His View 

Great Britain - Feliks' perspective

 

We had to take the ferry from Belfast to Manchester and that was not a pleasant experience. First, our Eurail passes did not get us a free pass on the ferry but got us a 30% discount instead. The ferry was packed with truckers and families, and while most people passed out within a few hours of the 8 hour ride, there was a ton of noise from the tvs that were on the entire time. We found a nice little bench seat near the snack bar and tried to sleep. Neither one of us felt rested when we got to Liverpool and then we had to take more trains to Manchester. 

 

When we got to Manchester at 8 in the morning, there was not much to do so we hung out at a coffee shop and rested a little more. The train station was pretty much downtown so it was easy to walk to our destinations. We stopped by the National Football Museum, which was free. Even though neither of us really enjoy soccer it was cool to see all the memorabilia. I would assume that most soccer fans would find this place very interesting. They had some really good looking exhibits. 

 

We started to walk around the downtown area and found a massive shopping mall where they had everything from grocery stores to major department stores. There were plenty of street performers and some were exceptionally good. Manchester was listed as having one of the biggest Chinatowns in Europe and it was pretty big. Lots of restaurants and Asian markets with food and random products. Caywood was really excited when she saw an asian worker carrying inventory and singing Backstreet Boys. 

 

The public transportation was awesome in this town. They had buses and trams that pretty much went everywhere. Since the tram was cheaper we chose this option to get to Caywood’s cousin’s house. It was awesome to spend the night with a couple that lived in Manchester everyday. We learned a great deal about Great Britain and the benefits of living there. For example, when a person retires there the government pays for their utilities, rent, and any interest on loans. Healthcare is free; there can be a wait for major operations but the wait depends on the medical necessity of the illness. 

 

We got to try some good local foods like the chips (fries). They were fresh cut potatoes, deep fried, looked like steak fries, but served with malt vinegar. There was a spicy dipping sauce that came with it that just made the fries finger-licking good. We learned about the rivalry between the two soccer teams in the city and how difficult it was to get tickets to the game. 

 

Overall, people in Manchester were very nice. The tourist area was a little different but the locals didn't seem to mind. The public transportation was easy to understand and maps were easily accessible. We didn't see more than the downtown area so I would definitely go back to visit. Take the tram, it’s cheaper and faster. 

 

As soon as we got to the London train station I started to realize how big this city was. Our bus from Manchester dropped us off at Victoria Couch Station which was on the west side of town. Victoria train station was one of the main train hubs comparable to Kings Cross, north side of town, then there was another of station of similar size on the east side of town. London immediately seemed busier. There were double decker tour buses everywhere that competed with the London public double decker buses. There was not a minute that went by that we didn't see one or the other. It took us a minute to figure out our route but we ended up getting an Oyster Card for the subway. This card was basically preloaded with money that was used as you rode the “tube.” Be warned, you will find information that the card has a cap, meaning that you can only spend 8.40 pounds in 24 hours before it stops charging you for rides. This is not entirely true as the 24 hours starts at 4am and ends at 3:59 am the next day. 

 

We started off with a stroll to Buckingham Palace. It took up an entire block if not more and had all the elements you see in pictures. The guards with the tall hats that marched back and forth nonstop, huge gates and tall fences, really old-looking architecture, and what looked like a very sophisticated security system with the craziest barbwire I have ever seem. The area was packed with tourists taking pictures of the guards and selfies in front of the gates. We obviously were two of them. 

 

We took a nice stroll through Hyde Park and then through the downtown area before heading to our hostel in the south part of town. If you want to buy anything, do it away from downtown because it’s much cheaper the farther you get from the center. Our hostel was Rest Up London and looked like a massive hotel. They had some 500 beds and all types of people, from families to traveling students, to workers passing through. The WiFi was iffy but we did get a good night’s rest. 

 

The next day we stopped at London Tower to see the Crown Jewels. We got there about 10, an hour after it opened and already there was a line to get in. We were recommended to see the jewels first because the line gets long rather quickly. Even at 10 am the wait to get through was about 20 minutes. You can’t take pictures inside but the memory of these artifacts will never leave my mind. I can’t describe the size of some of the diamonds that were on these crowns or the intricacy in the designs in some of the gold staffs. This part alone was worth the 20 pounds to get in. The rest of the castle was random exhibits and history of the monarchy that lived there. The walking areas on the walls did offer some really good views of the Tower Bridge and the downtown skyline. I recommend getting there as early as possible because by the time we left an hour later, the line to get in was at least 1000 deep. 

 

We booked a tour to go see Stonehenge that would go from noon to about 7. There were a couple of different options but we found one for 35 pounds that drove us out there and paid for our entry fee. There are some available that take you to the city Bath but the price was almost double. Stonehenge was one of those places where it was a must see for yourself but nothing that was jaw dropping. Pictures do it justice but the audio tour that came with the entry was a great addition to the experience. I would say it’s a “been there, done that, don't need to go back” type of attraction. 

 

On the way back to London we were stopped by a massive herd of bicycles that literally stopped all the traffic on the road. There had to have been thousands of them riding through the streets. Music blaring, lights flashing, and honking of the cars only seemed to wind them up even more. I’m not sure what the point of it was but it was one of the coolest things I’ve seen.