So much to write about! Might as well write some of it now.
Umm... where did I leave off? OK Clink Hostel. Used to be a courthouse/prison or something. Cool concept. Not the greatest hostel I've ever stayed in. Not bad though. Their bar is pretty hoppin, and their internet room is a courtroom. I stayed in a nice, cheap 10(?)-person dorm room. The beds were very close-together. My first bed was a top bunk, but there was paint all over the mattress, so i asked if i could move to another bed. My second bed was a bottom bunk, which I prefer, but the individual bed light didn't work, so I reached up to see if I could fix it and there was a used condom in my light fixture. Very pleasant. meh. Overall though, it was a decent place to stay, and the price was pretty good. They were booked for tonight though, so now I'm staying at a much nicer hostel. It's more expensive, but it is the nicest hostel I've ever stayed in. There's a bar/restaurant/internet/hangout room. I'm sipping on a black russian right now, and I ate one of their individual sized pizzas and mmmmm. My room here only has 4 beds in it, and big, wooden lockers, and a bathroom and shower IN the room. and every bed has an electrical outlet and a working light without used condoms! Quality! Wish I could stay here tomorrow night too, but they're all booked. I'll figure it out.

So yesterday I went to Covent Garden and Picadilly Circus and stuff. Saw the sights. Then I spontaneously decided that I must see a play, and that I would see Hair. With my student ID, I got an amazing ticket for £25. amazing! It was mostly the Broadway cast (from the 2009 revival :-b). I have been in love with the movie and the soundtrack since Mom sent me the cd in a summer camp care package many years ago, but the live musical is so different and extra wonderful! I was worried because I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans when I spontaneously decided to go to the theater (I did have a nice jacket on, but still...). Many people were dressed much nicer than I was, but there was also a large number of people who dressed in corny hippie costumes. And I mean costumes (they were mainly my age and younger. they don't know, man.) Well I felt a little bit dumb, because I had just happened to wear some paint-stained, tattered bellbottom jeans, a super psychedelic tie-dye shirt, and big, star-shaped hoop earrings that day. I didn't do it on purpose though! Oh well. The show was spectacular. I laughed and cried a lot. And then at the end, they invited everyone to come dance on stage with the cast. So I ran up there. It was great. Except the jerk sitting next to me stole my program while I was dancing on stage. But then I told the guy selling programs and he gave me a new one! :-)

I got new luggage! I fit everything for the whole weekend into my backpack (including two books and a computer), but it was hurting my shoulders and back. i bought a cute little wheeley bag. It looks smaller and takes up less space than my backpack, but it actually fits all my stuff more easily. It's perfect, and it even came in a cute color. Now I have a huge, empty backpack to lug around though. :-p oh well.
Today I did a walking tour! It was awesome! The tour guide told us all sorts of fascinating stories, and walking around for 2.5 hours with my new wheeley bag wasn't bad at all! i got to see the changing of the guard! And all sorts of stuff.

I went to Chelsea. Every guidebook and everything I read brings up how Chelsea was, like, the center of the hippies and the punk rockers and the Sex Pistols and stuff. And they have a good football team. So I figured it would be really cool. I figured wrong. Chelsea is obnoxiously posh. It's all designer stores that all look the same. Whatevs. Maybe I didn't find the right part or something. Anywho, I went to the McDonalds and used the free wifi. good times. I also rode around on the tube a bit. Saw some random areas for short amounts of time.
Tomorrow I'm going to Cardiff. That's as far as I've gotten with my plans for tomorrow. Then Sunday, I want to see the Churchill museum/cabinet war rooms, and I want to go to Westminster Abbey for either the sung eucharist, evensong, or the organ recital. It's the only way to get into Westminster Abbey fro free, and it should be really good music.
I'm kind of stressing a lot about the amount of schoolwork i need to do this weekend, but I'll figure it out. Maybe I'll find a park or library or something in Cardiff and do some work for an hour or 2. I'm also stressing about how much money I've been spending here, but it should be ok. England's expensive, man! Stupid pounds! Whatever. I'm having a great time.
Later gators!
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OH! I almost forgot! So you know how every single gift shop in the whole entire planet has at least one rack of useless junk with all the different common kid's names on it? Coffee mugs, mini license plates, and keychains are most common, I believe. Anyhow, ever since I was old enough to read, I have made a habit of checking every single one for my name. And I have not once found it. Not even in foreign countries. Today was the day though! On ugly, tacky headbands in a souvenir shop near the Sherlock Holmes Museum! I don't really know how I feel about it though. When I was little I just wanted a keychain with my name on it like all the other kids had. Now I kind of feel like I'm being robbed of my individuality. Hmm...
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OH ALSO! HAPPY BIRFDAY MOMMY! I HEART YOU LOTS! LOTS AND LOTS!
Ok I'm done. For now...
Wow-ee girl. I love your blogs. What a great move going last minute to see Hair. Your grandmother and greatgrandmother and myself all approve whole heartedly. You are definitly become a seriously consumate traveler. I'm totally out of practice, so am counting on you in our upcoming adventures.
ReplyDeleteI met a woman in Marblehead yesterday who had recently traveled in Prauge and Krakow with her teenage kids in a rental car and she gave me all kinds of great advise and names of restaurants and pensions, etc. very exciting!
Im sure you can find a nice cafe or pub to hang out in in Cardiff and get a couple hours of work done to alleviate some of the pressure.
Enjoy the rest of the stay in the UK. And those headbands are so tacky that they don't even count.
LOVE YOU!!!
p.s. Good move on the wheelie bag!!
ReplyDeleteMaya; After reading your very busy travel descriptions I need to rest up.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I always look for "Maya" tacky touristy trash & I know I've seen Maya junk at The Farmers Market - I'm headed over there today to find sompin today - xojdw