I'm going to start with Riga's airport. Why? Cause I've never flown by plane before. Even though I thought I'd be exited about the plane, I was only thinking of London. My aunt and mom and cousin told me few things about flying and I seriously thought it's interesting, but once sitting in the plane it felt nothing special.
I happened to sit on the place which was just next to the evacuation door and the steward got me confused a bit when told me that in case of an emergency we should help to get everyone out. Not the best thing to know, when your flying for the first time.
Anyway, the plane took off, lights of Riga disappeared (it was 10 pm.) and for the next 2 h there was nothing but darkness. Until the plane started descending and the lights of London where on the sight.
Can't really describe the feeling. I saw this massive set of lights and it was quite hard to believe it was London. I've wanted to go there for all my life, it was like a dream destination for me.
I started thinking weird thoughts. Like „ this is the place, where the queen lives, where is Keira Knightley, Robert Pattinson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Orlando Bloom, Emma Watson, princes William and Harry aso, aso. And yes, Harry Potter is not a real life figure, but couldn't help myself thinking that near there is the place, where he should be. (I'm weird, I know).
This was the city of the Big Ben, doubledeckers, Madame Tussaud's and many other things I was desperate to see. And then I was there. Just after the plane had landed everyone started clapping, which I didn't know is done. Probably because the pilot had landed the plane safely. Nice way to respect the pilots, though.
We arrived to Stansted airport, which is one of the biggest airports in England, I think. There's a subway to transport people from the arrivals gate to the main building, where you can get your luggage.
Talking about luggage, I was really afraid of losing it. When back in Estonia, I put it in the bus, the bus driver somehow managed to make it fall out of the bus and into a puddle. In Riga, my cherry pink suitcase was out of the bus before I was. Someone had pulled it out and it was lying there, up-side-down on the pavement. So in Stansted, I was waiting for it to come, hoping it hadn't gone lost. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Everybody from our airplane had already got their luggage and few of the bags did there 6th round on the conveyer line. Finally I saw a cherry pink suitcase coming towards where I was standing and felt relieved. I had seriously thought it was gone for good.
Out of the airport, we had a bus ordered. Stansted is about 50 km out of London (if I remember correctly). First thing I noticed, was that the door was on the wrong side of the bus. And so was the driver. I knew, of course, that there is diverse traffic, but it was unaccustomed to see it for real. The bus driver was a real WRC driver, I think. Everybody were driving really fast but they all seemed to have good control over their cars. In Estonia people don't drive that fast and if they do, then not so well. Of course, the roads are in a bit better condition there than they are in here.
Only famous thing I saw that night was the Tower Bridge. The bridge was exactly like I had imagined, but not where I imagined it would locate. I thought all the old things are together, but this was next to modern government buildings. But I saw it just for a moment, because we were in a bus. My accommodation was near Hyde park.
I knew that in Britain they have a slightly different sockets than in Estonia, but I hoped that in international hostels and hotels they have different plugs. Well, they didn't. Luckily during the trip I had nothing to charge, I had my batteries full at home.
Out of the hostel window you could see Hyde park. And Kensington Gardens, as I learned later. It was kind of a English view. Big park surrounded by black iron gates and there were two red telephone booths on the pavement. These two convinced me, that I really was in London.
Waiting for the next day to come, I went to bed. Exited to see everything the city has to offer.
xoxo K.
