Tuesday, 26 June 2007

London calling

Dirty little town on the Thames is calling you away- London Bombs, Eskimo Joe

Well, we are here, from the land of dingos and Vegemite, cold beer and warm beaches to the land of Big Ben, Placebo and cuppa teas, warm beer and cold beaches! That's right, we have hit the shores of the mother country. Up until know, the Queen's head on our money is the closest I have been to the British monarchy- I get nervous when the Queen and head come up in the same sentence......

So we are staying in a dapper part of town, right near Hyde Park. I have taken to saying 'ello guvna' and 'tally ho chaps' to everyone I meet- somehow it's different to people who say 'G'day mate' to every Australian they meet. Or maybe not.

But seriously, London is the most extreme juxtaposition to India- cold versus hot, clean versus dirty, expensive versus really really cheap. And after 5 months in Asia, the return to a western metropolis is a real eye opener. Unlike the inquisitive and sometimes intrusive staring of India, anonymity sets in fast in London. Eye contact is frowned upon, and apart from the backpacks, we blend into the background.

All in all, it feels nice to be in a large cosmopolitan city, and the first few days in London make a refreshing change from the wild back blocks of South East and Central Asia. Went for a stroll in Hyde Park yesterday, and today we are off to central London for a bit of a stroll along the Thames.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Have you checked your mail lately...