London!

 

Amid all the excitement from leaving orientation and heading for Cape Town, sleep did not come easily on the overnight flight to Heathrow. But, I was rejuvenated after landing in London and the potential for a full nine hours to explore the city! Having never been in Europe before, I was going to take full advantage of this great opportunity!

Traveling with ten other South African interns, we all headed out to the city to explore. Luckily, one of our friends with us had been to London before so she led the way, showing us how to take the famous underground system and the great tourist spots to go to. We headed straight for Westminster but ducked into the Westminster Cathedral on our way to Westminster Abbey because of the all too famous London weather. Sunny skies turned quickly to rain showers but that actually happened to be great for me because I loved walking around the famous cathedral and checking out the beautiful architecture and age-old structures. Quite a wonderful experience. After saying a few quick prayers, we gathered the group and headed to Buckingham Palace to bid hello to the queen!!

   

Westminster Cathedral 

Buckingham Palace

Although we were a group of ten dashing-looking Americans, the queen did not come out to say hello to us. But, she was in the palace because the flag was at full flight. I got to see the famous guards and their furry tall hats which was fun.

After some photo taking and wandering around, we headed to St. James park to hang out, play some frisbee, and soak up the beautiful shining sun which decided to pop back in the sky. Relaxing in St. James Park was just what we needed to rejuvenate ourselves. It was a beautiful area and despite almost getting ripped off by a park manager trying to get us to pay for lounge chairs we didn't know weren't free, we all left with smiling faces. A quick lunch at Adams Rib and a underground trip later, we were back at Heathrow airport boarding our flight for Cape Town. As I held my boarding ticket in hand, ready to take my seat, I reminisced about the day in London and was so happy to have had that opportunity to explore the city. Had I not seen the news just days before, I would have had no idea that the city was dealing with so much unrest, rioting, and difficulty. As my dad pointed out, it's strange how much media portrayal can be different from personal perspective. I guess that just goes to show you that there are two sides to every story. Luckily, I was able to see the better half.

Hanging out in St. James Park