Wednesday May 17
Just after my relief of being able to talk to a male taxi driver who was really friendly and not creepy, I was re embraces in the world as a single female traveler at the airport by a Romanian business man. I've come to expect this. It is usually business men, usually much older than me but not always. Some are nice and I get the feeling they are lonely, which is understandable if you are always in transit for business.
However, here are some top signs that you might be a bit creepy to the female solo traveler:
- You first make note of something about the girl's appearance, then a personality characteristic of hers (after knowing her for about 5 minutes).
-Asking what your boyfriend does at home, to find out if you are single but then insisting to meet up regardless if you have a boyfriend or not. (on this occasion, I 'had a boyfriend').
-Forgetting to ask what the girl's name is but giving a business card with address and phone number, insisting to meet up
-Your children are closer in age to the girl than you are to the girl.
Oh well, a man can only try. I usually end up becoming polite and don't give too much away.
I met a lovely Australian girl who has been running a hostel in Hungary for two years, she is a natural blonde with fair skin and in particular countries she has seen men masturbating in front of her when she walks across the street. I've heard of this happening and I can't imagine how confronting this would be. I don't think that this kind of stuff should stop girls from traveling on their own though. I think you just need to be a little street wise.
I arrived in London in my usual disheveled state of travel, flight delayed and disorientated. My phone wouldn't connect to the internet to be able to transfer money, so the information desk guy lent me his tablet. You've gotta be in a huge rush or a bit of a tosser not to try and help someone with a backpack on the back or the front.
I knew than London was busy and big but I just didn't realise it until I arrived. It's a big contrast from Canberra that's for sure. Poring down rain, the streets are crowded with people running around, congested traffic and then a woman begging me for money when I stop to try and get my rain jacket out of my bag.
Ways to spot a potential London candidate who might stop to help you:
-Pick the person who has a coffee/cigarette or hopefully both. If they have time for a coffee and a cigarettes, they can't be in that much of a rush to get anywhere.
After getting off on the wrong stop and going on an epic walk with lots of directions on the way, I arrived at the YHA on Bolsover St (Central London).
I ate some food at the hostel and realised that my 'bus tour' through YHA that coast me $50 Australian is actually a hop off hop off tour; probably the worst thing possible for someone who gets as lost as me. The Pound is .7 times stronger than the Australian dollar. I don't know how the hell people afford to live here unless if they are super rich.Welcome to the big smoke kid. I don't think that paying the big bucks you should deter you from going to a place that you want to go to if you can reasonably afford it. You can't put a price on good experiences.
I know I'm getting older now as hostels are starting to feel more like concentration camps. Some of course are better than others. Having a shower with old mate's band aid and usually sleeping in a dorm with a particularly smelly and snorey traveler, just doesn't cut the mustard for me how it used to I think when you get older, you become more of a precious creature of habit, and I am trying not to be that person.
I persevere with hostels in places that I don't know anyone though, as you can meet a friend and go on an adventure in about 5 minutes and the staff can usually recommend inexpensive and cool things to so.
I set up my fort bunk bed of hand washed clothes and again went to sleep, knowing that this is the routine; go to a new country, get initially freaked out, maybe ripped off or offended, sleep then Yolo and get amongst it.
Thursday May 18
In the morning I met some American girls who were starting to get on each others nerves at the end of their trip; natural. I went to check with my bunk buddy to see if my Chinese laundry decoration was upsetting her. My bunk buddy was crying. 'Hey buddy are you okay?' I asked. ' 'Oh yes I'm fine' she said, sniffing. 'Okay lovey, well I'm here if you want to chat' I said. Travelers have to look after each other, and they do.
My jog this morning was so quiet. I think at 6am, it's about the only time you'll see things quiet in London. And then at 630am everything picks up again.I was saying to my friend Emily that my blog could be called 'Rasa getting lost jogging all over the world'.
Free walking tour! Always a win. My pocket Rocket Indonesian friend Danny and I adopted each other and spent all of our time in London together. Danny is a champ. I'm not sure if we always understand what each other are saying, but that doesn't really matter. Danny is a Doctor and is visiting his brother in England. I can't imagine how hard he would have had to save to get here. He's such a positive guy and we seem to share a lot of the same Mantra's. London is beautiful and exciting; that mix between historical and hipster. I'm loving that I get to walk up every street in Monopoly. Paul Mall, as it turns out, is full of upper class Gentleman's clubs!
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| Big Ben! |
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| Women of world War 2 memorial. Somalian protest behind. Our guide wasn't sure what it was about. Maybe Brexit? |
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| It seems as though these telephone boxes are mainly kept here as tourist attractions and are often getting vandalized and used as toilets, which is s shame. I just think of Dr Who which makes me happy. Many tourists are lining up for a photo in a telephone box. |
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| Buckingham Palace. The Queen was home today! |
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| Green Park |
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| Florence Nightingale memorial. So great to see this as I learned about her all through my Nursing degree. She is a revolutionary woman; social reformer and previous statistician. Florence was the 'first Nurse' who went to the Crimean War to treat wounded soldiers and helped make hospitals and practice safer and cleaner. |
My bunk buddy is name is Abbey, she later came to me saying that she broke up with her boyfriend and is only just processing it now. Abbey came to London for a break but some of the friends that she was meant to meet up with cancelled on her last minute. We had a deep and meaningful about relationships. I asked Abbey if she wanted to hang out with me and Danny tonight and tomorrow morning in Covent gardens. 'When did you meet Danny' Abbey asked. 'This morning'! I replied. Abbey said she would love to hang out.
I will never have enough time to write about all the cool people I am meeting, as they are on every corner.
Danny and I made the decision splash out and go to the West End production of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'. It's funny how you budget carefully when you travfel and then go to the theater, but I fully endorse this. How do I know if or when I can have this kind of opportunity? The West End is AMAZING!
| Abbey had a traditional English pub dinner with me and Danny before 'Matilda'. |
Danny and I went jogging to Regent Gardens this morning. It was lovely! Plus Danny knows where he is going and his maps work on his phone. Even better!
I wanted to go to Covent Gardens, as the true story that I read 'A Street cat named Bob' is set there. The book is about a homeless man in England who finds hope and rebuilds his life when he adopts a street cat who turns his life around.
Covent Gardens is full of buskers and little markets. In the main square, a talented busker is singing songs from Les Miserables.
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| Rasa, Danny and Abbey at Covent Gardens. Note the beanie and card. The end of Spring in England is a little cooler than home. I love that the Brits wear a t shirt and shorts as soon as it hits 15 degrees Celsius. |
I then made my way over on the train to Essex, where my English friends Lorna and Sam are living. I've talked about Lorna and Sam in my blog entry from Tonga in 2015 where I met them. Lorna and Sam packed up ship and quit their jobs in England to go honeymooning for about a year and work in the South Pacific, which I found to be really courageous and cool. We've kept in touch and they have kindly hosted me in England. Lorna and Sam are amazing. They are some of the most chilled out, generous and loving people I have met. Before I arrived in England, Lorna explained that their car had broken down, Lorna had not yet found a job and they were in between houses and staying with Lorna's Mum Chris and still wanted me to come and stay.I have a lot to learn from Sam and Lorna, they don't get stressed easily and take everything in their stride. Sam gets up at about 430am each day to drive an hour to London and walk about 35km a day delivering parcels as a postman. Sam has done this for 17 years and doesn't complain about doing overtime. They are such happy, good people. Lorna and Sam feel as though they are the way that they are, because of travel. I've been totally spoiled. I've been fed and watered, I get to use a luxurious shower and have been given a dressing gown and fluffy socks. I have a fish tank in my room and the house is home to a handful of lovely cats that were strays and have now become pets.
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| My blogging assistant. |
I am very grateful to have my little English family. I've even been given the luxury of using the washing machine. I've got to enjoy these fluffy socks while I can. This might be the last fluffy pair that I wear for a few months! I prefer the pace here in Essex, as it's quieter, more like Canberra. I find the issues with homelessness and crime in England pretty confronting. Lorna and Sam had to pay about 500 pounds just to apply for a rental place that they might not get (the real estate agent keeps the money no matter the outcome). People cut off bike locks and no one stops them. It's just accepted that this is what happens. It's not that people don't care, but the homelessness and gangs become a part of the scenery, so I guess people get used to it. There is not an easy answer to this kind of thing.
Saturday May 20
We headed out on a road trip to stay in Norwich for 2 nights, as Lorna's Uncle Dave lives there. I've been informed that I will have a proper foodie tour of England and we started off with a proper 'English fry up' (including black pudding). Like all things, if you didn't know that black pudding meant 'congealed blood' then you wouldn't freak out, it would just taste like fried food wouldn't it!
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| The beetroot looking thing is black pudding. |
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| Lorna and Sam. |
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| Morning run in Norwich. |
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| If you are not sure if Uncle Dave loves football, then have a look at his book collection. |
| I love this letter: an invitation to afternoon tea to Lorna and her family. I feel that the way it is written explains English mannerisms perfectly. |
I'm loving the great English stereotypes that Lorna, Sam and family are demonstrating to be true in their family:
-They love tea
- They love afternoon tea
-They say 'Awright'
-They can drink anyone under the table
-They are this excellent mix of incredibly polite and crude
-They love an English fry up
-Not raining and 10 degrees is considered 'barbecue weather'
-They love football
Sunday May 21
Today we made a trip out to a town Holt (little country town)
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| The North sea sure looks different from the Pacific Ocean. But all water is good, and so are goats, hot chips, icecream and doggies. |
Monday May 22
We made a trip to Cambridge. Very posh, pretty and Harry Potter like as I hoped it would be.
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| Fudge making in Cambridge |
| Afternoon tea at Cambridge, why not? |
We had a handsome young man trying to convince us to be 'punted' along the lake. It looks fun but expensive and always feel a bit odd having someone push me along in a boat when I could be doing it myself. I told the lovely young man, 'thank you, but I don't think I need to be punted to enjoy Cambridge'. Why does punting sound so dirty?
Drink and music at the local pub on the way back to Essex:
Tuesday May 24
I had a lovely little jog this morning by the gardens and then got lost and ended up at a very pretty and old Cemetery.
I'm here writing my bloggskie and taking it easy. It's my last day in England. It's been a good afternoon but an odd one.
Lorna and I went for a beach stroll to get some English 'Rossy' icercream but ended up having to go to a different shop, as the shop on the main drag had just had a guy with his car reverse in to the shop, break the windows and injur people, not sure how that happened.
Lorna, myself and a few others on the street in Essex helped an elderly fella who had had fallen sideways in his motor chair. He insisted that we light him a cigarette while he was stuck on the ground.An ex army medic drinking a beer in the street came and lifted him up with us and we waited for the ambulance to come. We kept our fella company until the paramedics came. I gave him an Australian pin and cleaned his glasses that didn't look like they had been cleaned in a long time. Lorna said 'you have been Rasa'sd. It's always great to see what strangers can do for one another and I'm happy to have a short use of my nursing skills while overseas
Lorna's Mum tells me this morning that a suicide bomb attack took place at a concert in Manchester last night where 22 people were killed. I had my concerns about Eurovision, but of course these things often happen unexpectedly. It is very sad.
Thank you Lorna Sam, Chris, David, Sandy and Rachel for all the adventures, hospitality and embracing me in to your family.
Awright England, it's been a pleasure, thank you..
Rasa.
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