London, United Kingdom – Images by Jamie McDonald

London; so far so good…

Air Asia flight D72008 to Stansted was early, and I’d slept like a baby with valium dabbed on the dummy. Though I initially found it all a bit chaotic to get a train to the terminal and then queue for about 20 minutes to get to Mr Immigration I was told by fellow travellers that it was a god-send compared to Heathrow, so I’ll take it as a positive.

I copped quite an ear bashing from aforementioned Mr Immigration. I was of the understanding that to gain entry to the UK I had to have a return or onward ticket. The onward ticket was presented to him but he was mightily concerned that I may never ever leave London after I see its beauty. I assured him I will behave according to the laws of the country and that I will actually leave again one day – Wednesday in fact, five days from now – not exactly a threat I would have thought…

Passport stamped and on my way I got to the National Express counter to pick up my pre-booked ticket (which was £10, £5 cheaper than at the counter) to Victoria Station and jumped straight on a coach that headed off 5 minutes later for the one hour journey. Slightly bewildered but willing to sit down and read my Lonely Planet I found that I could either, a) catch a night bus and wake up my friend who is very generously putting me up, or b) grab a donor kebab (bad idea…) and walk around the city for a few miles looking at sites. Option B was the winner, and short of the kebab it was a great idea.

For many travellers from the world over I’m sure London is big, loud, busy and more than a little chaotic. Not for me. Having just read Nick Hornby’s classic High Fidelity I have taken to writing lists, just like Rob. Last 5 cities working backwards chronologically: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saigon, Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Shanghai, China, and Beijing, China. It’s only then that it makes sense that hearing just the occasional footstep on the pavement and birds chirping from rooftops was eerie. Where were the cars? The motorbikes? The yelling?

After the bad kebab I grabbed a camera out and then threw my bags over my shoulders and despite a bad start walking down Buckingham Palace road instead of Victoria Street I was on my way. Perhaps it is because I’m Australian and grew up with a lot of English literature and their current affairs always making headlines, but I felt quite giddy with excitement as I walked along Victoria Street to Parliament Square and had Westminster Abbey to myself, Westminster Bridge to myself, and walked the length of pavement from the London Eye to Lambeth Bridge along the Thames and stopped only to chat to a policeman about what new camera he should buy. The return walk going around the Houses of Parliament and back to Big Ben was met with another policemen, whom obviously didn’t share his colleagues interest in photography as he walked stratight past me, and three young kids on skateboards. Seriously eerie to have such an epic, photographed, filmed, painted and celebrated location to myself, spare some kids and police.

The walk continued until I tracked down my friends house at a time more suited to knocking on a door and that takes me through to now, 8am, and on the couch watching BBC Breakfast. On first impressions it’s not a bad town at all, hmmm, maybe Mr Immigration should be worried!

(Just joking – in case you’re reading this at the Home Office, I really, really am going to Vienna on Wednesday!)