Firstly we would just like to say just how boring a 10 hour stop over in Doha International Airport is... Ray managed to read a whole book and we had some sneaky food during Ramadan. We jumped in the plane excited to start our journey to Europe, the plane started backing up to turn around for take off when.... the power cut out! The whole plane was in silence, no PA system, no aircon, no entertainment for the kids who were now starting to cry. Not only that the plane started slowly rolling back towards the looming terminal, no brakes! 45 mins later and an all clear from the engineer and we were on our way (better it happened on the ground than in the air).
We were chasing the sunset and arrived over London as night fell, the lights beautiful but also showing the extent of the city were are going to live in! We landed safe and sound to a rather chilly but refreshing 16 degrees. Everything was going to plan. We managed to catch the last tube into town - for free, we got off at the right stop, however we exited out the wrong exit and ended up treking for 40 mins to find our hostel. Finally at 1:30am tired and cold we had made it!
We woke to our first day in London, overcast, cold, the usual. Got our walking shoes on and headed out to find some food, clothes and the final instalment of Harry Potter. After trekking up and down through Earl's Court, Kensington High Street, Oxford Circus and what seemed like half of bloody London we emerged with full bellies, jumpers, sore feet and a London necessity... umbrellas! Found a pub, which isn't hard (and Ray some pokies) and settled in for our first British dinner and pint. By 8:30pm we were feeling the effects of jetlag and headed home for a much needed rest!
Today we decided to head out and see some sights, without a map, a plan or any idea where we were. Ray found us the London Dungeons.... still confused if they are real or not and was too scared to ask. After 90 minutes of walking through in the dark being screamed at, poked, prodded and frightened by actors, random props of dead people, a 5D cinema experience and some terrible rides we made it out alive. I may have peed a little and Ray got dragged up on stage... twice, firstly as a live surgeons corpse and secondly as a criminal as the crowd "booed the beard". Time goes quickly when you have no idea where you are going so the rest of the sights will have to wait for another day.
Now its off for some more delicious food and a well deserved beer, we could get used to this place!
L&R
