London(e)!!

It was an amazing 3 days and 2 nights at London. After a real bad flight and even worse experience at the airport, S mama picked me up from Heathrow in one piece. It’s a good hour`s drive to Aylesbury, where they live. The drive was really beautiful and helped me get over the irritations of the flight. It was the proverbial English countryside scenery. S pointed out various places on the way- the Aylesbury cricket club where he plays and the Roald Dahl`s museum etc.

Out bantering was interrupted by a fone call, R aunty calling to say that she was getting late for work and would meet me only when she returned in the afternoon. In another 20 minutes we reached home. Home is a beautiful 2 storey cluster house set in really idyllic surroundings. Rish (their 8 year old son) came running to meet me and then went back to watching the India – Pak series which he was glued to.

Nothing much done in the afternoon except talking to S and Rish and eating the delicious Mumbai style sandwiches prepared by S (believe me – it’s a real authentic hygienic version!). After eating, I dozed off. I was real tired.

Here I must stop to talk about R and S. R and S were easily my most favorite people back home on 9th cross when I was growing up. R was the probably the main reason I even studied for my Std 10 th board exams. (I tell this to R and she vehemently refuses this.). She made me actually read my text books instead of the “others” I used to read. She was strict with me on this point when even my mom threw her hands up in despair. I was thinking about all these times on my flight to London. She cannot believe that its been nearly 14 years she’s known me. She still introduces me to people saying that I was as old as Rish when S mama introduced me to her (he was my neighbor) and the rest as they say is History. S mama is somebody I have admired, (though he knows I would never accept this one!), irrespective of his PJs, which have incidentally grown worse. I was wrong when I thought that there wasn’t much scope for that!

All this apart, after I woke up, we headed to the Aylesbury market. It happens on weekends and is quaint. Set around the Aylesbury clock tower, it was just so full of character. The place was flanked by two modern malls on the sides. The greatest surprise was seeing R. she’s 5 months pregnant! It was a surprise to see her like that, because she hadn’t told me. Well, she said, I was gonna meet her anyways! After that, R and me went to Clarke`s and Marks and Spencer. These are the 2 most famous English names. She got me this really darling pair of ankle high boots that I can’t wait to wear!

After reaching home, I decided something. I told R and S that I would go around London on my own. R wasn’t in any physical shape to accompany me. So, I hunted down the tube and bus routes online and convinced S to drop me off the next morn at the Amersham tube station (their nearest).

The next morning started very early. It was a dark, gloomy day with a steady drizzle. In spite of such bad weather, I would realize later that it was probably one of the most satisfactory and pleasant days of my life. Armed with only a tube rail map, a daily pass and only a brief idea of what all I wanted to see. Already being told by many that 3 days was hardly enough to see London, then let alone, 1 day! But then again, that crazy part of me said that I had to make every moment that I had.

One point about most of the attractions in London is that, one area has many of these. So, I took the tube to Baker Street, hopped on to tower hill by tube again. Walked upto London Bridge and Tower hill and looked around. Then took bus 15 to Trafalgar square. This bus route is awesome. It goes through St. Paul`s, Strand, the courts….Got down at Trafalgar, and walked to Buckingham. Saw many other statues and palaces. Then continued walking into Downing Street. Was disappointed to see that 10, Downing Street was all guarded by these real high gates that the building wasn’t even very clearly seen. Then walked through Parliament Street.

And then you can’t miss it! The Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben. Of course, you aren’t allowed inside. Clicked many photographs. Then I saw it!! My real big desire was to get on it. But was told that it was next to impossible on such a short notice but I am not one to give up without a try. My two most favorite thrills were combined into one: the height and the experience of a roller coaster ride. Yes, you guessed it right! The London Eye. For the unacquainted , the “British Airways London Eye” aka the Millenium Wheel is the world`s largest observation wheel. It stands 135 mts high on the South bank of the Thames, offering a bird`s eye view of London and around. I walked up Westminster Bridge and reached it – only to find the looooooong boarding queue. But it seemed to be going fast. So I dashed in and bought the tickets. I joined the boarding queue. It was worth every minute of the hour I stood in the queue. I finally got on and was enthralled. It was toooo too good. Inspite of the rain, I managed to get some very good aerial photographs. The half hour of the ride was really the highest point of my trip.

The ride over. I knew my next stop. Walked back to the Westminster tube. Got to Tower hill. Got the DLR from gateway to go to Greenwich! But that was not to be. I had to get on 2 tubes to reach there. The Greenwich observatory and the nautical museum are in Cutty Sark. So I got off there.

Greenwich! Was nothing that I had seen before. It was something that transported me to another world – one of pirates, sunken treasures and the kind– something that reminded me of Moby Dick. First I entered Greenwich market – which had stalls selling tribal artefacts from Africa to fresh caught fish. It was too crowded. So I walked out and explored the town. The main street was full of restaurants – Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai.Didnt stop to eat coz it was almost closing time for the observatory.

First stop was the Greenwich museum. The best displays were the ships those were retired from sea and preserved here. Photogaphy was not permitted in the museum. The museum had a section for marine archaeologists and marine excavations which was just amazing!

I walked out of the museum to get to the Greenwich observatory. It was a short walk but the observatory is on a small but really steep hill. I climbed up to there. There is a huge clock at the entrance that reads “Royal Observatory Greenwich” that shows the GMT. I went inside to the Prime Meridian – the divide between the East and the West. There is a Laser beam that signifies the Prime Meridian of the world. The Prime meridian is the home of the Transit circle of latitude 51 28 28 (hope Im accurate) North and Longitude 0°00°00°. And right across this, is a sculpture of the transit circle. Inscribed in stone on the floor are the various places along with their latitudinal positions and Bombay reads 72° 51`` East.
And the view from this little hill is beautiful! You can see a lot of greenery interspersed with beautiful old buildings. I walked down and explored the village of Greenwich. Absolutely divine.

As I walked, one shop caught my eye. Nautalica, claims to be the first shop in the world, with respect to its position (longitude 0 0 0 ). Walking towards the tube station, I changed my mind and went to the quay. And discovered that the Thames cruise back to Tower hill would depart in 10 minutes and I could ride on it with just my travel pass, for pittance. I got on the boat and it turned out to be a wonderful end to an amazing day.

I got off in tower hill and took the tube back home. I reached home by 8:00 PM- Tired, wet, and hungry but contented!!

P.S: Photos shall be posted when broadband internet is restored at home in Chennai. I am typing this post on 14th Feb at 3:20 P.M IST (published much later) from the transit lounge at gate 6 in Bandaranaike Terminal, Colombo.