9 Days in London

Picture: Tower Bridge

After a bit of an adventure I have almost concluded my stay here in London. I've been here for the past 8 days. I flew in on Saturday and met up with my cousin Nicholas who is going to University here. We walked back to his flat near Cambden market dropped off my gear and then went out for dinner at the market and a pub crawl around his local pubs.

We met two of Nick's friends Nat and Jazz at his local pub and stayed till closing. Needless to say the next day was a little slow off the blocks. Nick took me downtown to see his university and then the London Museum where I got to see the Elgin stones which I missed on my trip to the Parthenon from the Greece 2006 trip.

Picture: Big Ben and Westminster Palace (Parliament Building).

We ate lunch at a student restaurant that he and his friends go to often. He then took me on a tour of South Shore past the parliament building, the Eye and the palace. The palace was particularly interesting since their is an Australian gate, a South and West African gate and a Canadian gate. I think this is the first time I got the sense of the empire and what role Canada had and has.

Picture: Buckingham Palace.

Later on the week I visit Audrey at the Castle climbing gym to get some exercise and see the gym she manages. She took me on a tour before the gym openned. The place is impressive to say the least. Its rightly called a castle as it build inside a pumping station with huge towers. It does literally look like a castle.

I did some bouldering and very much enjoyed my time there. Audrey had to work so we didn't get to catch up to much but it was good to see her and I definitely appreciated the tour.

Picture: The Gurkin framed The Tower of London.

One day I spent visiting the Tower of London and Tower bridge. I would have gone on the tower bridge tour but I got there too late. It might have to wait till when I return.

As you can see, the weather in London has been extraordinary. I have had sun and 24 degrees every day.

Picture: I was expecting Mary Poppins to start dancing with Chimney sweeps.

On Friday I took Nick and his roomate Chris to the climbing gym for their first time. Audrey was good enough to train them both and we all climbed and bouldered for a few hours until Nick and Chris were tired.

That night we met up with Nat and Jazz at the pub down the road. We were joined later by Nick's roomate Chris and his girlfriend Clair as well another friend of theirs. We played foosball and drank pints of Guiness until the pub closed down. Then we all made our way to a bar that they all go too when the pubs shut down. So we continued until 4:30 when everything had all shut down. I am truly getting a taste of being in University life again.

I fly out on Monday to Joburg and I'm starting to get rather excited. I'm being met by my step mom's cousin and going to Pilanesberg Game Reserve. We get two nights there and then on the 19th of May I'm off to Waterval Boven one of South Africa's best sport climbing locations. I'm planning on staying at the Roc 'n Rope, a good climbing lodge.

On the 28th Karina is going to meet me there and we will both be going to meet up with my sister Julie on the 31st in Capetown.

I'm going to leave my laptop here in London with my cousin so I don't know how often I'll be able to update my blog. I hope to have many but it might be more inconsistent without at laptop.

I hope you are all well at home.