Day 3 – After some deliberation and research we decided an
Oyster Card (a bus/subway pass that essentially you pay for upfront and then
once you reach a certain predetermined amount the rest of your transportation
that day is free) would be our best option for transportation so we took the
bus to Hounslow West (you remember, the Grand Central Station of London) in
order to buy our Oyster cards.
Back on the bus to McDonald’s for more free internet and a snack.
Then it was back to the hotel to check out - after we worked through the tiny little minibar issue. Yes, we had a minibar issue.We were charged $12 for 3 beverages that we didn’t consume. Well, we did move them from their designated spots and the sign did say not to move items but we certainly didn’t drink them and we put them right back where they belonged when we left. But...apparently there was a sensor in the fridge under the spot where each drink stood. Big Brother is alive and well in the U.K. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel...
Well, once we got that tiny little issue ironed out, we got back on the bus (using our newly purchased Oyster Pass) back to Hounslow Station (you know, Grand Central Station) and then onto the subway to Central London to find and check into our hostel. The tube stopped several times (possibly due to the damage from the storm the night before—which we had blissfully slept through)
Back on the bus to McDonald’s for more free internet and a snack.
Then it was back to the hotel to check out - after we worked through the tiny little minibar issue. Yes, we had a minibar issue.We were charged $12 for 3 beverages that we didn’t consume. Well, we did move them from their designated spots and the sign did say not to move items but we certainly didn’t drink them and we put them right back where they belonged when we left. But...apparently there was a sensor in the fridge under the spot where each drink stood. Big Brother is alive and well in the U.K. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel...
Well, once we got that tiny little issue ironed out, we got back on the bus (using our newly purchased Oyster Pass) back to Hounslow Station (you know, Grand Central Station) and then onto the subway to Central London to find and check into our hostel. The tube stopped several times (possibly due to the damage from the storm the night before—which we had blissfully slept through)
We took the Piccadilly Circus line (which we were becoming
very familiar with by now), changed to the Bakerloo Line with a final
destination of Elephant and Castle (“mind the gap”) We lugged all of our
luggage up the stairs. (we totally put the “lug” in luggage) We were helped--twice--by several young men who saw us struggling up the stairs and asked if we needed a hand, only to find
that we had taken the wrong stairs and had to go back down all those stairs
(there’s a reason they call the subway “the underground”) only to find we still
couldn’t figure out how to get out of there. Finally I asked a guy “How do we
get out of here?” He said “I’ll show you” and grabbed the biggest suitcase-again-which
he had just gotten up the stairs, mind you, and took off, disappearing around the corner and back down the stairs. We had been using the "buddy system" (I am an honorary boy scout, a fact you will do well to remember because it will come up again) but as I watched the guy book it around the corner with Rachel's
suitcase (which had about half my clothes in it as well) I threw away
my own dictum and abandoned the girls, hoping they would be able to channel
their inner frontier spirit, utilize their tracking skills, and
follow our trail. It seems he went up the stairs, down another set of
stairs around the corner, through a tunnel, back up another flight of stairs and there we were, the helpful young man, the huge suitcase and I, outside
the Elephant and Castle tube station, breathing fresh air, right across the street from the
Elephant and Castle pub, which we never did visit. Which was a shame because I was very curious to discover any and all connections that an elephant might have with a castle.
Ahem. Finally the girls caught up with Rachel's suitcase and I (the young man having left with my fervent thanks ringing in his ears.) Tired as we were, we still had to find New Kent Street, which, as luck would have it, was not the same as Old Kent Street, which was where we found ourselves when we emerged from the underground.
Ahem. Finally the girls caught up with Rachel's suitcase and I (the young man having left with my fervent thanks ringing in his ears.) Tired as we were, we still had to find New Kent Street, which, as luck would have it, was not the same as Old Kent Street, which was where we found ourselves when we emerged from the underground.
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