OCTOBER
      25,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRAV!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      in
      the
      World
      is
      Kristi
      Kelly?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      London...
      kinda
      like
      New
      York
      City,
     
     
      but
      with
      a
      rock
      star
      attitude!
      After
     
     
      living
      in
      France,
      and
      exploring
     
     
      countries
      with
      first
      languages
      other
     
     
      than
      English,
      you
      better
      believe
      that
      I
     
     
      was
      ecstatic
      about
      my
      trip
      to
      the
      UK.
     
     
      I
      could
      read
      street
      signs
      with
      ease,
      I
     
     
      didn’t
      need
      to
      study
      or
      rehearse
      simple
     
     
      key
      phrases
      like
      “yes”
      and
      “thank
      you”
     
     
      -
      and
      best
      of
      all,
      I
      could
      stock
      up
      on
     
     
      English
      reading
      materiall!!!
      I
      never
     
     
      appreciated
      going
      into
      a
      bookstore
      so
     
     
      much
      in
      my
      life!
      So
      maybe
      I
      looked
      a
     
     
      little
      obsessive
      in
      purchasing
     
     
      something
      like
      10
      books,
      two
     
     
      magazines
      and
      3
      newspapets...
     
     
      anyhow,
      in
      some
      small
      way,
      I
      felt
      like
     
     
      I
      was
      coming
      a
      little
      closer
      to
      home.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      London
      itself,
      is
      huge!
      Chalked
     
     
      full
      history,
      heritage
      buildings
      and
     
     
      monuments
      set
      the
      tone
      of
      the
      city
     
     
      itself
      however,
      modern
      day
      influences,
     
     
      fad-trends,
      and
      flamboyant
      passions
      all
     
     
      come
      together
      to
      mesh
      nicely,
      giving
     
     
      London
      an
      attitude
      like
      no
      other.
      You
     
     
      feel
      “cool”,
      just
      being
      there.
      The
     
     
      artistic
      flare
      breathes
      throughout
      the
     
     
      and
      you
      see
     
    
   
   
    
     
      City.
      streets,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      advertisements
      for
      every
      possible
      type
     
     
      of
     
     
      performances,
      concerts
      and
      films.
      Both
     
     
      day
      and
      night,
      London’s
      city
      center
      is
     
     
      bustling
      with
      thousands
      of
      movers
      and
     
     
      shakers...
      just
      doing
      their
      thing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      event;
      musicals,
      theatre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      and
      everything
      is
      always
     
     
      moving,
      and
      its
      that
      buzzing
     
     
      excitement
      that
      makes
      London
      such
     
     
      a
      spectacular
      place
      to
      be.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      as
      you
      can
      imagine,
      my
      list
     
     
      of
      things
      to
      see
      was
      a
      mile
      long!
     
     
      Where
      to
      begin,
      what
      to
      do,
      what
      to
     
     
      eat...
      what
      to
      drink
      and
      where!?
      For
     
     
      any
      of
      you
      looking
      to
      travel
      Europe.
     
     
      the
      book
      “Europe
      on
      a
      Shoestring”
      is
     
     
      fab-u-lous.
      Not
      only
      does
      it
      tell
      you
     
     
      how
      to
      get
      to
      see
      everything
      that
      you
     
     
      need,
      it
      will
      highlight
      what
      is
      worth-
     
     
      seeing
      (and
      what’s
      a
      tourist
      trap)
      -
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      some
      amazing
      detailed
     
     
      directions,
      great
      (cheap)
      places
      to
      eat,
     
     
      and
      what
      to
      try.
      Cheap,
      cheap,
      cheap
     
     
      -
      because
      the
      British
      pound
      will
     
     
      seriously
      give
      you
      a
      heart-attack,
      and
     
     
      no,
      I
      am
      not
      kidding.
      Think
      of
      this...
     
     
      you
      buy
      a
      bottle
      of
      water,
      great,
      1.5
     
     
      British
      pounds,
      gee,
      that’s
      cheap!?
     
     
      Ummm...
      try
      3.60
      Canadian
      dollars
     
     
      (for
      freaking
      water!!!)
      -
      and
      that
      is
      at
     
     
      the
      lower
      end
      of
      the
      spectrum!
      Burger
     
     
      King,
      a
      meal
      starts
      at
      6
      British
     
     
      pounds...
      so
      doing
      the
      math,
      at
      an
     
     
      exchange
      of
      almost
      2.4
      to
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      dollar
      (*cough
      -
      $14.40
      -
     
     
      cough*)...
      enough
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So,
      after
      you
      recover
      from
      the
     
     
      shock
      of
      how
      incredibly
      broke
      you
     
     
      actually
      are,
      you
      can
      move
      on
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (
     
     
      iS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Legendary
      Big
      Ben
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @e
      10
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      your
      adventure.
      There
      literally
      is
     
     
      something
      for
      everyone!
      I
      had
      to
      make
     
     
      my
      way
      to
      Buckingham
      Palace.
      I
      mean,
     
     
      really
      -
      you
      see
      it
      on
      television
      as
      this
     
     
      beautifully
      magnificent
      palace,
      with
     
     
      glorious
      gardens,
      and
      of
      course
      Royal
     
     
      Family!
      Man...
      what
      a
      let
      down
      in
      real
     
     
      life.
      Not
      only
      is
      Buckingham
      Palace
     
     
      smaller
      ;than
      «i
      expected,
      it
      16
     
     
      surrounded
      by
      freaking
      concrete!
      Not
     
     
      even
      pretty
      concrete
      at
      that.
      And
      as
      I
     
     
      gripped
      the
      bars
      of
      the
      palace
      gate
     
     
      peering
      in
      desperately
      to
      catch
      a
     
     
      glimpse
      of
      a
      royal
      guard,
      I
      was
      sadly
     
     
      informed
      that
      the
      Royal
      Family
      wasn’t
     
     
      even
      there!!
      So...
      my
      plans
      of
      actually
     
     
      meeting...
      then
      obviously
      marrying
     
     
      Prince
      William,
      were
      shot
      to
      hell
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      boost
      my
      spirits,
      I
      hopped
      on
     
     
      a
      trademark
      red,
      double-decker
      bus
      and
     
     
      proceeded
      on
      with
      my
      sightseeing.
     
     
      London
      Bridge,
      London
      Tower,
      Big
     
     
      Ben,
      the
      Old
      Globe
      Theatre,
      St.
      James
     
     
      Gate,
      and
      The
      London
      Eye
      all
      were
     
     
      amazing
      sights
      to
      see...
      however
      one
     
     
      warning.
      Double-decker
      buses
      +
      being
     
     
      on
      the
      top
      level
      +
      crazy
      London
      bus
     
     
      drivers
      whizzing
      around
      the
      city
      =
      an
     
     
      interesting
      combination
      of
      whip-lash
     
     
      and
      motion
      sickness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Now,
      you
      can’t
      be
      in
      the
      UK,
      and
     
     
      not
      be
      drawn
      in
      by
      the
      remarkably
     
     
      noticeable
      “social”
      culture.
      Come
      5
     
     
      p-m.,
      the
      work
      day
      is
      over...
      and
      the
     
     
      night
      life
      honestly
      begins.
      Pubs
      and
     
     
      taverns
      are
      so
      full
      that
      people
      (still
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      full
      work
      attire)
      are
      flowing
      into
      the
     
     
      streets
      where
      there
      are
      tables
     
     
      conveniently
      set
      up
      -
      drinking
      tall,
     
     
      frosty
      pints
      and
      sharing
      in
      jovial
     
     
      conversations
      of
      the
      days
      events.
     
     
      Undoubtedly,
      the
      Soho
      District,
     
     
      London’s
      “social
      central”
      is
      by
      fair
      the
     
     
      trendiest
      and
      wildest
      place
      to
      be
      -
     
     
      somehow,
      me
      and
      my
      unwashed
      jeans,
     
     
      North
      Face
      fleece
      and
      un-showered
     
     
      traveling
      look
      managed
      to
      fit
      in
      quite
     
     
      nicely.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      night
      approaches,
      so
      does
      a
     
     
      whole
      new
      face
      to
      the
      streets
      of
     
     
      London
      -
      Piccadilly
      Circus,
      lit
      brightly
     
     
      as
      day
      is
      just
      as
      jammed
      packed
      as
      ever
     
     
      with
      crowds
      of
      anxious
      club
      hoppers
     
     
      and
      party
      chasers.
      Seeing
      as
      this
      is
      also
     
     
      the
      injunction
      where
      five
      major
     
     
      roadways
      meet,
      if
      you
      so
      choose
      to
     
     
      cross
      the
      street,
      run.
      Literally.
      If
      you
     
     
      think
      Island
      drivers
      are
      bad,
      imagine
     
     
      them
      on
      the
      other
      side
      of
      the
      road.
     
     
      London
      drivers
      stop
      for
      no
      one.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It’s
      hard
      not
      to
      be
      swept
      up
      into
     
     
      the
      fun
      loving,
      social,
      trendy
      scene
      of
     
     
      this
      city.
      This
      in
      itself
      can
      lead
      to
     
     
      excessive
      drinking,
      a
      substantial
     
     
      increase
      in
      comedic/social
      cursing
      and
     
     
      poor
      fashion
      choices.
      It’s
      hard
      not
      to
     
     
      love
      this
      city...
      and
      if
      you
      can
      handle
     
     
      (and
      manage)
      the
      price
      that
      comes
     
     
      along
      with
      this
      adventure,
      then
      it
      will
     
     
      undoubtedly
      be
      an
      experience
      you
      wil
     
     
      never
      forget.