WEATHER: Sunny for the 3 days – very lucky again
Well I had 3 nights and 2 whole days in London. The most important things I HAD to get done was a new stock of Malaria tablets for my South America portion of my trip and to get some cloths for Antarctica where I will be in 17 day’s time! It is hard to believe I am at that part of my trip already and to conquer the last continent is going to be a pretty amazing experience.
My Antarctic shopping was relatively simple in the end. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find pants to fit me was my main concern, but I headed to Kensington High Street, where they have 6-10 camping travel shops all next to each other, so it was a one stop shop for me and I just started at the first shop I came to after leaving the tube and entered. The guy behind the counter was super helpful and I just couldn’t get embarrassed about sizes etc… I needed this stuff. So I pulled out my trip notes and told him what they suggested I bring and we went around the shop picking and trying things on. The pants, which I thought would be the hardest was the first thing and the dirt pair fit no problems – what a relief! I also then bought another windproof jacket, 2 pairs of socks, a beanie, 2 new shirts, a pair of inner gloves, a pair of ski gloves and a torch to replace the one I left in Dorze. The bonus was that they had a sale that started that morning that gave me 25% off everything I bought and the shirts were buy one get one free and the gloves were on the same deal! So in the end I saved 79GBP in total on my shop and I got everything I needed!!!! AWESOME!!!!! While I was there, I wanted to get a Budget Expeditions brochure and I walked into a Trailfinders Travel Agency and I swear you have NOT seen an office as BIG as this one. They had a receptionist, which is no biggy, I know Australian agencies that have them, but behind him there would have to have been 50-60 agents all at work stations, working. This office was MASSIVE!!!!! I had to wait a few minutes for him to go downstairs to retrieve the brochure and it gave me a chance to observe them all. I miss my job, it is a pretty cool job and I also miss my work crew.
My clothes shopping afternoon on Oxford Street was not so successful, which is a little disappointing as last time I was here I had so many options. Unfortunately being October, there was a lot of winter stuff in the stores and not much summer gear left. I think buying cardigans and sweaters will not cut the mustard in South America. I did manage to buy a new skirt, the 2 shirts from the camping, some new underwear and a new woolen scarf. I would have to make do with whatever is in my storage bags and what I currently have. I will also not have the opportunity to restock my clothes (that I know of anyway) so what I have when I leave London will be what I will be wearing for the next 6 months. Geeze that puts the pressure on!!! Between all the shopping I also got to squeeze in a late lunch at….Kentucky Fried Chicken!!! This was a stop for Bobby, as we were talking about fried chicken in Ethiopia and we were drooling over how good a Kentucky burger would have been. So I had Kentucky for lunch and it was AWESOME!!!!
I also tried Friday night to purchase my Eurostar ticket for Sunday. Nothing like leaving it till the last minute and I guess the price also reflected that at 140GBP for the journey that I know if I had of booked further out, being a Sunday would have probably got it for 89GBP. Never mind, I need the ticket, so I will just have to pay. Well I had a problem with the stupid ‘Verify Visa’ right at the end of the transaction. I couldn’t remember the password to complete it, tried it 3 times and then declined saying they could not complete my request. I also tried with my second credit card and again I locked myself out with a forgetful password, so short of catching a train to Kings Cross to purchase the ticket, I am just going to have to try my luck on Sunday and purchase it on the day of travel. I have never booked anything like that before, but I just couldn’t be fagged getting on the tube again, so risk it I will. I was actually starting to feel pretty lousy, with a sore throat and getting a runny nose. I haven’t been sick since Rwanda in July, so I guess I was due for something soon.
I also made the post office and sent my 14th package home of the trip. I sent some dresses from my storage package home and a few bits and bobs that have been collected over the last few weeks. I need to try and make room for everything in my bag, as I need to add back in some dresses for the river cruise and also make room for my Antarctica clothes, so stuff I haven’t been travelling with for the last 4 months. Damn – where will it all fit? I’ll worry about the packing tomorrow (Saturday). I was off to meet Paps and Em for dinner and a few drinks after with Paps brother for his birthday. Nothing like gatecrashing a party!!
I met Paps and Em at Banks Tube Station and man they were a sight for sore eyes. I have missed them so much. We went into a bar for a drink, as we had a dinner reservation that we were early for and then I had the best Indian meal I have had since, well India in 2007. It was amazing. I haven’t really had Indian since coming back from there, but this was delicious. We also sunk a few more beers over dinner and by the end of the meal we were ready for a few more. Pap’s brother had picked a club that had 3 sections to it, and we were in the 80’s/current music section and even though it wasn’t a place that Paps would pick, it was great to have COLD drinks, western music and not standing out of the crowd by being the only white person in the joint. So we drank and talked the night away till we had, had had to leave to catch the last tube home. Paps, Em and I were on the same line till Elephant and Castle where I had to get off and change to travel 2 stops on the Bakerloo line. Paps was not happy I was going to be getting off and not knowing I made it safe onto my connection, but I told him I would be fine and after lots of hugs and kisses to both they pulled away and I ran for the connection. Well when I got to the right platform there was nobody there but a station master to which she informed me that I had missed the last one by 2 minutes! BUGGER. So I exited the station and there were a million people waiting for taxis’. How far can 2 stops be right? So I drunkenly asked some workmen which way was Westminster and set off on my 20 minute walk. Nothing like a crystal clear night to help sober up. But what great night and I have now met the whole Addelton Family!
The one thing I really needed to do was get to the travel doctor and get my malaria tablets. Friday was just too busy, so I Googled on Saturday morning some clinics to which the third one could take me at 12 noon. I was feeling so bad that I hadn’t done this, so it was a huge relief to be able to get into one and on a Saturday as well. While I had the doctor I also asked him about giving me a yellow fever certificate based on the photocopy that I had received from my travel doctor in Australia, to which he said no, but I could get a new Yellow Fever shot, as I only had 2 years on my last one and then he could give me a certificate. Bastard. He wasn’t very nice to start with this guy and it is a pretty important document that I would need to South America, so I had to pay an additional 80GBP for a new yellow fever job. Since he was such a dick, I also asked him about my sore throat to which he looked at and said my tonsils were up, but to keep taking the doxy (malaria tablets) and this would help with the swelling. So because he was such a dick again, I also asked for a pill prescription for the next 6 months, well while I had him I may as well get everything done in one hit right. I just wish I had of thought of this while I was there, but I should have gotten him to look at my Bunyonyi leg. It is still sore 3 months later and still has some discoloration and still hurts. Well next time. So I got 154 day’s worth of Malaria tablets, a yellow fever jab and 6 months of contraception tablets. That is what I call a productive doctor’s appointment!!! The medication wasn’t that expensive and the doctor’s visit was 150GBP, but I had to do it.
So after my doctor’s appointment I decided I need a piece of home and caught the tube to Convent Gardens to visit the Australia shop. I needed to re-sock on my vegemite, I bought 3 boxes of BBQ shapes, a packet of Twisties, a packet of Burger Rings, a packet of Allen’s Freckles and a packet of Tim Tams. So 29GBP later, yes people that is like 40AUD for 8 items, but I really felt like something of home. I LOVE THE AUSTRALIA SHOP.
So back to the hotel and the tough job of sorting through all my clothes, storage and what I have, what was to be left behind and what was to be taken. It was a massive task, and after going through what I wanted to take and what would fit was 2 entirely different things and I had to cull the culled pile then as well. I seriously don’t have enough room for everything. Luckily I have my trusty Intrepid bag and I am not flying tomorrow I was travelling by train, that I was able to put my toiletry bag in that along with some other things, but I am going to have to rethink the packing for my next flight day.
So at the end of it all, I left some make-up, my original toiletry bag, a pair of shoes, 8 tops and goodness knows what else, but I left it all in a bag near the bin, maybe the cleaner might be able to use some of it.
I was still feeling like crap, so I had to pass on my second date with the Addletons and I went to bed early with my thoughts on how the hell I was going to catch the tube in the morning with my 4 bags and not look like a total loser!!!!
I LOVE London – I will miss you after 4 visits this year and I have been blessed with the weather and friends whom I have here now and know that I will return next year at some stage.
No comments:
Post a Comment