sigma

Down and out in London and Amsterdamn, part 1.

I spent several hours in both London and Amsterdamn once in an attempt to kill the extremely long lay-overs that I had in those cities.

I learned, surprisingly, that you can sleep in both airports without being forced out. No one even bothers you for a ticket and they have specific areas in the airports in which to sleep. Albeit the areas are MUCH more comfortable in the Damn.

But who cares about the hours that I slept? The interesting matter are the hours in which I stalked the streets of these cities with extreme sleep deprivation and time maladjustment.

The first time in London I didn't have anyone to stay with but I had about 18 hours to kill. I was also very strapped for cash.

I ate a meal and jumped on the train from Heathrow to the central station (I forget the name, the English have such cool and obscure names for everything though - to their credit).

At the central station I bought a ticket that would allow me to take any underground train in London for the whole day. So I went train hoping.

First on my list was Cambdentown where the great prophet - William Gibson - likes to hang out. It was a mid-sunday morning and shops were just opening. I had just flown for 14 hours and I was fucking strung out as hell.

A couple people approached me asking if I wanted to by drugs. I was like 'look at me man, I don't need anymore drugs'. And they left me alone.

Now I understand that it's REALLY easy to get mugged in London, especially if you're sleep deprived and an obvious tourist, but honestly everyone just left me alone. Maybe it was because I WAS so obviously unkempt that day?

Anyways, I made my way to a place called 'CyberDog' and about had an orgasm. Jesus Christ that place is the best store EVER!!!! if your ever in England you MUST go there. I'll let the website speak for it (www.cyberdog.net).

After puchasing some clubbing gear at CyberDog it promptly occured to me that I have a whole day left in London and only enough cash to get the train back home. Oops.

I starved myself for clubbing gear. I've also starved myself for computer equipment before and you don't even want to know what a cruel ordeal I put myself through to get my Sharp Zuarus. I'm fucking hardcore when it comes to the very very few things I feel that I actually need.

So I proceeded to spend the day travelling all around london, going underground and above and, in general, doing my best to get lost...and given the size of London that should have been simple as piss.

But I understood the train system far too easily, it's so much easier than teaching yourself basic programing when you are 13.

So I spent the day just walking around and jumping on and off buses and finally went back to the airport to sleep and take my luggage out of storage (they would charge more if I left it overnight).

What struck me most about London that time were the buildings in the center of the city, and the fact that 'big ben' is just sitting on the edge of the street in such an undignified manner.

Those buildings in the middle are MASSIVE. They occupie entire blocks, and yet only go about 5 stories or so into the air. I found them to be breathtaking. I had, ofcource, studied their architecture in years prior to my trip. But looking at blueprint and pictures and standing next to the real thing just doesn't compare.

Mostly I was just shocked, however, that I had finally made it to London - a city that was on my 'see-before-you-die' list and how ENOURMASS that city was.

I grew up in the largest geographical city in the United States - Oklahoma City. London kicked the shit out of OKC for size. That is saying something. London could eat New York and still have room for LA as the main course.

I heard from someone that London is aparently 3x the size of the ENTIRE STATE OF ISRAEL.

Nothing is big like London. Nothing.