Prague Part 2: Kutna Hora

Ciao Stranger,

Before I hear any complaints, I know I'm incredibly behind on my posts but I've been travelling far too much and have had no time to blog at all. In order to attempt to catch up, I am currently writing this in class. I rarely come to class to begin with and now that I am here, I don't pay any attention to the class. What can I say, my parents must be incredibly proud of my dedication.

Saturday

Sean did a bit of research beforehand and wanted to go on a day trip to a nearby town called Kutna Hora which had a skeleton church, and since the rest of us didn't have anything planned, we all agreed to go along. There was a private tour to the city with the same tour guide we had from the previous day but by the time we got to the meeting point 5 minutes after the assigned time, the tour had already left. Not letting that ruin our day, we decided to take it slow, eat some food and slowly make our own way to the city. The guys got some smoked ham, sausages and sour cabbage potato thing from this stand. My verdict? Salty.

Not being the meat lover, I went for some unnecessary carbs. these trdelnjks, a Hungarian pastry that can be found all over the place. It's a piece of dough rolled around a pin, sprinkled with cinnamon and lots of sugar. It's cooked over the oven while its spinning on the roller. It tastes like a dense piece of dough covered in sugar, exactly how you would expect it to be, nothing spectacular, nothing out of this world. Would I get it again? Maybe to share, but definitely not all for myself.

This is probably my favourite building in all of Prague. I just can't stop staring at it. We passed it the day before on the walking tour and the guide pointed out that this building lives and breathes the Art Nouveau style, which can be described as a type of architecture that encompasses nature, greenery, and flowers. We went into the building and realized that it's actually an opera house (like most of the bigger establishments in the city. Even a good portion of the churches here have been converted into theatres & music halls since not many people practice Christianity anymore due to the rough history the Czech Republic had with religion). I obviously had to take a picture with this beauteous structure.

On our way to the train station, we went into a convenience store to get some water and found some lovely hash brownies/cookies/chips casually placed right by the chocolate section at the front of the store. For your reference, 99 Kc is around $5.50 Cnd. Sorry to inform you but we did not buy any.

After 2 hours, 2 trains and asking a handful of people every chance we got, we somehow made it to Kutna Hora. Once we got out of the train station, I realized just how rural this town really was. There was no evident bus system, no taxi service, no other forms of transportation other than walking into town, which was apparently 3 miles away. With no options to choose from, we began to walk and found the Sedlec Ossuary, the bone church. Honestly after Capuchin Crypt, the bone church in Rome, I never wanted to see human skeletons again but since the boys wanted to, I'm no party pooper. Mountain of skulls...how...*insert your own adjective here*

A chandelier made out of human skulls: creepy and unique at the same time. Just like last time, I quickly scanned the place, took the necessary touristy pictures and waited by the door, where I felt the hair at the back of my neck calm down. An American tourist came in and told the receptionist his story of coming to Europe. Apparently this attractive mid-20s traveller saw a picture of the Ossuary and was determined to come here and take a picture of it in person. He went on about how thankful he was to be there, accomplishing his dream and how in order to fund this journey, he even sold his car. That really got me thinking...this guy gave up so much in order to fulfil his dream, what about myself? What out of the box thing have I done to achieve something I wanted? I definitely exhibited the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure". If it weren't for his story, I don't think I would have appreciated Kutna Hora as much as I did. So thank you stranger for making me see the city in a new light.

There was a big church at the centre of the town 2 miles away from the Ossuary, and since the buses were useless, I reluctantly trotted along to town. An unknown period of time later, we made it! Look how busy this place is on a Saturday afternoon, business is booming! The town looked almost deserted, and none of the shops were opened.

We went into a little bakery shop because I was starving and badly needed to use their bathroom. We hit the jackpot because this place was AHMAZING! The pastries were crazy cheap 50 cents - 1 Euro for giant cookies and cakes. We all stuffed our faces full with sweets and ice cream. This was definitely the most peculiar afternoon tea experience I've ever had. Sitting with 3 guys inside a local bakery shop in a small town in Czech where no one speaks English and all communication is done by playing charades.

Cathedral of St. Barbara, one of the most well known Gothic churches in Central Europe. After an hour and a half of walking, we found you! It stands on the highest point of the small town, and probably the only place where you can find another tourist.

Inside the church. I've learned to always look up everytime I walk into a church because the most impressive piece of work is usually on the ceiling. Instead of the usual criss cross Gothic styled rib-vaults, this one is placed in flower designs.

Before going into the church, we had stepped into a stationary store where the shopkeeper was an over friendly local girl that answered all of our annoying questions and even recommended a local restaurant to us. It reminded me of Lokal from the night before, with its traditional pub styled decorations and long wooden tables. Since Czech is well known for its beer, (country where they drink the most amount of beer, 144L a year per capita and that's including babies) we decided to order a beer sampler to try a bit of everything.

And we shared a meat platter, which is pretty much a pig platter. Potato pancakes, rice, sausages, ribs, cured ham and salad. The portion may not look big in this picture but trust me, it was massive. This whole dish was 16 Euros and after stuffing our faces full of the delicious meats, we still had leftovers. Best 4 Euros ever spent. I would highly recommend this place if you go to Kutna Hora. It's called Dacicky and it's a 2 minute walk from the church.

We really took our time with dinner, and may have enjoyed things a little too much because by the time we made it out of the restaurant, it was getting dark outside. We wanted to take the local train station in the town and save ourselves the 3 mile walk back to the bigger station. Problem was, we had no idea where the local one was and neither did any of the locals we asked because they simply couldn't understand what we were talking about. For the first time in Europe, I felt helpless due to incapabilities in communication. Half an hour later, we found our train station, possibly the smallest and sketchiest train station I've ever seen in my life. The sign is almost as big as the station! Sadly by the time we got there, the train had already left (we think) and with the choice of either sleeping at the train station or walking the 3 miles back, we decided to get some exercise. Four lost tourists walking in the cold and dark evening, having a karaoke session along the way, it was pure perfection. If I could do it again, I would not change a thing.

Eventually at 9pm, we made it on the train and shortly after this picture was taken, we passed out from exhaustion. Remember Hogwarts express? These trains reminded me of them because you get 6 seats in the cubicle that can be accessed by a sliding door. This is exactly what a train should look like. Childhood dream come true!

When we got back to Prague, we first went to the apartment to freshen up and then headed out to experience Prague's night life. I've heard from numerous people how there's this multi-floor club that's pure awesomeness so needless to say, we headed straight there. Since the line was outrageously long, we decided to go predrink at a bar first. An hour later, I'm tip toeing on my heels because downtown consists of cobblestone flooring and we're still trying to find an open bar. I think the only reason the club is so packed and popular is because it's the only damn thing open! The rest of the centre is essentially dead I crippled my way around. Eventually we found a sports bar and by the time the drinks came, we just wanted to go home. Needless to say, the whole day of walking and touring around wore us out and alcohol only made us that much more sleepy. No longer able to feel my feet, I was half carried to the bus stop. By the time we got back at 4 AM, everyone just passed out.

Sunday
Originally I was planning on going to the shooting range in the morning but when I woke up, it was already 10:30 AM and since I booked an early afternoon flight, that plan went down the drain. After some breakfast, I unwillingly left for the airport first, leaving the 3 guys. One more day in the city would've been magical but I guess this just means that I have to visit Prague again someday.

Prague Part 1: Should I Go?

Ciao Stranger,

I still can’t quite believe that I’m in Prague right now. Yes, instead of catching up on my other blogs, I thought it would be better just to write down what’s happening to me currently (and post it later) so I won’t always have to write what I did a week later. After coming back from London, Sean invited me to go along with him and his friend to Prague on the first day back to school. On Tuesday, I booked the tickets and was ready to leave early Thursday morning. I received a lot of frowns from my Erasmus friends. It’s a difficult decision. I want to see my friends in Rome, eat and hang with them all day long. But at the same time, I know I need to take advantage of my time here in Europe and travel to my heart’s content.

Thursday

Just one of those days where nothing goes according to plan. On the way to the train station, Sean got pick pocketed. Those rumours you hear from your friends warning you about pickpocketing in Europe? Yeah, they’re real. These crooks can come in packs and work together to fool you. One will block you, one will distract you and while you’re being misguided another one will come and steal your goods. Sean was a trooper and didn't mope around and our trip continued. Once we got to the airport and was checking in, I was told that my ticket was cancelled and refunded. WHAT?! This kind of thing happens?! By the time we found the ticket booth to buy another ticket, it was too late for me to get on that flight. Since Sean already checked in, he left on that flight while I was stranded at the airport, with no flights and absolutely no idea where to go next. I contemplated taking the train to Florence, fly somewhere cheap or just head home. While I was bumming it out on the airport floor, looking up flights on my phone, I decided to just book the late afternoon flight. I was set on going to Prague already, this obstacle can’t stop me. 

Tip: NEVER go to the currency exchange places at the airport. They will rip you off to no end. Trust me, don’t make the same mistake as me.

10 hour later in the airport later, I have finally arrived in Prague!!! I took the bus and met up with Sean at the metro station. Was I ever joyous to see that familiar face. First thing I noticed about Prague. People are incredibly quiet on the bus/metro. NO ONE talks at all. Not even a peep. Quite the change from Rome, where people doesn't quite seem to grasp the idea of silence. The outskirts of Prague reminds me of Vancouver, with its malls, auto shops, big gas stations and lots of fields. The area we’re living in is very sub-urban and you rarely see people outside after 9 pm. Unlike London, I would definitely walk around by myself at night no problem. After dropping off my stuff at the apartment, we went into the city centre to explore a bit. The view you see once you get out of the metro station...SWEGHKGSK!!!

 

I love how clean, unique, romantic, and uncrowded this city is. Walking along the riverbanks, you can easily see the Prague Castle standing on top of the hill. On your stroll, you can observe locals sitting on the benches drinking beer, eating dinner or jogging around. It seems like the perfect way to enjoy an evening. Unknowingly, we stumbled upon the Old City Square, the “heart” of the city. With all the buildings lighted up, the city really glows at night. 

 

It was so hypnotic that we didn't even realize we had walked around for hours and eventually caved for some dinner at a local restaurant. Local Czech food: pork knuckle and roast pork with dumplings. I was so excited when I saw the word dumpling and was waiting for something that resembled a ravioli, 饺子 or a perogy. But what did I find instead? Bread? Huh? That’s what dumplings are here? Uh………okay…..

Friday
Every city that offers a free Sandeman walking tour, I'm signed up. Sean and I got up bright and early and went down to the centre. We passed a marketplace on the way and you know I just had to take a picture of it. It was way too touristy, and everything was overpriced. a small bowl of fruits for 5 euros. Psh, nice try.

While we were waiting for the tour to start, some police came striding along on their horses. It's honestly just for show, they're not catching anyone on those things. I'm pretty sure you could go and take a selfie with them and it would be fine.

I will not go into too much detail about the tour itself since I'm too lazy to post all the pictures and I don't want to tell you everything there is to know about the city. You must come and check the place out yourself, it's well worth it. For lunch we got some traditional Czech food. I ordered the goulash (marinated beef in sauce with "dumplings") and Sean got some garlic soup he highly disliked.

How unreal does this picture look? That architecture. That name brand car. That Colour. Could very well be my dream car/house combo. So far in Europe, Prague is definitely the city I've seen the most amount of nice cars in. Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW is not a rarity here.

Sean and I enjoyed our 3 hour walking tour so much that we decided to sign up for another 3 hour castle walking tour in the afternoon. I think this is one of the best view points in the city. You can see the Prague Castle along with the rest of the city from here. All the hundreds of spires poking out into the sky with its orange tiled ceilings really makes this a sight you can't forget. And the castle you see on the left side? Yeah, that's the largest ancient castle in the world. Someone get my prince; I've found our home!

The gothic styled Cathedral inside the Prague Castle. By this point in the tour, I was completely exhausted from walking all day and could no longer retain anything the guide was saying. I was losing energy and focus fast and couldn't quite appreciate the beauty of everything I saw. It's okay, I guess I'll just have to go back and see everything again.

Two pictures back to back of me posing? Rare. But come on, look at that beauuuuuuuutiful giiiii....giant ceiling in the background. Absolutely gorgeous. Am I right or am I right? There was a couple taking wedding pictures right in front of me. I have to admit, this city is the perfect location to get married at. I'm pretty sure I saw 4 weddings that day. Ironically, Prague apparently also has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe. 

Two turned into four in a split second! We found Kenneth and Sean's friend Behong later on in the day and the four of us decided to go to a local brewery restaurant recommended by our tour guide. Some meat and some beer/wine and the four of us went back to the apartment, exhausted and ready to give our feet some rest.

London Part 2: I'm At Hogwarts!

Ciao Stranger,

Without further ado, let me introduce you to my favourite part of my London trip: visiting the Warner Bros Studio where they filmed a big chunk of the Harry Potter series. I didn't even know of its existence until a month ago when Matt went on the tour himself. He praised it like no tomorrow and I knew I had to book it, more for myself than for Eddy. It was like a dream come true. Reading the HP series, I've always wanted to visit Hogwarts and be a part of the magical world, and for 3 hours that day, I was able to do just that. Sure not everything was the way I imagined it to be, but that was to be expected. The trek to Hogwarts took us an hour and a half just to get to by bus-train-bus because it's in a suburban area of London but without a doubt, it was all worth it. I could hardly contain myself when I got there. I practically pranced into the studio after this picture was taken.

Harry's room under the stairway! Alright, I took a LOT of pictures at every stop because I couldn't resist it. Don't worry, I won't upload all of them because it will undoubtedly drive you crazy, unless you're a HP fan, and if you are, you should definitely check this place out instead of looking just looking at my pictures. Just a heads up, you have to pre-book this online, and it can fill up incredibly fast in the summertime. Someone told me you should book it months in advance even, but since I didn't go during high season, I was able to get the tickets just a week before.

Inside the Great Hall, they showcased some of the clothes worn by the actors/actresses. The cloak on the furthest left is the original one Daniel Radcliffe wore on his first scene in Hogwarts. He was (still is) so tiny! And what did the Great Hall look like? Pretty much just like the way you saw it in the movies, but 10x smaller than you imagined it to be without the floating lights on top. Kind of a let down.

You can also purchase some butterbeer. It tasted like butterscotch and cream soda mixed together. Almost like root beer. Not sure if it was worth the 4 pounds or not but it's just one of those things you have to try, regardless of its price.

You don't realize how much work was put into this series until you come here and visit the backstage work. They made hundreds of face masks for the goblins, creatures and characters. The meticulous detail of each design was beyond impressive.

Diagon Alley, where a new wizard can find anything from candy, owls to wands. Snap snap snap, more pictures! As you can see, this place isn't an amusement park. There's no Harry Potter ride or anything of that sort, but more of a walking tour you do at your own pace. You learn about how the movie is filmed and see it from a new light.

The only "active" part was a section where you could ride a broomstick with a green screen background and get your pictures taken. Obviously I had to get a piece of this even though it's used to rip off tourists. What can I say, I need a picture to remember my fabulous day at Hogwarts. I am now officially a Gryffindor student: my robe says so!

Before I go on and show you everything about the tour, I will end it with a picture of my new school. I'm pretty sure a little part of me died when I left the studio, it was an emotional moment for me. It was like a visit back into my childhood. I remember making a fortress out of chairs and cushions and reading the HP series inside my indestructible defence system because I was frightened the Death Eaters would find me. Even though I was scared out of my mind, the book was just too damn addicting to put down so countless nights were spent in there. And visiting the real Hogwarts brought back all the memories of the good old days of my childhood. I don't think the tour had the same effect on Eddy, he's too young to have any emotional attachment with the HP series. What a shame.

Eddy and I headed back to Leicester Square where I went for another Jianbing for dinner. Eddy tried this pita/falafel place. It's like Pita Pit but you get falafel inside it and there's a variety of toppings you can put on the wrap yourself. Not bad at all. I would definitely go back there again.

On our last day in London, Eddy and I were planning on going on another 3 hour walking tour but I wasn't feeling my best at all and really wanted to go back to the apartment and rest for the day. Being the responsible big sister that I am, I let Eddy walk around the city by himself. No I'm not crazy, he's a smart boy, I have faith in him. Contrary to what you might think, I did not stay in bed all day, in fact, I went down to Leicester Square (yes again) and got myself another Jianbing. What? Don't judge. 3 Jianbings in 3 days, nothing wrong with that! I told you I'm addicted to those things, I just had to. Before I headed home, I grabbed some Asian pastries, made a pit stop at a fruit stand to grab something healthy and headed back to my bed. I think one of my favourite parts of London are these fruit stands. They have a great variety of fruits (something that Rome lacks) and they're all placed in these plastic bowls (shown on the right) and each bowl of fruit costs 1 pound. So instead of wondering how much an apple or 2 bananas cost, and getting those nasty changes, you can just pick the bowl you want and pay the 1 pound. Love it! Everywhere else should also adopt this simple. How efficient!

That night, Eddy and I feasted on junk food and watched movies/shows together. Great bonding time and needless to say, we were ready to head home the next day. A picture with the blossom tree outside the apartment to end the mini Europe trip.

To end Eddy's last night in Europe, we decided to go back to Momart where he can pig out to his stomach's content. Don't mention that place to me for another month or so. I can't take any more of their food in after going there twice in 2 weeks. And after dinner, even though we could barely walk out of there, we indulged ourselves with gelato and tiramisu cake. What have we learned from this trip? That Eddy and I are complete pigs. And stingy ones too. *oink oink*

London Part 1: I'm Broke

Ciao Stranger, 

*Note: Most of this was written the day of

Tuesday

Today, we left Paris and make our way to London, England. I have to say, I’ve come to really like this city. I’m not sure if it’s Len’s great hospitality with an awesome crib or the wondrous city itself, but I feel slightly unwilling to leave. We got up early and went to the train station to take the Eurostar, a fast speed train that goes underwater between the UK and France. At first when I heard about it, I got all eager but honestly I couldn’t even tell…I fell asleep 30 minutes into the ride and when I woke up an hour later and looked out the window, I realized I could read all the street signs again (no longer in French). Oh well, it was a comfortable nap I suppose.

 

I walked out of the train station patting myself on the back for making it so far into the trip with no hiccups along the way. I jinxed myself. As I was paying for my Oyster Card (no, I did not splurge out on food or jewelry, it’s the name of their transportation card), the lady at the counter kindly refused my money. Free? Ha, I wish. Apparently the cash I had was an older version and no one accepts it anymore. Okay there UK, in Canada, we just got a new bill as well, but you don’t see us refusing to take the old bills. Money is money! Also, is the UK’s economy booming lately? Why is their currency so outrageously expensive? You think you’re getting something for a steal, but after you do the math for the exchange rate…oh wait…shit. I felt so exhausted after running around trying to get some acceptable money that I wasn’t willing to spend any of it. Just to show you what a cheap ass I was, I got my brother and I BOTH “kid” transport passes. Because taking the tube/bus is so expensive (4.70 pounds =$8.50 a ride), I went ahead and told the ticket vendor the following:

 “Hi Sir. He (my brother) and I are both 15 years old, and we would like to buy the uh…kid passes? For 4 days please.” .

Did I pull this nonsense off? Did he really think I was 8 years younger than my actual age? Who do you take me for? Of course I did. 3.7 pounds a day with unlimited bus/tube/trams? Heck yes! NO SHAME! *bows*

Building of the St. Pancras train station we got out from, which is right across the street from King's Cross station. Not bad at all. Inside King's Cross station, they had a fake 9 3/4 platform sign where Harry Potter fans can take the generic running into the wall picture every tourist seems to have. 

  

Eventually we got to the room I booked on airbnb in one piece. It’s small, but it’s nice to finally sleep on a bed again. After putting down our luggage, we went out to Piccadilly Circus to see what downtown London was all about. Quite similar to what I had imagined I suppose. With a bit more flare to it. I think the picture below captures the essence of London quite well: people and buses in motion with no time to spare.

 

Here's some things I noticed from the few hours I’ve been here:

      1. Everyone seems to be in a rush heading to somewhere. I feel intimidated to even ask for direction. In the tube, half the people are reading the newspaper. Very dramatic change, especially from Italy, the land of the chill. No wonder their train is called a tube, see for yourself how it looks from the inside! 

 

      2. You can hear 10 different languages as you walk down the street in the centre (possibly from the tourists)

      3.. I always imagined London to be well-kept and posh everywhere you go. This is not the case, at some places (quite a lot from what I've seen), it seems pretty sketchy, as in I would never walk around there by myself at night. Actually, I would feel a bit uneasy even during the day.

      4.  Primark (kind of like Forever 21/H&M) is dirt cheap. If you’re on a budget, go there and stock up on everything. 1 Pound for a hat? 25 cents for a pair of gloves? How do they make any profit??? Is a 2 year old kid making these things?

      5. They have a lot of similar stores as the ones in Canada (Ex. Aldo, H&M, Claire’s, Footlocker, GNC, GAP…) so I feel as though I’m in a bigger and busier version of Vancouver.

To end the day on a good note; on our way home, I stopped at the local grocery store and picked up a pomelo for dinner. YAY!!! It was kind of dry but it’s been two whole months and I’ve missed you so! Eddy got some chicken wings. 4 pound dinner for two, booya!  London, just be thankful not all the tourists are like me, otherwise, say hello to an economy crisis!

Wednesday

Because the Sandeman walking tour in Paris turned out so well, I signed Eddy and I up for another one in London. I'm not sure if travelling is taking its toll on us, or the weather is too shitty, but I've lost my motivation to take as many pictures as we did in Paris. Nothing looked particularly unique in London and even the tour was quite mehish. Eddy and I were pretty much sulking the whole time, comparing every aspect to our previous destination. Only upside: we can both understand the language 100%. The most interesting picture I took all morning may have been this from Trafalgar Square. Look! I found a blue cock! 

We were lucky enough to see the changing of the guards as well. Why aren't they wearing the red coats you're so familiar with? That's their summer uniform while the blue ones are their winter one. But honestly, I can't stop laughing at their hats. They're so silly looking, who can take them seriously in those things? I would just want to pat them on the head and cuddle with it. Did you know it takes one bear to make one of those outrageous 3kg hats? Absolutely ridiculous.

And this my friends is Buckingham Palace, the very place where Prince William and Kate kissed on the balcony after their wedding ceremony. I didn't even realize this was it until 10 minutes afterwards when the tour guide mentioned it. It was a bit of a let down, especially after seeing something as majestic as the Palace of Versailles.

Stopped by the houses of parliament and saw the Big Ben and the corner of Westminster Abbey. There was a protest going on at the time, something about a teacher's strike. Then it proceeded to rain. I think I may have experienced all four seasons in one day. It was sunny when we left the apartment, then cloudy, windy, rainy, and finally, hailing. I do not appreciate this kind of weather London.

For lunch, Eddy wanted the most British thing we could find: fish & chips and bangers & mash. What did I think of the meal? Yuck. I've had much better fish & chips in Vancouver. The only thing worthy of putting in your mouth were the mashed potatoes. Looks like I'm going to have to lower my eating standards in London...

After lunch, we walked to Oxford street and I had to go into Selfridges, because I'm a shopaholic and I had to see with my own eyes what this place was all about. It reminded me of Lafayette in Paris but better organized. You want purses, shoes, chocolate, wine, or candles? There's a whole section just for it. There's even fancy cafes and oyster bars there. Check out their selection of cupcakes! Makes Cupcakes and Sprinkles (in Vancouver/LA) look like a joke. I did not get one because I'm not a big cupcake fan.

There's even a grocery store in the back with foreign imported goodies from all around the world. You might have a hard time reading the price tag but those pop tarts costs around $10. And those cake mixes you can find for 99 cents a box? They're 4 pounds here. RIDICULOUS. If you want to work on your jaw dropping expression you can come here, otherwise, save your money and go elsewhere...like Primark?

I had heard a lot about Leicester Square, also known as the Chinatown of London. Made me feel like I was walking around Richmond! Chinese restaurants and Asian bakery stores lined up one beside the other. Rome, watch and learn. This is what a proper Chinatown should look like.

I could hardly contain my excitement. What is this I see?! JIANBING?!?!?! Come to mama! This was definitely the highlight of my day. Sure it didn't quite taste like the ones from Beijing but it's the closest thing I've got my hands on in the last 2 years. I may have cried a little when I went in for my first bite. Thank you London, this alone was worth the trip.

Because I am in London and I've been told by various people that I should check out one of the musicals in town, I decided to get all fancy pants and picked the classic "Phantom of the Opera". I've never seen the movie before so I had no idea what the plot line would be like. Eddy didn't want to spend the night listening to people sing so he went back first while I sat by myself in the theatre, taking in the glorious voices of the talented performers. Damn, they're good. I have never appreciated musicals before but this show have changed things. No I will not be splurging out on more musicals regularly but once in a blue moon for something as truly impressive as this? I would without a doubt. Tip: Don't be naive and think that the handful of ticket booths along Leicester Square are actually selling you "discounted" tickets. If you really want the cheap last minute ones, go to the theatre on the night of the performance and buy it there.

After a dramatic standing ovation ending to the show, I booked it out of the theatre to try and make it back to the apartment as soon as I could. The centre of London may be safe with its streets filled with tourists drinking the night away but I can't say the same for the area I live around. Because I was rushing to get back, I got on the wrong bus and ended up at a dodgy neighbourhood. Realizing what had happened, I started freaking out, ran out of the bus, and asked for directions. While I was crossing the street absent mindedly, I looked to the left, saw that there were no car coming and crossed the street. Halfway across the street, a car less than a feet away whizzed by me. Wait, what just happened? You see, because I was completely flustered over getting lost, I forgot that in the UK, they drive on the other side of the street. So instead of looking left, I should have in fact checked my right side. If I had taken one more step, I would have been hit by that car on the highway. Let's just say when I got back to the apartment, Eddy thought I had seen a ghost as I was still shaking from imaging what would have happened if I had walked just a bit faster. People, please check both sides of the street before you cross it, and don't make stupid mistakes like me and get yourself almost killed.