place after doing the London Eye and Aquarium.
I crossed the Thames and went to London Eye. Since I already bought the ticket in advance (group ticket at Madame Tussads), I simply got it vouched at the ticket counter and got in the line. The line wasn’t long and soon I got inside the famous London Eye giant wheel. Basically London Eye is simple a monstrous version of a giant wheel ... its monstrosity makes it FUN. The wheel circled very slowly giving us ample time to see entire London and snap plenty of pictures. It took almost half an hour for the wheel to circle ... plenty of hang time I must say ... hahahaha.
When I was boarding the London Eye, it started to snow. But when I got off it, the weather changed drastically ... plenty of sunshine ... aaah what a relief. I went straight to London Aquarium. I had a discount coupon with me (which I picked up from my hotel) and asked the ticket lady to give me the 20% discount on the ticket. She told me that since the aquarium is not fully functional they have reduced the ticket prices and the discount won’t be levied on the reduced fare. Oh what the heck ... I took the tickets and saw the aquarium. Fishy I must say ... saw plenty of fishes ... big and small ... most of them were simply breathtakingly beautiful. When I got out of it ... my stomach was asking for fuel. So went straight to McDonalds and got the only vegetarian burger along with some fries and soda.
After the refueling, I went to see Big Ben. So again I got to cross Thames ... and on my way I saw loads of police personnel trying to control people’s movement. Then I saw a lady ... she was standing on the bridge ... she was trying to jump and commit suicide and the police was trying to talk her out of it. I tried to stand and watch the proceeding but the police man told me to move along. Poor lady ... I prayed that the policemen successfully get her back to safety. Anyhoo ... I went to Big Ben. What a building ... marvelous is a small word for the architecture. You got to see it to believe it ... aah ... I know I keep repeating this line ... but what can I say ... it is true.
After the Big Ben, I went to Trafalgar Square ... it was buzzing with people. When I reached there I saw a huge stage ... it was a Chinese new year celebration show. From there I went to Oxford and Piccadilly Circus. Another hectic day ... and by the time I reached hotel the weather took a turn to worse. It started to snow again. Perfect timing I must say.
No comments:
Post a Comment