Arrived in London - 6:18am. The man next to me on the plane was an Irishman coming from a business trip in Toronto. He was incredibly friendly and a great chap to talk to on the paone. (He did have a very soft voice though). When we got off, he helped me to the immigration line, good thing he was a fast walker. I was able to beat the big crowd and only had to wait for about 15 minutes. I had plenty of time to kill while at the airport. I couldn't have my bags checked until 8:50 am. So with over an hour to kill, I walked around, exchanged some money (b/c I only had US and Euro currency and they took pounds) and read my books. Luckily the UK has Red Bull and that kept me awake for another hour or so. I was beginning to get exhausted b/c it was abotu 3 am for me. While sitting at a cafe, suddenly a huge incredible roar from teh restaurant/pub upstairs errupted. Looks like England scored against Brasil. It was an incredibly hilarious moment. Unfortunately, I found out that they eventually lost 2-1. Ah well. My flight to Dublin was delayed an hour. And once I got on the plane, I was zonked out. The guy next to me was quiet (and smelled). I had no trouble getting to my hotel, the bus from the airport dropped me off across the streeet from it. My room is really small, smaller than my dorm room 1st year. But what's more to expect. There's a bathroom with a shower in it, tv, phone. and a view of the street - O'Connell.
I walked up and down the street, observing the sites around me. Luckily I found a bank that would be open on SAturday (for a few hours- giving me a chance to exchange some more money). Within a few blocks, I found 2 Burger Kings and 2 McDonalds. I stopped by a BK and got some food. Shame I didnt have a huge appetite, I couldnt eat all of my fries or chicken fingers. For the rest of the night, I just watched tv - saw a number of FRIENDS and Simpsons episodes. T'was great. Finally went to bed at around midnight (caught the end ofthe US vs. Germany game, we lost 0-1). C'est la vie. Another thing I've noticed. everyone here has a mobile phone.
Cheers!
