Buskers in Covent Garden

When I was in London, John and Nat took me gallivanting around. We were walking everywhere, from Westminister Cathedral to Trafalgar Square to Soho to Chinatown. Soon we passed through Covent Garden.

Covent Garden is an interesting place that reminds me of the flea markets in Amcorp Mall and The Curve. But unlike the markets in the Klang Valley, what makes Covent Garden a wee bit more interesting are its street performers or buskers.

Buskers are everywhere in Covent Garden:

This guy sang quite nicely. I think he was singing a Ronan Keating song.

You can even sit at a cafe and be entertained by a string sextet (not too sure if this is the right definition) while you enjoy a cup of tea.

This guy commanded the crowd's attention with his acrobatic stunts.

As we watched his performance, he asked for volunteers to help him in his stunt.

There was this oriental guy standing nearby. And the performer pointed to him, "Hey Jackie Chan, come here. I need your help."

Initially I thought the performer was being a racist, but then when I think again, it's quite hilarious actually. Imagine being refered to Hong Kong's superstar just because they belong to the same race. What an honour, hahaha.

Nat said we should go away in case the performer might call him Jackie Chan next!

I wanted to be called Zhang Ziyi, LOL !!!

Anyway, as you can see from the pic, the perfomer sought the help of a few guys, all of whom were from different countries sans the bald guy in red jacket who is a local. This goes to show the large number of tourist in Covent Garden.

The performer was talking too much and 'terhegeh-hegeh' want to complete his stunt. We couldn't wait, so we walked off.

Then we saw this guy:

Notice his left foot.

He tied a tin can to his foot and by tapping it, he created a musical instrument. How clever!

When the guy saw me shooting him, he obliged by waving to the camera. And when we turned to walk off, he called out through the microphone, "Hey camera woman, don't forget to drop some coins into the bag," or something to that effect.

I was like, wth! Since when did they get so bold in asking for money???!!!

I ignored the fella and walked away but he kept calling me.

I didn't want to give anything cause I was in a country where my currency is so damn weak. For a person like me who earns in the Ringgit, London's not the place to make donations in the British Pound.

So we contiued our journey to the Soho area where I saw this bunch of guys:

Ang mohs cycling rickshaws in Chinatown! They are certainly no match for the rickshaw fellas in Malacca!

St Paul's Cathedral - A Tough Climb to the Heavens

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the famous buildings in London.

When you step into this Sir Christopher Wren masterpiece and marvel at its magnificent architecture, be prepared also to heed the challenge that the Cathedral holds for all who dare – to climb to the top of its famous dome.

View of St Paul's famous dome from the Millennium Bridge

Now … to me, this climb made climbing Batu Caves in Malaysia look like a piece of cake.

Let me tell you why.

The climb from the Cathedral Floor to the topmost part of the dome which is called the Golden Gallery can be divided into 3 levels:

1) Climb from Cathedral Floor to Whispering Gallery (257 steps)
2) From Whispering Gallery to Stone Gallery (376 steps)
3) From Stone Gallery to Golden Gallery (528 steps)

That’s a total of 1,161 steps, which makes St Paul's Cathedral the highest and toughest religious man-made structure I've ever climbed to date!

(Note: Click here for illustration of the 3 levels)

By the time you reach the Golden Gallery, you would be 85 metres from the Cathedral Floor and definitely out of breath.

I would love to show you the lovely interiors of the Cathedral, but photography is not allowed inside.

Anyway, if you’re wondering why do they call it the Whispering Gallery, it’s because when you whisper against one wall in the Whispering Gallery, whatever you say can be heard 32 metres away on the other side of the dome.

So be careful if you want to use profanities here. At the Whispering Gallery, the phrase “the walls have ears” is literally that.

What made the climb difficult was not only the sheer number of steps, but something else. We had to pass spiral staircases, low doorways and narrow passageways like these

Watch your head, John!

Another narrow passageway

Would be difficult to climb if you're horizontally challenged.

John is definitely not claustrophobic

The narrow passageway above made me feel like I’m in an Indiana Jones movie where the booby trap has been triggered and the walls were closing in.

As we were reaching the Golden Gallery, I saw this hole in the floor

When I looked closely, I realised the hole is directly on top of the dome and looks down into the middle of the Cathedral.

The ring where the blue tarpaulin is is the Whispering Gallery. The tiny brown thingies in the middle of the photo are chairs for the congregation. That's the view from 85 feet!

When you reach the Golden Gallery, you'll be rewarded with a bird's eye view of London. You get to see

Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge that leads to it

The River Thames and the London Eye. Can you spot the Houses of Parliament in this photo?

I also saw this obelisk-like structure surrounded by buildings and thought it looked cool.

Later I found out the obelisk-like structure is called the Paternoster Square Column in Paternoster Square, which is situated beside St Paul's Cathedral.

If you visit London, I don't think you'll miss St Paul's Cathedral and its dome which is one of the biggest in the world. After all, it has been on sitting on this site since 604AD, majestically and silently looking after the city of London.

The official St Paul's Cathedral website has a beautiful description of it: "St Paul’s is not only an iconic part of the London skyline but also a symbol of the hope, resilience and strength of the city and nation it serves. Above all, St Paul’s Cathedral is a lasting monument to the glory of God."

To me, St Paul's Cathedral is a gentle reminder that the search for God is sometimes not easy - just like climbing to the top of St Paul's dome.

5 Tips to Save Money in London

y people think that a trip to London is almost impossible because of the mighty Great Britain Pound (GBP) that has reduced all other currencies to pittance. But you can stretch your money and enjoy London at the same time, if you know how. Here are 5 tips to do it:

1. Aim for the Free Attractions. There are many paying attractions in London. However, the best ones are free - British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, Westminister Cathedral, etc.

Unless you must visit a certain paying attraction, visiting all the free ones is enough for a memorable trip to London.

You get to see naked statues for free at the British Museum!

Don’t worry about missing out if you don’t visit a certain attraction because eventually everything would begin to look the same. For example, visit Westminister Cathedral which is free instead of St Paul's Cathedral (GBP11.00) and Westminister Abbey (GBP15.00) because when you visit one church, you’ve seen them all.

2. Book Online. Attractions like Madame Tussaud, St Paul's Cathedral and Tower of London offer discounts if you book your ticket online. The discounts are not much but it’s still savings which could be used for food and transport. So remember to check the website of any attraction you want to visit. Who knows, you might be able to save a couple of quid.

And here’s another tip. The cheapest way to get from London Stanstead airport to various parts of London is by Terravision bus. A one way ticket to London Liverpool Street station costs GBP9.00 if bought at the airport. But you only pay GBP7.00 if book online.

3. Bus Instead of Train. Using an Oyster card, a bus ride would cost GBP1.00 while a tube ride would cost about GBP1.60 (depending on the zone). There are also Travelcards and Day Passes. Read all options available and see which one suits your travel itinerary best.

Bus ride in London

But the downside about taking the bus is that you must know which bus to take and where to get off.

With the tube, you just get off at the specific station mentioned in the guides and look for the attraction you wish to visit. But the tube system in London can be confusing and overwhelming with its numerous lines running in different directions. And not to mention the human traffic at peak hours.

Remember to use the bus for long distance travel too because it's cheaper than the train.

4. Vespers - Your Free Entry into Paying Cathedrals. Vespers is the evening prayer service held in churches and is open to the public.

In St Paul's Cathedral and Wesminister Abbey where there are entrance fees, vespers are held after the last tourist has been ushered out at closing time. Attend the vespers at these places if you want to save. You not only get to hear the angelic voices of the choir, but you also get to step inside these awe inspiring houses of worship - for free.

St Paul's Cathedral

However, don’t think of roaming around after the vespers because the popular tourist spots within these places would have been cordoned off. For example, you would not be able to climb to the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral after closing time.

5. Survive on Sandwiches. One proper meal in London would cost an average GBP10.00 per person. In my country Malaysia, I could feed myself for half a month with that kind of money.

This egg & mayo sandwich costs 1.35 quid which made quite a substantial meal

The best way to reduce food expenses is to prepare your own meals. But if you do not have the time or cooking facilities, then I would recommend surviving on sandwiches. Shops like Pret-A-Manger and Marks & Spencers Food sells cheap sandwiches and these shops are available on almost every street corner.

If you’re horizontally challenged, think of surviving on sandwiches as a new crash diet; and if you're the type who likes to gorge at each meal, think of all the glorious food waiting for you when you return to your homeland.

Enjoy London!