To get downtown to the hotel, we took the London Underground (or "Tube", for those in the know), which was cozy - perhaps too much with all of our bags. It was made even cozier by the busker who came on, playing the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" on guitar. (If only Accra had more buskers!)
Arriving at St. Pancras station in downtown London was mind-bending for me. Suddenly I'm in a giant metropolis with cars, buses, tightly-packed old buildings, pubs, newspaper stands and even Burger King. The B&B we checked into, the Hotel Meridiana, was no different - hot showers, full bathrooms and television, oh my! After all of this, it was time for a nap.
A few hours later, we went for a walk around downtown - no place in particular. Everything was so immense and tiny at the same time, from the Virgin superstores to quaint flats down the sideroads. We stopped in for fish and chips at a pub (Irish, with a Turkish bartender, Polish service and a peculiar British/West Indian clientele - a testament to the cosmopolitan nature of London) and headed out towards Oxford Street - a main street with shops, restaurants and Christmas lights galore...
To me, it was spectacular. In Accra, it was difficult to remember that it was Christmastime, save for at mass and a few over-decorated Western stores. Suddenly, in less than 24 hours, I was transported to a Western cultural Mecca leading a totally different lifestyle, spending time with Maleaha, eating fish and chips, lots of chocolate and perfecting our faux-British accents. It boggled - and still boggles - my mind. I'll try to keep writing about how I adjust to my new surroundings. But I hadn't much time to dwell on London, because the next day Maleaha and I left for the Emerald Isle...
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