Wednesday of this week was probably one of the craziest days I’ve experienced since I’ve been here so far. Just when I became very comfortable with the tube and navigating around the city, the tube workers went on strike. Ah! Instead of my regular 45 min tube/walking commute to work, I had to figure out a route which consisted of 3 buses and mobs of people trying to get on those buses. Up to this point, I was always intimidated by the bus system because it just seemed way more confusing and time consuming than just hopping on the tube. I had been told, however, that as a tourist, it’s nice to take the bus because you get to see different parts of the city.
Oh I got to see the city alright! I left my flat at approximately 9:10 in the morning. I knew I would be a little late to work, but Ricky had already said that if I was late or couldn’t make it under the circumstances that it was okay. So I figured maybe if I left just a little bit after the main rush that I might have a better chance fighting my way through the crowds.
I got on the first bus okay, but it was extremely crowded. People were practically standing on top of each other, and all rules about standing behind the line or not standing upstairs were disregarded entirely. Most people kept their cool, but there were stories later about bus fights and people getting into disputes over the inconvenience the tube strike caused London.
After the first bus, the rest of the journey didn’t go as well. To make a long story short, I ended up by the London Bridge, which was kind of cool because I had yet to see it, but not where I needed to be. Twenty minutes of walking later, I finally arrived at 3 Fish in a Tree, at, I’m embarrassed to say.. around 1:00. I have definitely learned to appreciate the subway!