Journeying to London involved 3 plane rides with an 8 hour overlay in Paris. It was strange not having access to my luggage until touching down in London. I hadn’t thought to pack my toothbrush and some deo into my hand luggage and was sure that the airport staff would have tucked into my secret bag of Doritos by the time I landed.
I shared a long aisle with three middle-aged Italian birds who spoke over me. The person on my immediate left turned out to be South African and was quite chatty. At the end of the flight she sweetly gave me her spare travel toothpaste and brush.
I love being in the International parts of airports. I got to Paris in time to nab an airport lounger and watch the sunrise. I caught a bit of what one can only describe as micro-sleep. Not having slept on any of my flights, I seemed to be operating on auto-pilot. I took comfort in watching the full diaspora of faces with varying melanin counts: young, old, grumpy, smiling… and considered that everyone has their own story to tell.
I found myself speaking in broken (yet confident) French when I got to Charles De Gaulle airport: “Excusi Mwa, parlay vous Engles?” Well-versed American accents generally followed.
London: First Impressions
I found the London tubes intimidating at first. There was a frantic rush of people, but once I knew I was en route, I had a fixed grin on my face which seemed to befuddle my fellow passengers. Fortunately my journey to Camden Town (where I would be staying) was very straight-forward.
We passed by a lot of slummy-looking countryside when above ground and I found the whole experience to be a lot dingier than expected. The tube wobbled and screeched – emanating a sooty and metallic smell, but my psychopathic grin remained as I thought about what experiences lay ahead.
Exiting the station felt like walking onto a movie set! As my eyes adjusted to the sunlight, I saw brightly-coloured punks walk past, a couple of goths getting a photoshoot, a red double-decker bus driving past, and a band busking in the background. I stood there bemused as I contemplated where I was.
After being reunited with my old friends (and hosts), we visited no less than five pubs, including one that had a live musical duo playing the guitar and washboard, before calling it a night. The adventure was just beginning!
My accommodation was a small flat beneath a dry cleaners with wooden floors. My South African friends had affectionately named their above-ground neighbour (and landlord) “Stompie”.
Day 1
My first day in London saw us walking what felt like the entire breadth of the island continent and seeing what felt like everything! The highlight was the Sky Garden. This is the top section of an office block called the Walkie Talkie. The deal is that any new and large buildings erected in London, are required to reserve the top floor as public space (which is free for visitation provided that one books in advance).
At 35 stories high, the panoramic views of London were fantastic! I highly recommend it. The Sky Garden famously melted a BMW in the street when it was first built, due to a sort of magnifying glass effect.
That evening my host and his brother played a gig in town. I met some ex saffas who were all very generous when it came to buying rounds of grog. They seemed to be well-aware of how the Rand is getting a pounding. England seems to be one of the few countries where cents make sense.
After the gig, I helped the lads carry their gear back to the flat, which involved catching a few tubes on a very busy Friday evening. I felt like a rockstar as onlookers assumed I was part of the band.
Thereafter we hit an Irish hobbit bar called Waxy O’Conners, which had a huge tree growing through the centre. It was packed with people. My feet began to move. I was ready to do some dancing in London! So it was suggested that we hit a dance club and let loose. We bussed home at around 3am. The night busses were not nearly as bad as I was lead to believe.
Day 2
We had been enjoying perfect weather since my arrival and the next day we sat atop Primrose Hill (one of the few hills in London). It boasted a great view of the city and was well-populated with people and dogs enjoying drinks and run-arounds in the sunshine.
We were booked to watch Ms Saigon that evening at the Prince Edward Theatre. Apart from my weekly travel card, this was one of my few little splurges (27 Pounds). The more popular plays such as The Lion King and Les Miserables were selling for 50-60 Pounds a ticket. The show was fantastic! Before being enchanted by Ms Saigon, we paid a visit to China Town and enjoyed an excellent 5 Pound buffet (the best value for money thus far in terms of eating out).
Day 3
Things started to feel rather familiar by day 3. It was rather refreshing not being treated like a tourist. Haggling is virtually non-existent in London, but I had managed to avoid a few tourist traps, such as the London Big Bus tour. In hindsight the Big Bus is hugely expensive and the route included places we had already seen by simply walking around. A front row seat atop a regular double decker bus proved to be perfectly adequate.
I was hugely impressed with London’s parks. A lot of thought has clearly been given to providing well-kept public spaces that feel removed from the city. Reagents Park (closest to Camden Town) was particularly impressive. We passed by a French Bulldog meet-and-greet on our first stroll through there. My friends gave me something of a stern warning as I reached down to pet a pooch. Apparently Londoners are quite protective of their fluffy property and do not take kindly to strangers petting them? They went on the say that Londoners themselves are quite opposed to people invading their personal space in general. This was something I did not want to believe to be true. I personally found Londoners quite approachable, but perhaps my perspective would differ if I were to live there for a while.
Some Insights
Apart from ‘British reserve’ and the ‘thou shall not pet my pooch’ philosophies, there were one or two more things I was unaware of, but found great to experience first-hand. Street grocers – where you pick your produce and then go inside to pay, was one thing. Scanning your own groceries in places like Sainsbury’s and then choosing to pay for them, was another. It’s sad to think that such an honestly system simply would not fly in places like South Africa.
My friends also explained the social welfare system to me better (i.e. “going on the dole”). This may be common knowledge to many, but basically put, if you are a British citizen and are unemployed, you receive a weekly wage provided that you are actively looking for work. If you are unemployed and have children, you get given an entire flat free-of-charge! What’s more is that medical care (apart from dentistry) if free, as well as education up to tertiary level. This clearly seems to be a country that cares for its citizens, where you know your taxes are going towards the greater good.
I began asking myself whether or not I could live in London long-term. My initial gut response was that I couldn’t, but by the end of my stay, I was seriously reconsidering. I do however know that my perspective was limited as a traveller / tourist, and that it would take enduring the eight sun-devoid months coupled with working full-time, to fully understand what living in London is like.
The tubes clearly also take some getting used to. Standing nose-to-armpit on sweltering hot days during Rush Hour, must surely push one’s tolerance levels. Deodorant sales must be through the roof in London! (At least one hopes).
My Impression of Londoners
London is often described as a “cosmopolitan melting pot”. It has everything that one could possibly ask for (apart from consistent sunshine). Perhaps my visit was during the golden months, but in my experience, London is a fertile land of healthy, attractive people – full of dogs and babies.
Yet London also seems to be full of a growing proportion of singletons. Apparently online dating apps are something of a phenomenon in London. I started to believe that I could find love there. The ratio of non-conservative and well-educated young women in London (compared to South Africa) gave me something to think about. Holding tingly glances with women occurred daily – often just before they disappeared down a dark tube tunnel (WHOOSH!) never to be seen again.
London Museums
London museums are some of the best in the world. I struggled at first to believe that they were free to both locals and tourists. Of course they do each contain a touristy element, such as kitsch gift shops and audio-guides (which aren’t worth the money) but I suppose the most important factor is that most (if not all) proceeds go straight back into maintaining and running the museums.
I decided to take a couple of solo days to visit these storehouses of knowledge, and enjoyed great self-guided tours of the British Museum, The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. They are all brilliant and one could revisit each over a lifetime and still not fully explore everything they have to offer. In a nutshell, London museums are overwhelming! The Natural History Museum itself contains over 8 million exhibited items.
What was rather interesting is how London museums are largely catered towards children. They are extremely interactive and there were hordes of school kids in little safety jackets running amok in each – banging on buttons, pulling levers and interacting with whatever was around them. What fantastic exposure as a child! One can see the potential of kids developing an early interest in such a diversity of areas simply by being exposed to what London museums have to offer. Brilliant. Such places should exist all over the world.
The only downside was feeling put-off from touching anything as I was wary of brushing with British snot and germs. The same goes for hanging onto rails on the buses and trains. Flu here must spread like the Bubonic plague! Some public hand-sanitizers at the stations might be an idea. Maybe I should write Queenie a letter.
Cruising Down the Thames
On the 4th or 5th day, we booked a cruise down the Thames towards Richmond. We were captained by a local old salt who had a fantastic knowledge of the surrounding areas. What was most surprising was the number of old, derelict buildings that were in the process of being converted into luxury homes, including house boats. The asking price for simple-looking places on the edge of a brown (and quite frankly, dirty) riverbank, was too much to comprehend…
More enjoyable was seeing the greener, more garden-friendly parts of London. People seemed friendlier too – offering cheerful waves as we cruised by. Our anchoring point, Richmond, was a real treat. We had lunch at a German restaurant on the banks of the Thames.
Free Walking Tours
I joined two free walking tours during my last few days. These have become popular in Europe and the UK and are given voluntarily by members of the public, who pass a basic course and adapt their individual style and tour as they see fit. Remuneration is entirely tip-based. At the end of my first tour, I noticed our guide getting tipped around 80 pounds for 2 hours of work. Not bad going!
Our tour guide was fantastic – a young, recently-engaged, part-time actor. He gave descriptive and charismatic detail of everything one would usually just waltz past without giving any second thought. Highly, highly recommended.
Near the end of my stay in London, I felt I had seen and experienced more than expected. I couldn’t have asked for more apart from wishing that I earned Pounds and lived in a country where education and safety were higher up on the agenda.
Final Highlights
These included visits to Greenwich and the London Royal Observatory – both with superb views. I watched a planetarium show followed by a free exhibit of the Photographer of the Year. It was also really great catching up with an old Junior School friend who has been living in London for years now and who has no intention of ever returning to South Africa. She tried hard to convince me that there is no better place to live.
Some final highlights were a stroll through Hampstead Heath and a visit to Kenwood House – the estate of some famous Lorde (presumably “Mr Kenwood”). The house has been restored by volunteers and contains some world-famous art. We picnicked on his massive front lawn.
I thoroughly enjoyed the days of simply walking around and taking things in. There is a general vibeyness at Trafalgar Square, and on the one day I past by a Star Wars convention with floating Yodas and other characters. In one part of Camden Town we passed by a very civilized gay protest. London really seems to have the full mix of people.
I find it interesting how two cities at pretty much the opposite ends of the Earth (Cape Town and London), can be so different yet so similar at the same time. Perhaps it seems familiar due to British influence and my white upbringing. Would Afrikaans people experience a similar sense of familiarity in the Netherlands, I wonder? But I know I would need to experience a full year as a working professional in London to get the full picture.
Heading Home
It felt very easy coming home. My return flight was only in the evening and I felt extremely comfortable with my surroundings by this point. I spent my final day casually wandering around, visited one last museum and smashed two pints before catching the tube to the airport.
I found myself speaking in confident but broken French once again at the Paris airport. The best part was catching a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower as we flew over the city. It was unfortunately on the other side of the plane, but that didn’t stop me from unbuckling my seatbelt and hopping across the plane to take a look.
The first occurrence back in Cape Town International Airport was that the passport scanner didn’t work. I could only laugh at how different South Africa is in comparison! Once home, I fought the urge to go straight to bed and enjoyed a comparatively cheap beer in the late afternoon African sun…
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