London, what were we thinking!!!

Ron and I have always gone for the gusto and we are suddenly realizing our “gusto” is not the best approach and I hate to add, “at our age”   

I have had every intention of writing many blog stories since we left home but…….after a full day of doing this and that, driving with much concentration and really feeling 76 or maybe even 100!!! I didn't have any brain power left to sit and write. There is also the problem here with “Power Shedding” more on that in another story. No Internet access often and a variety of excuses but all very real and are a big reminder for me that we live life so much easier in the US. More on that later too.

We have been in South Africa for 2 weeks already and I am at last escaping many of my excuses to start our adventure stories from the very beginning. 

We sure have such unreasonable expectations, we had intended on taking a carry-on and a backpack……right? We ended up with 2 full suitcases, 2 carry-ons, and a backpack each. Dumb dumb dumb… We have just tossed out over half of that and are down to 1 suitcase and backpack each.

Each story will have a few tips inserted in case they help others.

The flight from San Diego to London was 11 hrs long but actually fine. I had booked an aisle and window seat and we were lucky none filled the middle seat. That was the only empty seat on the plane. That made a huge difference as we could put our backpacks under the empty seat and keep our legroom. We checked our suitcases through to Joburg.

 TIP: Booking an aisle and window often leaves the middle open !!

We arrived in London and Heathrow is huuuuuuuge. It took us  1½ hrs to get through the maze of long hallways, down 3 long escalators, through passport control and as we had nothing to declare, we went looking for the place to check our carry-ons for the day. This took about 30 mins, a long story….but got the 2 bags checked in for 15 Pounds each.

Went to catch the tube and after endless Youtube views at home I felt very smug that it would be a breeze with Apple Pay touchless pay at the turnstile…..wrong, It worked for me but it just wouldn't work for Ron when I opened it for him to use right behind me. I learned we couldn't use my Apple Pay right away again so Ron had to use his CC which was OK once we knew that.

Tip: each have your own Apple Pay.

The London Tube system is well marked and easy to follow.

The ride to Piccadilly was an hour and didn’t have too many passengers until halfway when work people hopped on.  We got off at Piccadilly to find we had to follow the Apple touch and CC again to the turnstile to get out…. I asked the worker man standing there why and he told us it is to get out but we don't pay again ...the magic of the cyber world!!!

Wow, Piccadilly Circus, and for the kids that is not a big top with animals and acts !!! was sooooo busy with cars, people, buses, and taxis all buzzing around the statue of Eros, the Piccadilly landmark. Many of these roads that go around a landmark and off into different directions are called Circus, the Latin derivation for Circle !! Down one street there were Union Jack flags strung across the street for a long way, either always there or from the Coronation. I was most delighted to see the other main street was similarly hung with rows and rows of Pride Flags.

We hopped onto the Hop-On-Hop-off Big Bus line which turned out not to be a good idea at all. We planned to see a lot of London from the open top in the short time we had. Good grief, there was a lot of construction going on so the route was altered and missed all the landmarks I had particularly mapped out with the route map wanted to go past in the time allocated. So no Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and a few others. Oh well, I had lived in London for 14 months so it wasn't like my first visit. This reminds me that things often change and oh well, move along.

The traffic was really heavy so the bus moved at a snail's pace as we passed Trafalgar Square with Nelson looking down from his column, St Paul's Cathedral then a view of Tower Bridge in the distance as we crossed London Bridge. People watching as they walked past the bus faster than we were going was the highlight of that ride. I thought we would get off at Tower Bridge stop, get a photo with the bridge behind us then head to the Tube there as it was taking tooooo long on the bus. Sadly, the stop didnt give a view of Tower Bridge so foiled again.!!!    So I don't suggest a Hop On Hop Off bus unless you have a whole day at least. In addition, the commentary was really stupid!

So now I had a thought for a fun photo stop to go to Victoria Station and get a photo of Ron next to a phone booth …..that is where our life and family began, with a phone call from a red London phone box at Victoria Station. 

When I met Ron, I told him to “Buzz off”. I was not looking for a relationship but he was. He arrived in London a few months later and used the  red London phone box to call my house…..yup, I had given him my number not thinking he would use it. He left a message with one of my housemates to call him at the number at that phone box and he would wait for the call. 

 8 hrs later when I got home I did call the number and good grief he answered the phone with “ Hi Babe”!!!

He didn't “buzz off” and 14 months and many fun travels together we were married in Johannesburg.

 53 years later we were now standing outside of Victoria Station looking for a red London phone box that started it all.

   As we went down to find the right line we realized it was now not only hundreds of tourists but getting close to the work hour rush, people all rushing down like termites in a panic to the station !!! We got to Victoria and couldn't find a phone booth so settled for a photo in front of the station facade. Good enough. Next stop the toilet for Ron, he found one with an attendant who asked for 50P to pee !!! He only had pound notes so asked if he could give a dollar, took out his money clip that had 80 pounds and about 50 dollars clipped into it, peed, came back out and went down the next escalator to the station for Heathrow……oh dear for us and hooray for a Pickpocket…. Money clip GONE!!! Oh well, lesson learned and a great lesson before we hit Africa. He no longer has a money clip to pull out; that was his custom !!! 

Then came the sardine experience !!! I wish I had a photo to tell the story but I couldn’t even reach my phone in the sardine can to take it The tube on one side of the platform was filled to the brim with people when they had a medical emergency on it, so everyone was sent to the other side to get on that tube. When I say everyone I mean EVERYONE and added to us resulted in nose to toes people.How the door closed I have no idea. At each station one got off and 10 more pushed in !!! The mass of bodies all moved at the same time and really sweet, one younger lady motioned for me to come and get her seat…..no way could I get to it through the mass of human flesh but I waved thank you anyway…I guess gray hair has advantages but how refreshing to be offered. That seat has a sign about it with a picture of an old person, a pregnant person and a wheelchair person that I noticed on the train going in that morning. Not being pregnant or in a wheelchair, clearly made me the “old person”!!! At one stage I managed to get to a rail at the end of that carriage so my backpack was on the rail and none behind me but…..my nose was pressed into some man's back!!! I just hoped he didnt fart !!!

Quite the experience, everything in life is an experience……this sealed it for me…..London…What was I thinking!!!   

Tip: If you have a limited time in London for a layover and ours was 9 hrs, use the Heathrow Express line. 25 British pounds each, kids free, very fast 15 mins vs 55 mins and far less crowded.  

We left Heathrow 2 ½ hrs late due to some engine issue…..once again we booked a window and aisle seat so had no one in the middle which was again awesome. We were on board so we could watch movies and nap which I did. Ron and I had figured out the controls when we got on and it all worked. A little while later he said his sound was no longer working…. Bummer, with 11 hrs to go. Soon discovered he didn't have his earplugs in…..Funny funny and being tired I found this hysterical. At 12 midnight dinner was served and the rest of the 10hrs dozing on and off. 

After a good English breakfast, we got ready to land in Johannesburg at the Oliver Tambo International Airport.

Funny how things change, Oliver Tambo was charged with treason along with the others fighting for a free South Africa and spent 30 years exiled (Google for more ) and now the main airport in South Africa is named for him.  Awesome !!!

We went through passport control in the line for No Visa needed, grabbed our bags ...yup bags as mentioned,  went through nothing to declare and in no time at all we were through!!!

There were lots of African porters at the exit all offering help, taxis, etc but all we wanted was a SIM Card and to head to the car rentals. so kept saying no thank you. The ones Ron engaged more than I did. stuck to us like glue !!!,  

Bye bye London, hello South Africa.

I am finishing up this story in the dark as we have no power for the next hour due to load shedding so I am not looking at typos etc as I want to get this up.

I also need light to add my story and photos to the website …..so this will be added after I cook dinner when the power comes on and I get back to my laptop. Life is so much easier in the US. Don't take it for granted. 

I don't.

My next story is “Running on Empty” to be added when there are no “excuses” available.