The trip so far has seemed to last much longer than just seven little days. Packed up all the things I thought I’d need for a year and climbed into a great plastic tube that was full of non-human mechanisms equipped for hosting a great deal of human bodies. Landed and 2 hours in customs. Dart out into London, the tube and great big luggage don’t agree and we’re pushing and pulling these giant packages made for stowing and not towing.
Stayed in London for 3 nights. The 1st is hazy after having been awake for some 36 hours. Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe Theatre and some coffee, a lot of walking and back to the hostel to sleep like tired lumps of Delusional human clay. Up the next day, Cody leaves first to go to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, can’t drag myself out, but rise rather early. I think this day we went to the Thames Festival with Rachel. Giant crowds of smiling and drunk people pushing through bright coloured shirts in search of the booth selling what it was they wanted. Westminster, the Clock Tower, Big Ben, The Thames, back to the hostel drinkin to sleep. Up again to the Tate Modern where Cody and I lost eachother, but I found Rachel. What a wonderful place to spend a free day, Francis Bacon, and on and on these Modern Artists’ sketch photo paint and pull these wonderful landscapes of the modern life. Oh my two hours we pass through every floor. Quite the time it was. Couldn’t find Cody even on the way out. To Rachel’s school and back to the Hostel, Cody gone to Greenich, Rachel and I get some Scrumpy Jacks English Cider drinkin until Cody comes. Lug our big suitcases to Rachel’s Dorm. Meet her bo Amz and out for a pint at the Green Man. Eat some pizza and wander until back to the hostel to rest.
Leavin for Bath the next day. On the First Great Western out of Paddington. About 2 hours on the train. Bath is a beautiful cities with buildings like the eyes of God. So beautiful its hard to look at them for long. We quickly decide to play tourist big time and hop on a tour bus to Stonehenge. 15 pounds to walk around a rope that surround the great towering rocks. Must say that the location had a strange ambience so that I can understand the attraction ancients would have had, a quick turn and one can see in all directions. We’re on an audio tour so this hanging speaker about our necks tells us all about the stones. A bit that I didn’t know at all. Nearly half the stone underground?! Geeesus. Beautiful place, sheep everywhere. Back on the bus and into town. We walk about search out a place to eat and try to contact our couchsurfing host. My ‘International’ phone is fritzing so we pour pound after pound into a demanding payphone. Catch a taxi to University of Bath and when arrived we are instantly submerged in a Samba Jam Drum troop. Asked to Pick up instruments and play along with a group so widely ranged in age that I can’t even begin to compare it to anything I’ve seen before. We play and play sit out for second half and afterward jump into the back of Jackson’s mate’s Landrover. Dippin down the curvy roads listening to M.I.A. Stop by Jackson’s to drop off bags, then to the Riser, a little pub in his area and drink my first English Bitters. Refreshing and not nearly as strong as I thought it would be. Out of the pub with Jackson and co hanging out in the bus stop to encounter a bluenosed old man whose been patrolling the pub for what has to be 80 years. Shoot it with him telling us stories about pissin on the Rising Sun’s tomato plants, he catches a bus and we giggle down the street to Jackson’s home. Little music sharing and to sleep in comfy accomodations.
Next day we leave at 10:35 up too late to shower, shovel some cornflakes in and run to the train. Hug Jackson and we’re to Swansea in South Wales, heard it was a mite industrial for other’s tastes. A little anxious on the ride there, but pulling in to see I’ll get along with this town. Strip from the station spotted with discount stores and run down storefronts. To the City Centre which plays host to the largest open air market in South Wales. In to get a couple Pasties to quell the hunger seeping in our bellies. We look about for tourist information and decide to head out to Mumbles, a bay just down the road accessible by bus. Buy a belt and a redbull try to unlock Cody’s phone- no luck . ON the bus, we hop out when we see a castle. It’s the Oystermouth castle about 65 pence for students to run about and explore the ruining walls, walking down the falling stairs on the landings and towers and seats and windows. Explore for some 40 minutes and we’re out to another payphone to Call Doug out host of the night. Feeding the hungry pay phone coin after coin until he just calls us back and it’s free. He’s off work and will meet us at the White Rose at half fiver (5:30). So we skip down to the Swansea shore to frolic on the mud-flats. Found myself a cute little crab that I held for a bit and looked for good rocks to keep close to my heart. Into the pub and a Brain’s Bitters, Delicious. Doug in and we talk easily, comfortably. After the beer we’re out to his car and start towards the peninsula of Gower. Doug knows a lot about Swansea and is quick to tell us all that he knows. We walk and walk to the top of this great hill overlooking Oxwich Bay. Turn and turn you can see all the countryside host to runners finishing this strange scavenger hunt. Who knows what they are doing, but we’re standing on top of this hill and they are running around us in circles. It makes everything seem much dreamier than it ever did before. Went out to a great delicious Indian Restaurant, another pint and we’re at Doug’s place sleeping it all off
Back to London staying at a Hostel, can’t get a hold of Rachel for shit and we need our luggage, so we hop about, get a tube day pass ride it wherever. Made it to Chinatown and happened upon the HUGE Freddy Mercury statue glistening in the English moonlight sweet sweet rapture, snap it into my camera and we’re off again. Grab a drink at this Spanish bar in an alley where you set your glasses on the pavement and dip out. Drink it down and head to Rachel’s where we wait for some 45 minutes until she shows up and we get our luggage back to the hostel with the original intention of going out again. But we’re staying in a 4 person dorm with 2 older one a lady the other a fellow from France and Uruguay respectively. Don’t wanna come back pissed and disturb them so we stay in anyway.
Next day up and out to explore. To Hyde Park, Regent Gardens, some palaces and Princess Di’s memorial playground with a great pirate ship, we can’t go in though because we aren’t and don’t have children so movin on we go to the British Library and see some of the oldest documents in existenz, including an original collection of Shakespeare plays, Magna Carta, and notes from Sylvia Plath. Jesus, so close but everything is in glass I dirty it with my face trying to get closer. Dip out quick to catch the coach to Canterbury.
At the station we are met by our next host Tom, nice guy carrying two bikes back to his place on a 40 minute walk. Lugging the big blue whale bag up all those hills about to die. But we get in and he makes us a nice meal, I can’t eat it all, but I’m happy to have a homecooked meal in my belly. We sleep I on the floor for a bit until I’m too cold to sleep. Up early and we’re to Campus.. Get into our place and I dump my stuff and spreadeagle on my bed. So happy to be in a place that is so mine and made for me to lock and keep my things so safe and I will be so safe here so wonderfully content.
Pub crawl that night.
So that’s the quick tip of the berg about what’s been going on the past couple o’ evenings.
Travelins is mostly Safe, Sick, Sound, Sweet.
