England!

The next day returned to the customs office with a printed bank statement and confirmation of a ferry ticket to Ireland. These were acceptable, and I was allowed to pass after a short wait. Its amazing what showing a little money can do. The ferry ride was fairly uneventful, but offered good views of passing ships on what turned out to be a beautiful day on the water. The white cliffs of Dover soon became viable, and I snapped a few pictures. The port of Dover was a cluster of ramps, highways, and parking lots that was not intended for cyclists, though there were a few of us there. I ended up taking a walking path over the top edge of the cliffs to avoid the traffic. This was another difficult bike push that offered some good views of the harbor. Again I was surprised by the lack of guardrails or warning signs near the edge of the cliffs.

It should also be noted that I was given six months to explore England, whereas I had been given three months to explore the Europe. As such, the pace of the trip has changed, and I was able to take my time and ride casually on a long a meandering route to London. I stumbled upon part of the national bike route system, switched the GPS off, and followed the coastal trail beside beaches, through beach communities, and rode on top of miles of sea wall. The fresh and sometime briny smell of the water was a welcome change. The weather had also miraculously started to cooperate. The temperature moderated and the sky cleared for really nice riding.

I met local man at a historic ruined church who advised me on a few extra destinations, including Canterbury and Whitstable. I went to Canterbury, toured the cathedral, and decided to stay the night at Kipps hostel which was a terrific experience. Then I went to Whitstable and tried one of their famous raw oysters at a seaside bar.

For all of you wondering, yes, going to England was a nice change back to English, miles, and Fahrenheit. I've already met a lot of interesting and helpful people who have offered me travel advice and assistance. The British accent is only a problem here and there, mostly in the countryside. What has messed me up even more is this whole left hand side of the road thing. Riding on country roads are fine, but intersections and left rotating traffic circles can be problematic to the habits I've formed over the years. I'm still getting used to looking over my right shoulder when riding, and looking right when crossing the street on foot. Drivers are on the opposite side of the vehicle as well, which can be confusing to see driverless cars going about. These skills were put to the test on my ride into London, which was short but involved lots of busy commercial areas. English drivers are among the most patient and friendly I've come, sometimes giving way to the point of suspicion.

I decided to stay in London for a week. I got hostel that was cheep enough and close to several attractions. The gods smiled on me again and when I was bunked with a bunch of girls, many of which were friendly and quite attractive. It was nice to have people to talk, eat with, and tour with when schedules allowed. This was welcome after so long in linguistic isolation. English accents are surprisingly sparse in London. This is a city of immigrants, and many languages are spoken, even right here at the hostel. I was at an Indian restaurant last night, and my server explained in broken English that he was saving money to meet the rest of his family in Brooklyn. It was interesting to talk about it and hear his hopes and expectations.

London has both free and paid museums... you can guess which ones I actually went to. These included the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria Albert, British Museum. The natural history museum was cool, but pretty much what I expected (i.e. mammoth skeletons) they did have a nice exhibit on minerals and evolution, if you are into either of those things. The building itself was neat, well designed and well detailed. Carved monkeys peer down mischievously from the columns and corners. The science museum had some early steam engines, along with a special exhibit analyzing a month of the museum’s trash. The Victoria Albert had room of cast statues that was really breathtaking. I think I ever have a huge house I'd like like to have a few of these things around :) The British Museum had more classical museum artifacts from Grease, Egypt, and Europe. They had the Rosetta stone, which was also cool to see in person. Some world artifacts attract rock concert like crowds and it can be challenging to get close. I probably spent the most time with the Babylonian wall carvings,

which clearly depicted hunting scenes in long panels. I've toured until my feet and legs hurt, pushed on a bit more, but eventually had to call it quits when I was tired and hungry. I'm starting to think my bike shoes may be the source of my feet and knee pains after a day of walking.

I took a couple of walking tours where I saw Buckingham Palace, House of Parliament, Big Ben, and many others. I took the “jack the ripper tour” which retraced the steps of this unsolved crime. These were both done by Sandman, and were really excellent. I'm sorry I didn't have more to tip the tour guide. I also scored traditional fish and chips and hit a few pubs along the way. I did not get to either of the Tates, an afternoon tea, or a double decker bus ride. Maybe next time.

For fear or damage or theft I've left the bike in storage and have been taking “the tube” for what amounts for $20 wen necessary. Its true what they say that London is expensive. Most of the prices seem reasonable until you factor in the 2x conversion to dollars. A 25 pound restaurant bill is actually closer to $50, not including tip.

London in itself is a very nice city with lots of history and cultural significance. There are pretty girls around, but the bad teeth thing may be somewhat true. The buildings are shorter and there is less hustle and bustle of cities like New York, but still plenty of things to do. Overall London rates highly on the big cities I've been to. There are plenty of cool pubs and tweed, but things are very modernized, with high end shopping and Broadway style shows. Bicycle amenities and bicycle sharing system is well established. Things feel safe and well cared for, but problems persist in waste management, litter in the streets, a binge drinking culture, and some homelessness.

I've extended my stay here once so far, now I start planning the rest of my trip north to Scotland, which I am really excited about.