London

The tubes are great. I feel kind of important being able to use them and go places. There are trains every 3 or 4 minutes and all sorts of lines going all over the city. I have bought a travel card each day for £5.90 which means I can use any public transport in zones 1-4 which includes all of central london and quite far out. You put your card into a machine which opens a gate for you and then can get on or off any tube you want until you leave whereupon you enter your card again to get out.

Rachel and I arrived in London on thursday and decided to go and see the Tower of London. We got in at Euston station and had to navigate the tube. Rachel is pretty good, but she's only ever done it a couple of times before and always had someone with her who knew it better. We did pretty well, made a slightly funny mistake by climbing off one train and then getting back on one that took us straight back the way we had come. THat was easily fixed though.

We found the one we thought we wanted, climbed on, went a couple of stops and then the voice came over the speaker saying that this train was terminating at Aldgate. (not where we wanted to stop). Rachel said, "Quick, get off!" and jumped out the door. I, however, was a bit slower and the doors started closing and we stared mutely at each other as I disappeared off into the darkness. I have no phone that works. I had to get off at the next station because it terminated there and I wandered around wondering what to do. I was strongly tempted to climb back on the train and get back to Rachel but I was pretty sure she would try to come to me. So I waited and another train came roaring in and I ran along trying to see Rachel when I she poked her head out and yelled, "Abby! Get in!" I did a beautiful flying leap into a completely different carriage with much grace and we both got off at our destination and laughed our heads off. I did feel for a while that we had lost each other in the bowels of the earth. It's not like there is just one train. They're all at different levels.

Since then we have developed a PLAN of ACTION if ever we are so stupid as to lose each other again. :)

The Tower of London was pretty cool and I've been in Westminster Abbey as well. That doesn't feel like a building that is about God. It's all about dead people. There are heaps of kings and queens from many years ago in great stone sarcophaguses (I know that's egyptian, but it sounds good) and statues of people like Wilberforce.

I have to admit London feels a bit depressing just because it is filled with people who seem so sad and grumpy. No different from the rest of the world I guess just all jam-packed into a small space. I begin to feel, more and more, a strong sense of compassion for people who are foreigners in different lands. Maybe this comes from being a foreigner, but I think things like Hebron House are incredibly important ways to look after people. (I have to say that I don't feel that like a foreigner in England...it's not like being in Tonga!)

I am going to York tomorrow for my birthday if we're not too exhausted from London. Then it's Holland on tuesday, I get back on Friday and then home on Sunday. It's gone pretty fast but I'm looking forward to getting back and doing some proper work. Hope you're all well, miss you.

written by  Abby Benton on February 3, 2008 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: UK
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