London Day 1/2 in Adventures in paradise

I’m in London!

I just haven’t written. Been too busy out doing stuff, and finding wifi was difficult. Luckily my UK sim also works as a wifi hotspot, so I’m on my doom typing this because no-one else is here yet.

The flight was killer. Well, the first flight was okay. A flighty noticed that I was quite tall, so offered me to move to a space with more leg room. The seat’s tray table tucked away into the armrest and the monitor for the TV moved up from underneath. It was a pretty cool set-up rather than watching the back on a chair. I had plenty of room to move about. It was awesome! So that was the 9 hour flight. Still, my first time and all, it felt like forever.

But I still had the 6-hour layover in Hong Kong airport and then the 12.5 hour flight onward. ERGH.

And it really was ergh.
Luckily, I got my transfer boarding pass all fine. I just had to go through security again with my bag, but all was fine.
The second flight was packed and I was stuck in a tiny seat, AND the stupid bitch in front of me reclined her seat ALL the way back, squishing what little room I had. I passive-agressively dug my knees into her back the entire trip. I couldn’t fucking move, I was cramping up. Luckily I was in an aisle, because I got up and went back and forth to the bathroom like about 10 times, every hour. Once in that tiny cubicle (bout the same amount as my seat lol), I’d sit down on the toilet so that I had space to stretch my arms and my legs, and I’d literally exercise in there for like 5 minutes.

Annnnd if I thought the first flight was long, I was in for a shock. This one never seemed to end!
I am not looking forward to repeating that on the return leg at the end of the month.

But the main thing is that I’m in London! I’ve just been posting random collage photos to Facebook every now and then, as it’s easy enough to do while I’m out and about.

I came across Buckingham Palace by complete accident today. I was just using Google Maps to find my way back to the hostel when I looked to my right and there it was lol. So obvs I hung around there for a fair while.
A few cars came in and out and some of the horse guardsmen went past. Didn’t see ol’ Lizzy though haha.

Yesterday the only thing I did was I went to Camden Markets to get myself a decent winter coat. I originally was going to buy this hoodie I liked the look and feel of, but the guy only took cash (seriously?) so I had to go use an ATM. He was adamant that he follow me to the ATM, which was a bit weird, and I was like ‘No’, so I went to the ATM, got some cash out I needed to pay for it, and I went back to the place, but I couldn’t find either him OR the jumpers I was just looking at. So weird!

Instead, I did something stupid. Or not stupid. I dunno. This friendly sales guy lured me into a leathergoods store and got me to try on a few different types of leather jackets.
I’ve never really worn leather jackets before. I think they look fucking awesome on a lot of other guys, but not so much on me. Plus I was wearing my normal jeans and a long sleeve shirt, so I wasn’t wearing clothes to go with it, but the first one I tried on (of three) actually looked pretty cool.
I was just going along with it. I had noticed the price tags on some of these, and they started at like 450 Pounds! That was WAY over my budget, and I started to put my jacket I was wearing back on, because I was outta there when he says to me, “Tell you what. Because you’re my first customer of the day, I’ll give you my staff discount.”
I said, “Oh really? And how much will that be?” “150 pounds” he says.
I’m adding it up in my head. Basically you double it and add a bit to work it out in my currency. So that’s around $330.
Looking at the price-tag of what it was full-price (450 pounds - ie nearly a fucking grand Australian), I looked at my app to see if I had that much moolah.
Turns out I did.
Just.
I mean, this would put me way over my budget on my very first day in London, all on a bloody leather jacket that I’ll need to buy clothes to go with it anyway.
But I’ve never owned a leather jacket before.
He also explained to me how duty-free works. I have to fill out this receipt form at the duty-free place before I leave the country, and they give me the 20% tax back, so that’ll be like 30 pounds back. So, if that is true, I’ll have paid 120 pounds (around $260A) for a snazzy leather (calf leather to be precise - I know, so mean blah blah blah) jacket, which will definitely keep me warm when I get to Europe.
So yeah, I dunno if that was a good deal or not. Probably not. I reckon the exuberant prices they initially ask for are a scam. Rich people probably just hand over the money.
He was telling me that David Cameron and David Beckham have both purchased jackets from his store.
I couldn’t have cared less. He was trying to get the sale. Anyway, point is I have a jacket that I hope I’ll make use of. It’ll only be worth it for the two cold months my state gets where I’m from, and that’s only if I go out.
I am so cynical about salespeople. They’d sell their soul for a sale. I was sure these prices had just been increased 200-fold for unsuspecting tourists, like me. He did impress me by saying, “Want to know how you know it’s real leather?” And then he proceeds to take out his lighter and running the flame underneath the garment. No fire, no scarring, nothing. Who knew leather did that? So I guess I did buy a genuine leather product. I’m just not sure if it was practical. I’ve had to update my budget to accommodate this purchase, and it’s a bit less space in my carry-on bag. I wasn’t meant to buy shit until I leave!
I don’t think I have any flights until I leave, but the Irish guy I used to hook up with is wanting me to go over and meet up with him in Ireland. I haven’t said yes, but it’s a possibility. One of my friends English friends has also contacted me, wanting to show me around a little. He’s the little guy from when I went to Coochiemudlo Island with the gays, and he was cuddling up to everyone all cute-like. So that might be happening toward the end of the month also.

When I finally was able to check in here, I slept for a good 12 hours I believe. I woke up at 5am and had a shower and went for a walk. The mattress is a bit uncomfortable here, and the pillow is way too low. I’m propping it up with my neck pillow tonight lol so I’ll see if that makes any difference. I’m 6 foot 3 so I just squeeze into the bed, and I fit comfortably if I lay diagonally. Being tall has it’s burdens sometimes!

Andrew is coming into London tomorrow night. Things I’m sure will get interesting from here on in.

London is beautiful in Autumn. I’ve really enjoyed watching all the dogs run around the parks here off-leash. It’s sooooo cute. A lot of people own Scottish Terriers.
I also noticed that British people are VERY stylish. The only people who don’t fit in are the tourists. I wondered to myself today, “Does every British person have their own stylist??”
I’ve seen so many good looking guys here. And dressed well only helps that!
Then I see something I don’t really like. Every single one of them has a cigarette hanging out of their mouth. Even the guys who look around 13/14 - puffing away clouds of smoke outside the buildings.
I guess it’s just the norm here.

I’m also sick. It’s been getting worse since I got here. I don’t know if that’s just jetlag or what, but I’m near-sure I probably caught something from one of the Asians on the Hong Kong leg of that last flight. A lot of them wear surgical masks and a few on the plane were also. And I was stuck in a stale-air’d pressurized cabin for 12.5 hours with them. I was bound to get something.
I noticed a sore throat which has become a cough every now and then. And that isn’t fun in a room full of guys here with me. I’ve stocked up on cough mixture and losenges trying to get rid of the fucker. I even heated up chicken soup for dinner. That usually makes me feel better. Fingers crossed.

I’m off to bed. Some pics are on Facebook. I’ve taken heaps but it’ll take forever to upload them, so I’ll do that some other time.
This is just an update for now.

Woohoo, I’m in London!!

P.s - Oh I forgot to write that a Policeman yelled at me outside Buckingham Place today because I was on the main road. I was just following other people and when I looked up they had disappeared and he yelled at me to get off the road lol.
The guards there all have guns and there was a flash helicopter doing circles overhead, so I didn’t feel like being snipered down on my second day in London Town so I obeyed orders and got the fuck out of there :P

Last updated November 05, 2015