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Love it or hate it London still holds a huge fascination for tourists with millions flocking to it every year.
Recently I took my wife, who has never been to the bustling city, to see the sights which attract huge numbers of people, including many South Africans.
Before leaving, I assured her of how orderly everything was and that travel in and around London was easy with the trains, buses and other forms of transport regular and in abundance, since much of South African local transport is unreliable.
But arriving at Heathrow in the early hours of the morning the joke was on me. The queues going through immigration were huge and slow. One consolation was repeated announcements keeping us informed of the problem.
The UK had tightened all its entry points in an endeavour to keep out visitors without the correct credentials and, due to this, we were all thoroughly checked. Fortunately this was all done politely and efficiently.
Then, to make matters worse the UK had an underground rail strike. The solution was either to catch a coach into central London or go by taxi - a rather expensive alternative. We opted for the coach because no buses allowed luggage onboard. The coaches were extremely busy but, within an hour, we boarded and were on our way to Victoria bus station.
The only negative factor was that the coach drove right past our hotel in Earls Court without being able to stop. It was then nearly mid-morning and we were again faced with a walk or taxi trip. Eventually we made a plan and reached our hotel. Now the holiday could begin.
Having been awake for the best part of 30 hours, we booked into our small, low-budget hotel (£60 for bed and breakfast for two) and took a stroll into South Kensington. Strolling around the streets proved a good initiation of what to expect in the next few days - the crowds, top-class shops offering top brands and a constant flow of high-pressure traffic.
One of the first things you notice is the lack of rubbish bins. There are very few in London since the 9/11 attack. The bins were removed in order to make it difficult to plant a bomb in a busy area.
My wife also remarked on the city's cleanliness and its streets, and orderly driving in tight conditions.
Now firmly into the constant flow of London's people, we moved back to our hotel for a well-earned rest before going out for a great curry. I had promised my wife some of the best curry in the world while we were here. It was nearly 9pm, the sun still high in the sky - after all, it was summer - when we found an intimate curry house close to our hotel. While eating, one of the staff, who hailed from Bangladesh many years before, updated us on all the local news. He said he enjoyed life in Britain but was reeling at the increase in the cost of living and the crime.
Since we were walking the streets in the evening, he was concerned about our safety. Here I'd thought we had it bad in Cape Town.
The following morning after a substantial continental breakfast, we again took to the streets and headed for the London Eye. On the way we walked past Westminster Abbey and the houses of Parliament, with the usual protesters camped on the island opposite and naturally had to be photographed under Big Ben.
The London Eye, originally constructed for the millennium to be decommissioned afterward, is still going strong and attracting large numbers of tourists. We were lucky because we arrived early and had to share a gondola with only one other couple. Here, for the first time, you get a real bird's eye view of London and the Thames. Once the gondola reaches its maximum height of 134m, above the Thames, you look directly down at Big Ben, the houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace in the background.
The 25-minute ride over, we immediately embarked on a Thames River cruise. If there is very little else you do while in London, I strongly advise a river cruise. The cruise, as well as the guide's excellent commentary, answers many of the questions you may ask while gliding past famous landmarks such as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Oxo Building, Tower Bridge, St Pauls and more. After a Thames cruise and a flight on the London Eye, much of the layout and history of London is revealed and you come away far wiser.
When we alighted from the cruise, Big Ben was chiming out noon. It is a chilling sound that, during World War 2, Londoners listened for because it brought hope.
By the end of our second day in London the railway strike had ended and we were able to catch a tube trian to Victoria station to enjoy a lunch while watching the world go by. Many a person has set up an appointment to meet at Victoria station.
We caught the National Rail train down to meet my son in Brighton and spent the weekend visiting various sights before travelling by train back to London for two nights in Chelsea. I had been invited to stay at Draycott Hotel there because it was the week of horse-back racing at Ascot.
From Victoria station it is an easy 20-minute slow walk across to Sloan Square in Cadogan Gardens. The entire area, originally built by Lord Cadogan and part of the Cadogan estate, comprises some of the most beautiful facebrick townhouses in the area.
Draycott Hotel is like a grand Edwardian residence set in a private garden. Once through the door we immediately felt relaxed and at home away from the constant bustle of London. At the hotel's front door stood a bowl of large red apples, which turned out to be some of the best I'd ever eaten. Since we were early and had to wait for our room to be cleared, we again took to the streets to walk around Sloan Square and the surroundings area.
Here many of the beautiful people of this world seem to hang out. Ferraris, Daimlers, Rolls Royces and Bentleys were in abundance. One red Ferrari had a sticker on its back window advertising that the owner's other car was a Fiesta.
I had promised a visit to Harrods, so we made our way down to the huge store. The last time I was in London, we were allowed into the giant store with our small backpacks but, this time, we were ushered down to the basement where for R45 we could leave our baggage with security. This resulted in a fleeting glance at the store's interior then a walk around its exterior.
Returning to the hotel, we were in for another surprise because one of the room attendants was a South African who, many years ago, appeared in the stage show Ipi Tombi and, when the show went to London, she met her husband-to-be and stayed. We had a long chat as I can remember being on stage photographing the action at the old Nico Malan theatre.
The only shock we had in Chelsea was the cost of dining out. We forked out more than R700 for a simple meal for two.
The following morning, after a sumptuous breakfast seated among several people all dressed in their top hats and morning suits; the woman with huge flowery hats all on their way to Ascot - it was the day the Queen attends - we again took to the streets and 20 minutes later were seated on the steps opposite Buckingham Palace.
We had arrived two hours before the changing of the guard in order to get a grandstand view of what must rate as the greatest free show on earth. It turned out to be a really hot summer's day and, with thousands of other spectators, we baked while watching the pomp and ceremony. The only dampener was a bobby walking among us advising people to zip up and hang on to their bags because pickpockets were active.
Then we headed across Hyde Park to look for the famous speakers on the corner and had a great lunch on the banks of the Serpentine before moving on to Madame Tussauds. Here the world gathers to meet their favourite personalities and be photographed with them. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are still great favourites and huge crowds gather to be photographed with them. Madame Tussauds has again been revamped. Now visitors can take a ride through old London to see the stages of development from the great fire that reduced the city to ashes to be rebuilt out of stone and brick. It is an amazing fantasy world not to be missed.
The last experience for a first-timer is to catch several London buses and hop on and off at famous landmarks such as Trafalgar Square, St Pauls and also see the sights from the top deck. It is advisable to buy an Oyster card, fill it with several pounds then just climb on and off while travelling the tubes at leisure. The card can be topped up when nearing empty and, on returning it, you receive your deposit back. We quickly learnt how to read the information at the stops and made several trips back and forth, always seated on the top deck and in the front row.
After four days of tramping around the streets and witnessing the most common attractions on offer, my wife was quite glad to catch the train back down to Brighton to relax, where life is definitely slower but not as invigorating. The bug has bitten, though, and I can guarantee we will be back.
Adviser
Visa: All South Africa passport holders require a visa and an up-to-date passport
Oyster card: On arrival at Heathrow buy an Oyster card. It allows cheaper travel on the tubes and buses
Accommodation:
Five-star: The Draycott in Chelsea. It is an easy walk from Sloane Square station. Email reservations@draycotthotel. com
Two-star: Manor Hotel Earls Court. It is an easy walk from Earls Court station. Visit www.m-hotel.co.uk
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- A reader comments:
I'm surprised your reporter was told he could not take a backpack into Harrods. This isn't correct. You can, but they ask you to hold them, not wear them.
See this explanation from Harrod's
I've never had any problems entering Harrods with a small backpack, and hey, I even walked around the store with it slung over my shoulder, despite the rule.
Pity your correspondent missed out on a trip round the Foodhall, an amazing experience (oh, and they sell Biltong too!).