ravi sekerWelcome to my collection of interesting tidbits and reflective blogs of my time here in London! These are all things that caught my attention which were a little bit, and sometimes a lot, different from life back in America. Archives
August 2018
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Excursions8/3/2018 Despite the countless things to do every weekend in the sleepless city of London, I found time to explore and travel as best I could. Unfortunately, not having an American passport meant I couldn’t travel internationally. However, that didn’t stop me from exploring as much of the UK as possible.
My first excursion was to Brighton, the port city located to the south of England. Famous for its beaches, visiting Brighton was a nice change of pace from the busy streets of London. Four of us on the experience program decided to take a Sunday to travel down there, watch the England World Cup game at the Brighton Cinema and walk around the city. Brighton Beach Cinema was a giant outdoor theater screen that happened to be playing the England vs Panama game during our visit. Despite the size of the venue, the place was packed with English fans sporting their colors (and their beer). It was English tradition to toss their drink into the air whenever England scored a goal. England beat Panama 7-1 this game. Needless to say, we were soaked by the end of the game. Following that was a relaxing evening of exploring the city, sunbathing by the beach and feasting on fish and chips. My second trip was to the cliffs of Dover. Dover is a small city also located in the South of England home to the famous white cliffs of Dover. Travelling there with my friend Lizzie, we got to Dover by bus and went on the mild hike around the cliffs. Having my fair share of hiking experiences at the Red River Gorge and the Appalachian Trail had not prepared me for the beauty of the ivory white cliffsides I saw there. The hike was scenic and quiet and I was glad I had such a unique experience under my belt. During one of our last few weekends in London, my friend Lizzie, Kabeer and I decided to attempt to conquer Mount Snowdon, the highest point in Wales. Mount Snowdon, located in Snowdonia National Park in Wales, is one of the three tallest peaks in the UK and attracts hikers and climbers from all over the country to climb it. Getting there involved taking three trains starting from London’s Victoria Station and ending at the train station in a small town in Wales called Betws Y Coed. From there, the hostel Lizzie and I were staying at was a short 30-minute bus ride away. After a good nights sleep, Lizzie and I started our journey to the trail head to Mount Snowdon at Pen y Pass with a 3 mile hike through the farmlands at 5am. Once there, and upon meeting up with Kabeer, we began the ascent up the mountain via the Pyg track until we reached the summit, and then descended via the Miners Path. Climbing Mount Snowdon had to be one of the most breathtaking things I have ever done in my life. The views were unbelievable and the hilly lands of Wales looked like something out of a Lord of the Rings backdrop. It was hard to stay focused on the trail when we awestruck at new panoramas overwhelming us every 15 minutes. Completing the ascent made me feel extremely accomplished but I knew I wasn’t going to finish here. Mount Snowdon was one of the three peaks in the Three Peak Challenge which involved climbing the highest points in England (Scafell Pike), Wales (Snowdon) and Scotland (Ben Nevis). I told myself that there was going to be a day when I would return and finish all three peaks and I intend to hold myself to that challenge.
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