My second layover was in London, England. I was giddy with excitement at this destination, but what made me giddier is the crew I was with. Yay! I flew with my 5 batchmates; Ate Divine, Samsam, Rachelle, Maireen, and my flying partner Jessica.
The flight duration from Riyadh to London is 7 hours. The affiliated hotel is Park Point Plaza Hotel which is the perfect lodging for tourists. I could see the Big Ben from the window of my hotel room. Tourist attractions are very near!
My batchmates and I just had to dress up. We then started our London trip before 7 pm. Like in Frankfurt, Germany, the sun sets very late.
We did not have an itinerary. Everything was spontaneous.
After seeing the Big Ben & Parliament Square and the London Eye, we thought of going to London Bridge. We did not have any idea where it is and how to get there. So, a kind stranger advised us to ride a bus or take the public subway. We went down the Westminster Station to get a ticket. Here the uproarious things began to take place.
All of us were standing in front of a queue, trying to figure out the ticketing thing called "oyster", until we asked one family about it. They helped us and showed us how to purchase tickets. The ticket can be used both for subway and bus. So, we discussed which is better for more minutes. Yes, it was a big deal for us. Haha! We chose bus eventually.
Ignorance has not ended there.
We chased every bus we laid eyes on. All those buses were not en route to London Bridge. We were running from station to station just to catch the right bus. I wonder how we look like on CCTVs. Haha! Well, the Big Ben struck 11 and we were not able to find the red bus that will take us to the bridge. We just decided to have dinner at a restaurant.
We woke up early the next day. We had breakfast and headed to the Buckingham Palace. A local informed us that when the Royal Standard flag is flow, Queen Elizabeth is inside the palace. Alas! The sovereign is in there at the time. We ended our layover by buying some souvenirs at a shop near the hotel.
A lot of stressful things happened after we checked out of the hotel. But I'd rather not to share it as the felicity in my heart outweighs.
I will surely come back to London. I'm hoping to see Stonehenge next time!
