Journal Entry: London Day Two - Too Much London

So the day started out okay and went downhill from there. Let me get my gripes out first. This hostel is the worst that I’ve stayed in. Why? Is it the facilities or the cleanliness? No. It’s because there are fucking teenagers, and I mean young teenagers, like maybe 14 years old staying here. A large group of them. They’re loud. They’re obnoxious, and rude and did I mention loud? They hog the computers, they run up and down the halls and stairs. WTF!? This is supposed to be a backpacker’s hostel, not a daycare.

Knights in Effigy

So this morning I went to find the Templar church. It was difficult, through a gate off Fleet Street and down a road. The church was bombed in WWII so it’s not very cool, but the effigies of the Knights are. I think they’re about all that’s left of the previous building, and I think they’ve been heavily restored as they were damaged badly in the war.

I then went to take a boat trip. I thought it would be fun. I was wrong. It was awful. The boat is the Thames Express, supposed to be fast, but isn’t. They need some tips from the Venetians on how to operate a water bus service. It was not fun at all. First there was only a few seats out on the deck, not much room. So you have to sit inside. But the windows don’t open so you can’t see jack and taking pictures is pointless. And it’s expensive. £10 for a roundtrip ticket. And it seemed like everyone on the boat had an average of three children with them. Half toddlers. Half crying. Strollers everywhere.

So I thought Greenwich would be nice. Not so much. Crowded. Tourists everywhere. I couldn’t even find the prime meridian thing, but hell. There were so many people, that if it had been in front of me, I might not have seen it.

I started to eat in a pub, but the girl was short and rude to me so I left. I wasn’t in any mood to put up with it. But it worked out because I ate Tex Mex! Silly I know. It was pretty good. Not authentic of course (they didn’t use hot plates or have homemade tortillas), but it was still good and pretty cheap. I stuffed myself for £8 and am still so full I don’t feel hungry. I don’t feel like eating dinner.

Tex Mex in London

The Hostel looked cool, but wasn't

I tried calling Taine. Oh, yeah, so I endured the boat ride back to Embankment. It sucked. I came back to the hostel early. Taine isn’t answering her phone. I was thinking about skipping Canterbury. Maybe I’m just pissed off from being in this hostel and in London, it’s so crowded. I feel there are better places to be. Maybe the hostel in Canterbury will be better. How can they call this a backpacker’s hostel and allow children? The hostel is clean, the facilities are great, but I hate children. Especially loud and obnoxious ones. I would not stay here again. I mean, here I’ve had a crappy day, on a boat with screaming children, but instead of coming back to a hostel that is chilled out with a good vibe I get to listen to fourteen year olds scream and yell in Turkish and run around in circles, and up and down the stairs and hallways. Not fucking cool.

I knew the hostel in Canterbury will charge me for a night because it’s too late to cancel, but I almost don’t care, because I’m quite ready to just go to Taine’s.