London, Where the Bridge is Falling Down

A Youth Backpacker in Europe

Part II Chapter IX

London, Where the Bridge is Falling Down

 

Whether it is

“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…”, or

“My London London Bridge wanna go down, My London London London keeps going down…”, London Bridge is certainly not the port of call for many, though inevitably you will be surprised by the structure whilst in your search to the internationally renowned Tower Bridge, a dominant landmark in London that has been confused by many for decades as the iconic London Bridge.

I don’t know if this mistake is so predominant amongst the world’s population that the Council of London actually signified the genuine London Bridge with its name on the pillars. However, it is definitely worth giving it, or the recently acclaimed wobbly Millennium Bridge, or any other bridges along the Thames River a shot as visiting to these bridges requires no fee, compared to the pocket-burning admission charge of the Tower Bridge that might put you off.

 

Besides Tower Bridge and the symbolic House of Parliament and Big Ben, there is also the modern London Eye/Millennium Wheel, allied with Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and many other famous tourist hotspots, vow to make the already insolvent backpackers go literally broke.

Yes, everything in the capital of United Kingdom costs money, and lot of it. However, despite the fact that visiting to London is so expensive indiscriminate the season of visit, I found it bizarre to observe that there was always a queue in front of something.

Why? The question actually could be answered rather effortlessly. It is London, how could you not visit this and that when you are in London? Oh yea, after the astronomical flight expense, one definitely needs the many after-flight-assurances that they indeed are visiting the one last place on earth. More importantly, the not negligible fact is that visitors are often armed with bills and plastics when they come to London.

I am not complaining. Instead, I actually think London does has the charm to fork out the money of visitors. The city itself is so amusing or literally funny. It calls itself the hub of Europe and is planning to expand the already the busiest airport on the planet to further strengthening its leading position. It is the economic hub of United Kingdom and an important settlement for two  millennia. London is just having so much to offer, whether historical or modernity.

The one thing that I really love about London is to walk in the City of London, the world’s largest financial centre, and accompanied by hundreds of cute little cabs that has an appearance resembles to vintage car. Also not to forget is the uniquely London red double-deckers that creep into every corner in the city. It is the infusion of modern living culture and preservation of antique but still functioning features in London that truly makes it so interesting.

 

But to really narrow it down to my most favourite spot in London, it would have to be London Chinatown. I never found myself to have particular fondness to Chinatowns, not in Den Haag, not in Milan, not in Paris, etc. But it is different in London. Centrally located next to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, London Chinatown is true haven to everything Chinese. And my most enjoyable activity has always been an afternoon of shops-hopping in Oxford and Regent Streets before finally settling in one of the many dim- sum restaurants in Chinatown. The dim-sums are simply sinfully scrumptious!

There is so much to do in London, whether it is pubs-crawling at Soho, theatres-frequenting around Central London, or picnicking in one of the many beautiful parks in London. It is indeed very costly to stay in this capital. But if there is one place on earth that I would like to call home, London will never be the second choice.