So it begins

So it begins

Published Date : April 24, 1999

This is it!!  The moment I’ve been planning for since I was 16!  While my classmates were buying cars and going out partying, I was saving my pennies to go on a trip to Europe.  I’ve been trying to convince my friends to come with me for the last two years, but nobody seems interested.   I keep getting the same response from everyone I talk to:  “Oh, I’d love to go to Europe…….some day.”

Enough with this “some day” garbage.  The time is now.   I refuse to put my life on hold waiting for someone else to do things with.  So four months ago, I went to the travel agent, and I booked a 28-day Contiki tour through 12 countries in Western Europe.  My parents even chipped in and paid for an extra night in London for me before the tour starts.

Now, at long last, the moment is finally here.  My flight to London leaves at 8 o’clock tonight!!

I’m excited, but nervous too.  I’ve done plenty of flying and been away from home on my own before, but not for an entire month half-way around the world!   I’m mostly just nervous about the time in London on my own before the tour starts because I don’t really know what to expect.  No matter what, I know I’m going to have a blast.  I can’t wait!!!!

London calling

Published Date : April 25, 1999

Last night, my parents, brother and grandmother drove me out to the airport.  I used my passport for the first time ever while checking in for my flight!  My parents seemed reluctant to say good-bye, so we wandered around the airport killing time for a while before I had to go through security.  Finally the time came, my family wished me well, and I was off!

The British Airways flight wasn’t full, so I had an empty seat next to me.  Bonus!!  As we crossed over the Arctic with clear skies, I was glued to the window, captivated by the moonscape below us.  After the sun finally set, the rest of the flight was a blur of movies, snacks and dozing.  It wasn’t until we started our final approach to London Heathrow that the nerves set in.

The fellow in the aisle seat, a UBC student not much older than me, struck up a conversation with me as we began our descent.  It was his first time to Europe too and he was starting to get anxious as well.  Unlike me, he wasn’t staying in London, but carrying on to Paris to meet some friends.  We only shared a few words, but it was enough to reassure both of us.

Landing, disembarking, making my way through customs, and collecting my luggage all went off without a hitch.  The hotel I was staying at, The Royal National, had given me directions on which bus to catch at the airport – it was right where they said it would be.  Phew!

Natural History Museum

Once more I was glued to the window, soaking up everything on the drive to town.  Everything felt surreal.  I can hardly believe that I’m finally here!

The bus dropped me at the door to my hotel.  When I went to check-in I was directed to the Contiki office across the street to get my hotel vouchers.  Voucher in hand, I headed back to the hotel reception, then dragged myself up to my room.  It was about 3:30 in the afternoon and as I soon as I dropped my bag and sat on the bed, I completely crashed.  All the excitement and nerves finally wore off and I just zonked.

A couple of hours later, I was woken by a phone call.  It was Mark, an Australian I had been chatting to online who was going to be on the same Contiki tour.  He had just checked in and we arranged to meet in the neighbouring pub for dinner and some drinks.  About the same time, my roommate walked in.  She had just arrived back in London at the end of her Contiki tour and was meeting her tour mates for final drinks at the same pub.

I had been worried about being on my own in London for the first few days, but it seems that I needn’t have been.  Travelling seems to breed instant companionship with other travellers!

It was a fun night of socializing, but it didn’t last too long – those of us who had just arrived in town were jet lagged and headed for an early night in bed.  I arranged to meet Mark and a few others tomorrow morning to do some sightseeing.  Can’t wait!

Playing tourist

Published Date : April 26, 1999

Today’s mission: a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of London.  There were 6 of us in all: 4 Australian guys, including Mark, plus an Australian girl.  I was the youngest in the group by far, but somehow also ended up being the organizer for the day!

Our first stop was Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard.  We had been warned to get there early.  We were also given a great tip: instead of waiting in the crowds at Buckingham Palace, we were advised to go to St James’s Palace and walk along the route with the New Guard over to Buckingham.

We arrived with time to spare, so we explored St James’s Park for a while before going over to watch the guard.  The advice we had been given was great!  There were no crowds and we were able to see the entire procession of the new guard marching in.  Very cool!  The English definitely have pomp and ceremony figured out.

Changing of the Guard – Buckingham Palace

The rest of the day was a whirlwind, seeing Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Marble Arch and the Tower of London.  We threw in a brief Thames River cruise as well, seeing the monument to the Great Fire of London, Parliament and Big Ben, as well as Cleopatra’s Needle from the water.  By the end of it all, my head was spinning with information and sights.  I’m still having difficulty believing that I’m really here.

Unfortunately, we were pressed for time and ended up doing more seeing than exploring.  We had to be back at the hotel for the pre-tour meeting in the afternoon.  Arriving back at the hotel, Mark and I said farewell to our companions.  Three of them were headed home and the other was starting out on a different tour.

At the meeting we were introduced to our tour manager, Philippa (Pip) and our bus driver, Darren.  Pip is from New Zealand and Darren is another Australian.  There are a total of 51 people on the tour; more than half are Canadian which is somewhat unusual apparently.  The rest are mostly Australian with a couple of New Zealanders, two South Africans and one Sri Lankan.

As part of the tour package we were given free passes for a live show while we were in London.  Only a handful of us were interested, so immediately after the meeting we set about finding out what shows were available.  Everyone had very different tastes in what they wanted to see, so we ended up settling on Grease as a last resort.

After a quick shower and change, we met up again in the hotel lobby.  Louise had been to London before and became our leader for the night.  We took the tube to Covent Gardens (an experience in itself!), had a brief wander then headed to the theatre.

I’ve always been indifferent to the Grease phenomenon, but I was blown away by the show!  It was incredibly well done and a lot of fun.  Afterwards, a couple of the girls wanted to try to find the Maple Leaf pub for the “been there, done that” factor, so while they went exploring, the rest of us headed back to the hotel.

Tomorrow the adventure begins!