Today was the date of our Hop On Hop Off bus tour with Big
Bus Tour. So, we woke up really early despite having lack of sleep. We still
had jet lag. But I didn’t mind it. I
was waking up in London! How many people
can say that? Okay fine, maybe millions. But you get my point. Going back to my
story, the meeting point of the bus tour
is near Green Park. When we got to Green Park we decided to might as well visit
it before getting on the bus since we’re already there. The park is full of
tourists like us. I didn’t get it at first since Green Park is not that
beautiful to get so much attention. We had no idea where we were going. We
just followed the other tourists while admiring the greeneries of Green Park.
Yes, I did that on purpose. To our
surprise, the park ended in Buckingham Palace! We kept laughing because we
weren’t expecting to see the royal family’s residence until tomorrow. That
explains the hordes of tourists.
Luckily, we arrived just before the changing of the guards.
We waited for a while and eventually the ceremony started. There was a band
playing music while the guards march. It was a festive atmosphere. Everyone was
excited. Tourists like us from different parts of the globe were witnessing a
long British tradition that we would normally see only in television. It was really
fun. It started
to drizzle so went back to Green Park after we bid goodbye to the Queen.
It started getting cold to the point that my whole body was
shivering. I couldn’t feel my hands, and my back was aching because of the cold.
My sisters and I ran back to the park and went inside the nearest Tube station
where the temperature is warmer. I immediately went to the restroom to take a
leak. I was holding it since the start of the parade. I raised my head and heaved
a sigh of relief. I freaked out when I
saw a security camera directly on top of the urinal that I was using. What the
hell. Was I in Big Brother?
After having coffee, we finally rode the bus. Hop on
Hop off bus tours are handy especially if you want to cover a lot of ground in a
short amount of time since it passes major landmarks of the city. We can just
“hop on and hop off” whenever we want until our tickets expires. There was a
live commentary where a tourist guide/conductor gives tourists on-board information
on what we were seeing and the history of London.
We continued our open top bus tour from Trafalgar Square.
The tour guide this time was better than the first one who kept on saying
“groovy” at the end of every sentence. This time the guide was very funny and
knowledgeable at the same time. He never ran out of something to say about the
London. I learned a lot of cool facts from him like there’s only one crypt left
in St. Paul’s Cathedral and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson is allowed to be
buried there with the condition that he will die during his term. Weird.
 |
| St. Paul's Cathedral |
 |
| The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe |
 |
| The Tower Bridge |
 |
| Gherkin |
 |
| Tower of London |
I first saw the parliament building and “Big Ben” on-board
the open top tour bus. I was literally stunned. It was like the world stopped for
a minute. It was just me and Big Ben. That was our private moment. I can’t
believe it. Its grandeur made me feel small and weak. I didn’t imagine it to be
that massive! The moment I saw it, I let out my biggest smile for everyone to
see. I was in utter ecstasy. The story doesn’t end there. To make it even better, its bells rang when
we passed by it. Are you kidding me? The gongs of the bells silenced me. To
think that people centuries ago heard the same sound gave me chills. It’s one
of my highlights in our Eurotrip.
 |
| Big Ben |
 |
| Palace of Westminster |
We got off the bus near London Eye. The tour guide said that
as we get nearer to River Thames, it will get colder. He was right. It was
really cold that I started shaking. The cup of coffee that I was holding kept
spilling as my hand violently shakes. We then finished the night with a ride on
the London Eye.
 |
| My mother enjoying the ride |
 |
| Breathtaking view of the city |
 |
| Bird's-eye view of the Palace of Westminster |
 |
| I was shivering here |
 |
| My cute little sister Sophia |
 |
| Best way to end the day |
Big bus tour is good way its good information which is share with us and specially all the pics which are you capture is very good and attractive for the tourist bus tickets from raleigh must visit the site...
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! you have shared good information. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteeuropa coaches croatia has the ultimate Tour Bus Rental, provides individual accommodations specifically to fit your croatia Party Bus needs. Whether it is a full night rental or just pick up/drop off, we can make it work for you. Limo Buses in croatia are the way to go to get your group around town. Whether you desire a party atmosphere, a corporate feel, a relaxing wine tour, or you’re looking for a rental bus, europa coaches croatia will tailor to your needs. http://www.europa-coaches-croatia.com/
Playgroup Singapore tnx for sharing :) spending all my time for reading you blog x)
ReplyDelete