Saturday is a Travel Day
We did manage to get a few hours sleep after partying hard in Reykjavik. We managed to get up at 9am and had some breakfast before going back outside. We spent a couple of hours walking around the city and saying goodbye to one of my new favorite places on Earth. We went back to a few of the shops we stopped in on Wednesday and purchased some gifts. I also treated myself to some lava jewelry from my favorite jewelry shop on the strip.
After the shopping, we headed back to the apartment to pack. As I left the keys behind and walked out the front door, I was full of confidence that I would be back. Iceland definitely took a bit of my heart.
The bus ride to the airport was uneventful, passport control was a breeze and the two hour flight zoomed by quickly. We watched the opening scene of Prometheus on the plane as it featured the Gullfoss waterfall that we saw on our Golden Circle tour. We also got a treat as we were coming into London, as they were celebrating the end of Guy Fawkes week with fireworks. We saw over two dozen fireworks shows from the air. It was pretty cool!
Once we got to England, the airport stuff was a breeze and we bought Oyster cards and hopped on the Tube. There was a bit if a snafu at this point, as some of the stations on that line were closed, so we had to hop off and take a bus to the next open station. We accidentally got on the wrong bus, so we just got out at the next stop and found a cab into the city.
We are staying at the Generator Hostel, near Russel Square. It's a great neighborhood, right downtown, but not too close to the hustle and bustle of the theatre district. We got all checked in and then went up to our room to unpack.
The best way to describe this hostel is that it is very similar to life in a college dorm. Our room has four beds (two sets if bunks) and then an under the bed locker for each bed. They did a great job of making efficient use if space. The room also contains a small sink. There are centrally located men's and women's bathrooms/showers on each floor. On the main lobby level of the building, you'll find three different dining areas and two lounge areas. There is a cafe/bar, a small travel store/concierge, and a small dance club. It's really a great place to stay in central London at a low cost. We paid just $45/person per night, and if you are willing to stay in a dorm with more beds, it's even cheaper.
Anyhow, after we unpacked, it was after 10pm and we were starving. Luckily, there is a small Indian restaurant across the street, so we headed out for our first taste of the famous English Indian cuisine. I got a chicken curry and Casper got a Tikka masala and they were both amazing! I don't eat Indian food much, so I don't have a good comparison in D.C., but I'm gonna have to look into that when we get home.
We ended our night there and headed back to the hostel for a good night's sleep before our first full day in London!