So far it’s been difficult setting up in London. Things to do were 1. Get my bicycle set up to off-set transportation costs and 2. Get a phone that works in the UK.
Bicycle was free to check on international flights, so that seemed a no-brainer. It had to be disassembled per airline regulation and boxed. Jay was great about doing that for me, and did a great packing job. He found a 42” flat screen tv box at Walmart and it was the perfect size for my bike.
Imagine me dragging this huge tv box through the streets of New York to find my shuttle from the train station to the airport!
Imagine me dragging this huge tv box through the streets of New York to find my shuttle from the train station to the airport!
Once I was here at my hostel in London, I opened the box to find that over the 30-hour travel trip between a 14 hour train ride and 2 flights, things had shifted things a good bit in the box. The chain was kinda messed up, and I was worried about attempting to reassemble the bike myself. I’m sure if Jay were here already, we’d have figured it out together, but I dragged the 42” flat screen tv box down 2 blocks of central London to the closest bicycle shop. £50 later, I had a fully functioning bike again, but you can’t just up and ride the streets of London on a simple bike frame. For groceries and any bags I have, I’d need a rack, a heavy bike lock (bikes are very often stolen) and lights for the front and back are required in London. That totaled another £87.
While riding the bike through an area I’d walked to before, I discovered that travel through the streets of London take a bit of learning, and not just the left-hand side of the road issue. There are more one-way streets here than in Charleston even. I got lost going too far and around to the targeted location. I became a bit nervous as the sun was setting at about 4:30, and stopped at a stop light. There was no traffic coming, so like in the US when no traffic is coming, I’d take a right, here I took a left. Then the blue lights and siren flashed to pull me over for running a red lights. Seriously? Seriously. I was sweet as pie, explained my situation, made the officers laugh, and they still ticketed me with a £30 fine. They really should look into American-style warning tickets.
That totals about $256 US dollars.
That totals about $256 US dollars.
Thank you, London, for a crappy first day in here. Day 2- let’s hope I can get an operating phone at a more affordable rate!
Sounds like an event filled trip full of surprises!! Have fun Donna....and "keep the rubber side down" as we say in motorcycling! Lol! Ken D.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this walk,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your shining smile,
Thank you for theses dimond eyes.
At least, i inderstand who is that wandered girl !
What a strange girl ?
ReplyDeleteCurious of the world, a wide open mind, seemed to know a lot of things, seemed to speak easily with so many people...
But finally, definitively, all alone.
And, not only for the reasons you gave me... an escape or more. The volition to lose your way ?
I enjoyed spending time with you, exhuming my old english language - i do again apologize for my poor english - to enter in your world. To inderstand what is behind these wonderfull but sad eyes.
I would have like to go on talking with you, but no answer to my mail or on your blog.
Three ralistic reasons appeared :
1 You've been catch again by the london cops on your expensive bike and they put you in the London Donjon : It's the price to pay for an american girl on a bicycle ! An american on a bicycle ! It's a nonsens, it's like as if the french can be kind, or as if we can drink by night in a YHA !
2 You've eaten too many english food, and you are in a NDE. Seriously, it's possible, remenber : first you eat, than you think, than ....you regret. Like the chineese food, i baught you in an indien minimarket, with an english recipe. Not really a good idea !
3 you still want to stay alone.
Answer ? and don't publish that on your blog.
The slow midnight walker.