Hello all!
As promised, I am finally taking some time to update you all in reader world out there about our adventures so far! As many of you know, I am now abroad in London, England, actually earning credit to be able to see some of the most spectacular architectural and theatrical productions that Europe has to offer. Over the next few posts, I hope to give you some highlights of how it went down. Unfortunately, we are still technologically challenged with my camera charger, and hope to find the right one today. I am so disappointed, because I've probably seen more sights this week that people would give their front teeth for than I have in my entire life, and I'm not able to share them with you (yet!) On the bright side, I do have some footage on my video camera (now I just have to figure out how to charge and upload the damn thing!)
I'm happy to report that the flight over was rather uneventful in itself, thanks in part to our fabulous driver (thanks Gram!) Other than it being delayed for half an hour, there were no other problems with the airline service (thank you universe!) We even scored seats literally right across from the bathroom, which was a definite plus. The only downside to this was that these seats did not recline at all, which made me a very unhappy panda after about 5 hours. You would think that, being a wheelchair user, and being used to sitting 15+ hours a day that I would be used to it, but for some reason, this was not the case. I'm curious to know if anybody else has this experience on the plane. Usually, I'm fine for short flights, and have been on long plane and road trips before. Luckily, my friend and traveling companion was a saint about it and didn't mind me waking them up periodically. Finally, we arrived (mostly) unscathed at our destination.
One last thing on the subject of airports, I must say that the airport staff in the UK really has its stuff together! My chair was off the plane within 5 min. of arriving at the gate, and there was somebody there to guide us to the next place we needed to go! When I applied for this program, I remember one of the support services people telling me that I couldn't rely on the kindness of strangers, but I still find that almost without exception, every person we've asked when trying to get around has been extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Or, if they are not, they know someone who is. Unlike in America, where if anybody saw us trying to navigate the airport with 4 bags attached to us and my chair, they would just stare at us like we had 3 heads and keep going on their merry way. Indeed, not so here!
But, you don't want to hear about that…
We boarded the train, and took a scenic ride into the city, arriving at St Pancras International Station, which is a majestic building in itself, made of red brick, ornate statues, and a clock tower. I have since learned that it's probably Victorian, but that's another story for another post.
Our destination was right up the street. The folks at YHA were absolutely phenomenal. Not only were they able to tell us where to go, they even helped me with some navigational issues, and some things that I needed to buy upon arrival. They were even able to find me an accessible shower seat within about 10 min. so I didn't have to go buy one right away. The people were super friendly and didn't laugh when we asked stupid questions like what is the VAT? (Answer: the British sales tax). Even though we stayed in a shared room this time, the facilities were much nicer than what I expected. After recuperating, we were able to browse around the local area to find food and things to do the next day. The Camden town Sunday market was a lot busier than I expected, although it was very touristy, it seemed to be the kind of street that was bustling all the time. We were also able to see Regent's Canal and the locks. The day before, we had gone to the usual spots like Piccadilly Circus, where we found a group that was breakdancing to "Gangnam Style." I have since discovered that this is indeed a daily occurrence. Overall, even though we didn't do much, I can't wait to come back at the end of the trip to stay in this area.
Onward to the next phase of the journey!
As a wheelchair using Brit when I visited the US as a teenager one of the things that shocked me was the attitude people had to me and that they weren't helpful. So it made me smile to read the opposite on your blog! Glad to read you're enjoying yourself here.
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