Hmmm... You're very interesting. For five nights you have been my temporary home and base to explore a bit of London from.
When I first landed I'd head to London Backpackers which is a much better location. It seemed like a nice enough place but it was booked all the other nights after the 29th. I'm also not sure how I felt about every door and wall being plastered in signs about getting drunk. Was I in the dorm room of an alcoholic Freshman? The girls playing a drinking game in the common room had me believing so. After finishing one round while passing a beer between each other they could no longer remember what a Cheetah was. So, all I did while there was some laundry and conduct a desperate search for another place. This is how I came across Blue Skies. On Hostelworld.com it has a few unsavory reviews (you can go check them out) and a passing grade of 72%. It was also by far the cheapest option available. Throwing caution to the wind I booked five nights and fell asleep without another thought. Other than wondering how I'd get there.
I'd wake up and eat an approximate ammount of cereal equal to the weight of an adult house cat. When in a hostel that offers free breakfast there's no other way to assert dominance over your fellow hostellers. It's also included in the price, and I like to get my money's worth. But, most importantly, when heading into the wilderness of a city one should start well fed. Many have surely been slightly upset by hunger pains when trapped on a bus in five o'clock traffic jams. I know this because I've stared out the window at a Tesco wondering if it's worth it to hop off and eat. Eventually I'd make it away from the cereal and out into the street to head towards a nearby train station. Once there I began to feel like a caveman. Train? How? Me need ticket? London has taken up use of the "Oyster Card". A prepaid travel card that you can top up and then swipe on a bus to pay. I missed my first bus because I attempted to buy a ticket from the busman. Amateur. But what about trains? I wasn't sure. So I stood at the ticket machine grunting and poking flashing buttons. Eventually I walked away with a ticket to Tulse Hill. As I went to board the train I'd walk through an oyster card swipe zone. Oh well.
A short train ride later I'd hop off and begin looking for my temporary home. Stepping out of the station I immediately saw it. Or, the pub that it's on top of, Railway Tavern. It looked friendly enough. After checking in I got a grand tour of the place. The first thing you will notice is the odd smell you're confronted with when you enter the stairwell. I'm still not quite sure where that is coming from. Maybe it's better I don't know. The second thing you'll notice is how slippery some of the stairs are. Again, maybe ignorance is bliss. Good thing I had my boots on. The dorms are all upstairs above the pub along with the common room and bathrooms. The common room is actually a bit charming with a nice kitchen, small TV, and some seating. There's also storage in cupboards and fridges for food. Two cupboards are "hostel food" for everyone. Jams, bread, cereals, and other goodies. Here we were free to graze like cattle. I definitely took advantage of that. The dorm room is nothing special and nothing terrible, just your average place. It's really the bathrooms and showers that are... not so nice. I've used a lot of public and shared facilities since traveling and this might have been my least favorite. Looking back, maybe it wasn't THAT bad. I did however limit my use. The floors always appeared a bit off, and I got the feeling cleaning didn't happen often or with much enthusiasm. The shower consists of some terrible contraption which you first turn on outside before pushing a button inside. Water pressure was near non-existent and I don't feel my feet ever got properly cleaned. They were probably dirtier. I took better showers in Peru, and they came with the risk of electrocution.
So, how about the location? That's nice isn't it? Personally, I thought it was. Tulse Hill Station is right outside but I preferred the easy (cheaper) bus access. 68 was a direct shot into town and you could transfer to 172 which went to a number of cool locations. I also like the busses because you're in the city. Yes, sometimes this mean starving in traffic. But if you're lucky and get a front seat up top you've got a great view of everything. Busses also have more character. Like when a driver isn't having a good day and uses the horn liberally. Or maybe you get the driver that has fallen behind a bit and is trying to make up time. Suddenly it's a theme park ride as curbs are rolled over, and turns are taken maybe a bit too fast. Somewhere on the ride you hear heads hit windows, bags spill into aisles, and children cry. Hold on tight. Aside from that there's cheap food and a nice park nearby that made my daily runs a lot nicer. All in all it's not that bad. Some will frown upon the area because it's "unsafe". It's close to Brixton which was the site of lots of rioting around the time of the civil rights movement. A predominantly black community that became home to many Jamaican immigrants. Up in Camden I told a woman where I was staying and she gasped and exclaimed "Oh no!" I'm guessing she's never been down here. I've never been concerned about my safety. But then again I haven't seen it all.
The most interesting part about this hostel may be its residents. Here at Blue Skies (sounds like a retirement home) you'll find a core group of long-term residents. These are folks that have been staying for months, even up to a year. Countries represented include: Iraq, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Australia. You may see in the reviews that this has drawn complaints from some. Particularly about a rather outspoken Australian woman. Luckily I have managed to coexist with these folks rather well. A few of the nights I've hung out with them and we're on good terms. The Australian was out of town most of my stay so no real worries there. They are all folks who wanted a cheap place to stay while they work. And they found it here. Most are in the service industry and seem to live paycheck to paycheck. Primary worries and concerns are about the ability to make good money. Housing is secondary but of course many want to find somewhere better as they agree that it's not so nice here. A few have attempted to leave but ultimately ended up back here after some time away. Luckily they all seem to get along well with each other. At least on the surface anyway. I wish them the best and I'm glad I'll be moving on.
As I mentioned earlier this hostel made a good base to run operations into the city from. London has the added bonus of many of its museums being free. My favorite so far is the British Museum. I thought the vikings were good at pillageing, but the British are the best. Somehow they've gotten away with the removal of whole monuments (parts of the Parthenon, Egyptian sculptures, etc.), as well as incredibly valuable artifacts and art work from other countries. I of course have benefited from this and was able to walk through centuries of history from all over the world all in a day. It really is a wonderful place. Here in London I've also strolled across the London Bridge, the London Tower Bridge, and the Millenium Bridge. Mosied by the Globe theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Tower, The Monument, and more. The 2nd best museum I spent time in was the London Museum. Showing the evolution of the city from pre-Roman times through now. A great place. And lastly here in London I've come to grips with my terrible addiction. My name is Zebulon, and I'm a bookaholic. This of course can be blamed on my Mom and the fridge magnet that declares "A room without books is like a body without a soul", or something. I go out of my way to visit interesting bookshops, often I can't control myself and end up purchasing one. Or two. At this point I might as well be carrying a bookshelf on my back. In London I decided on Stanfords, a bookshop dedicated to travel. It's divided by countries and sells maps, guides, and travel story books from all around. In the Japan section I found an interesting book about an authors description of why he runs. This is of particular interest to me because I've sold my soul and taken up running. I used to joke this was an activity for peasants because everyone knows you should ride a bike. But as I have no bike... Which, is another interest of mine. Visiting bike shops. Like London's Specialized Concept store. I just don't purchase anything there. Anyway (before I sprial into bikepression) my bookaholism does have benefits! Like a squirrel gathering nuts, I gather books for my winter in Scotland. And sooner, my Workaway stint in Wiveliscombe. A quiet village near Exmoor national park where I'll be working on a farm. So stay tuned for stories from rural England!
Hope all is well.
Sincerely,
Zeb
P.S.
I believe this may be the first time I've mentioned it publicly. This winter from December until at least the end of January I'll be living up near Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. I'll be at a small hostel/eco cabin site greeting guests, cleaning, and splitting firewood. It's a very sustainably minded place with an emphasis on healing environments. I'm really excited to spend time there and learn all that I can! I feel that it'll be an incredible opportunity. Of course I also will have plenty of free time to try out all kinds of fun outdoor activities (XC Skiing, MTB'ing!) and explore the local area. If you're interested ask me more and check out LazyDuck.co.uk
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