U.K. Trip (Part 1)

Herbert in the U.K.
Everyone, I have not had a chance to proof read this, so if there are errors, I'll fix them later.

Link to the Photos so far!

U.K. trip 5-15-06

I got to the airport with no problems. They over booked and offered me a $500 voucher and hotel if I flew the next day. I decided that was one less day in the U.K., so I turned it down.

I got on the plane and got to talk to a person that was from London. He told me a few tips. A pair of sisters wanted to sit together so I offered to move. I then sit by two Americans. One of them went to SFA in the 80’s. It is a small world.

It was a long flight. I got to sleep for a few hours, a little over fours hours. It was great to walk around a few times. I waited for everyone to wake up before I moved.

U.K. trip 5-16-06

The plane landed and I waited towards the end to exit the plane. I got my backpack and my guitar and was off to customs. It was a long line. I got to talk to a few other Americans that were packbacking. I told them about my “I’m a Nerd” song and my Stormtrooper armor. They were of course impressed.

At customs, they were a bit rude. Maybe it was because they were British. They wanted to know what I was doing there. I said vacation and that was going to museums. They bought it and I was in the London!

I converted a few dollars into pounds and got a train to Victoria Station. It was about thirty minutes and I was near my hotel. I learn how to buy a Tube pass. The Tube got me to the Regent Palace Hotel.

I checked in and dropped off my things. Then I hit the town. I walked around my hotel. There was a buffet so I stopped in. It was five pounds, which is about ten bucks. They charged for a glass of tap water, 50 pence.

There was a CD shop so I went in. There were some cell phones, or as they call them here mobile phones. I decided to pick one up for 30 pounds since I wanted to call home anytime that I wanted to.

I learn that there was an Apple store and it had free internet. My hotel didn’t have the Wifi that I thought it did. So I walked over and mailed out a few emails letting everyone know that I was all right. This is the first Apple Store that I have been in and it was cool.

So I hit the Tube and made my way to the BBC. They have tours but you have to book them on the phone. It’s good thing that I have a mobile phone.

I was close to the London Bridge, so I took the Tube there. I could see the London Towers across the Thames. I took a lot of photos.

Then I made it home. I decided to walk around Soho and to find a place to eat. The walk lasted a good hour. I bought me some fish and chips!

Then I came home and was a bit tired. I was also feeling a bit homesick. My family and my friends miss. It is amazing how important they are to me. This is a good wake up call to never take them for granted.

So I went to sleep. No fan, but I was so tired I knotted off to dreams of my Starship.

U.K. trip 5-17-06
I got up and was feeling a lot better. Using the mobile phone, I booked a BBC tour. I tried to find some audition dates, but they directed my to the trade newspapers. So I packed my backpack for the day and I dropped my camcorder.

The camcorder didn’t work the night before, that did bum me out. Something was wrong with the tape heads lining up. I thought about the old saying to bang an electronic device to make it work, but I wasn’t going to do it. Well guess what! That small bang made the camcorder work! So I hope that I could at lest get an hour and half of footage. I’m not taking the tape out in case it stops working again.

Since the camcorder worked, I decided that I would go shoot a music video in a park that I saw yesterday. A lot folks were eating, so I broke the guitar and camcorder out and sang three tunes. “There’s a Girl that I Know”, “Sweater Girl” and “I’m a Nerd”. I can rest better knowing that I rocked out in London.

I got on the Tube and went to Westminster. I saw Parliament and saw some protestors. There was one guard with a machine gun! So I didn’t try to go in.

I walked over to Westminster Abbey. There was line and it cost ten pounds to go in. So I touched the outside of where Shakespeare is buried. Bill would understand.

I got into the gift shop and could’ve sneaked in, but I didn’t. I may go back and go in before I leave.

I walked around the area and took a lot of photos and video. There was a real grocery store so I bought some peanut butter, bread, bananas and unsweet biscuits or as I call them crackers.

I took the bus instead of the Tube back to the Hotel. I decided to eat, so I got some more Fish and Chips. I talked to a old guy from Switzerland that said it was too cold in the U.K. Then two British ladies told me where Abby Road was. That was my next stop!

I took the Tube to St. John’s Wood. Walking a few blocks away and there it was. People were taking some photos of like the famous Album cover. There was a lot of traffic. I took a few photos and they took a few of me. It was raining pretty hard. But I did call a few friends to tell them I where I was at!
Walking a few more feet, and there was Abby Road Studio. I got up to it and took a photo. There is a lot of graffiti in front. I got to talk to a person that worked there and he said that there weren’t any tours. I guess he didn’t know who I was. He said it cost 3000 dollars a day to record there. I wish I could book only one hour. “I’m a Nerd” recorded at Abby Road Studio. Coolness.

I came back and walked around the hotel some more. Using the Tube is getting easier. I can’t waited until tomorrow. BBC here I come!


U.K. trip 5-18-06

I went to the BCC today and I got to see where Red Dwarf was filmed. I told them all about The Timetorians. And I won a BBC mug and pen. I got to hold Kryten’s head! I’ll write more later!!!