There is nothing worse than waking up early in the morning because you have to pee. Which is exactly what I did this morning. Then after that, I suffered from some acid reflux until 9am when our alarm went off…however neither of us actually got up until 10:30am. Oops! Our day started with a fantastic coffee shop where there was a “litter” can, not a trash can, a litter can. BIG difference. After grabbing some coffee for Lo and tea for me and some muffins, we hopped on over to the Big Red Bus Tour where we proceeded to spend the rest of our day.
We hopped on the bus and immediately went to the top so we could feel the wind rush through our nappy hair like dogs. (Lo drooled too…quite embarrassing) The bus tour took us all around London and there was a tour guide that told us the history behind each historical landmark we passed. Surprisingly enough I really enjoyed learning the history of London. At each stop we had the option of getting off the bus and exploring a bit and then we could catch another bus within minutes to take us on our way again. The first stop we got off at was by the London Eye, which is the huge ferris wheel by the river. The eye is an incredible landmark to see, but we are cheapos and didn’t feel like paying and waiting for that long in line…so after walking around a bit we decided to jump back on the red bus, which then took us all over and we then got off next at Westminster. Here we were able to go into St. Margaret’s Chapel, an absolutely beautiful church. As we walked in an admired the stained glass windows and wooden pews, I saw a plaque on the wall for Equiano and got really excited. Forewarning…I am about to be a TOTAL nerd. The plaque I read said that he was baptized in this church in the 1700’s. After reading that I proceeded to tell the history of what I knew and have studied about Equiano. Equiano was actually an abolitionist who drastically changed the world and helped deplete slavery in our world today. He was an African American who actually was a slave on a ship, but had a great master who treated him well and Equiano thought of him as a father, but he knew that not everyone had the same experience he did. Equiano ended up writing a book that was a best seller and he sold a gajillion copies that helped end slavery. Needless to say, he was an absolutely incredible man. After I told Lo all these facts about Equiano, I realized that for the first time in my entire life I applied something academic to real life…it was a BIG moment. Mom, Dad…be proud. After this life stepping stone we hopped back on the bus, saw Buckingham Palace and plenty of other landmarks.
Then, we proceeded to take the bus all the way around in a circle back to the London Eye, where we got off and decided to have dinner by the river. We found a vendor who sold a Japanese wok style of food and we got some noodles and chicken and WINE! Woo woo! We sat on a bench, ate our food out of a cardboard box, drank wine, and we were merry. Full of food and joy, we decided to walk along the river to see what we could see when we stumbled upon a restaurant that sold bottles of wine for 6-9 pounds…and we jumped on that opportunity. Needless to say we sat outside and downed a bottle of wine together for the next two hours and told life stories. The day was just getting better and better!! We then decided to walk back to our hostel. After asking for directions, getting postcards and shot glasses, we eventually found our way back to good ole Piccadilly Hostel. And now we are typing this!
The night is young and we don’t know what it will hold yet. We might go out…or we might just be lame and sit inside and play cards, which sounds mighty fine as well. Tomorrow is our last full day in London and I think we are going to spend it chillin at Hyde Park and writing postcards…maybe to one of you!
So, Day 2….check! Life is good, wine is better. Cheers!
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