Traveling – Rebwithacause

Greece: Athens, Overnight Ferry & Leros – Destination Wedding

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 RebWithaCauseLeave a comment

Instead of flying to Greece direct from Sydney, I flew around the world anti clockwise, I booked the cheapest flights I could find, I flew from Syd-LAX first, I didn’t sleep once on that flight, it was an early morning flight, I had a 10 hour layover so I decided to get out of the airport and visit my uncle that lived there. The next flight was LAX-CDG, it was only meant to be a 3-hour layover however there was a 3-hour delay on the flight, so it was a 6-hour layover instead, and then I flew to ATH, all flying Delta and Air France, after finally getting to Athens, I waited for my bag and unfortunately it didn’t turn up. I lined up for about an hour and a half waiting to talk to the baggage people and they ultimately told me that they couldn’t track my bag because it didn’t have a personalised sticker (which they give you at the airport) the girl at Sydney airport didn’t give me one, I was distraught.
I already pre booked a car service through “Welcome Pickups” at a set time however he kept telling me he had to charge more because of a long wait, I think I got ripped off but I didn’t want to cause an argument so I just left it, I really should have cancelled it, he was so horribly rude and it just made the experience way worse.

I finally got to the hotel at around 2:30AM, the hotel doubled as a restaurant and bar so there were no signs at all that said reception, I did message a person before saying I had a big delay and she did wait up for me which was incredibly nice, the restaurant had just closed and there was luckily one person packing up but all the lights were off, he said “No no closed” he didn’t speak much English and I said hotel and he just walked away and he came back to me and gestured a wave to follow him upstairs, he finally lead me to the hotel staff and the girl that was speaking to me through bookings.com checked me in so quickly and she was lovely. I had a well-deserved mini breakdown and tried to get some sleep.

The same morning, I got up and checked out but left my bag in the receptions office, I had a different mindset, I went to H&M (my all-time favourite shop) this shop was in such a beautiful building, double level-ed. I found a similar pair of shoes to replace mine I lost in the luggage and a bag of underwear, that’s all I really cared about and needed, after H&M I headed to some shops around the area, at this stage it was already 40 degrees or 104F, I decided to get lunch at McDonalds however it wasn’t good, after lunch I walked around to see if I wanted anything else then went back to the hotel and collected my small belongings and waited for a taxi, when I walked outside I slipped and luckily some girl caught me, I was so grateful. The grounds in Athens are slippery, most areas are cobblestones or even marble so appropriate footwear is needed (which I didn’t have because of lost baggage).

I unfortunately got to the ferry stop too early and had to wait around at Piraeus port for about 2 hours before I was able to board the ferry, by the time I got to the waiting area there wasn’t anywhere to sit but the footpath.

The main reason of coming to Greece was to attend a wedding of my best friend on an island called Leros.
Leros is in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegan Sea, 317kms or 197 miles from Athens, 32kms from Turkey, the fastest way there is to land at Leros airport however sometimes they have bad wind, and a small plane can’t land in such conditions, you can also get a ferry from Kos which is about 1 and a half hours and it has a beautiful scenery, however I opted out for a ferry which came in a little bit cheaper than flying to Kos, staying there and then getting a ferry. The ferry is only meant to be 12 hours however there was some sort of a delay, I booked a cabin, which was worth it. The ferry was huge, check in process was super easy, you just go all the way to the front of the boat and check in and they show you to your room.

There is one major cafeteria on board on the main level, the food is average, but I just chose the wrong item, there is also a much pricier fine dining restaurant too.
Finally, we left the port, and it was time to wait 12 hours until I reached Leros, I headed back down to my room, watched 2 minutes of a show on my laptop and as soon as the boat started to rock, I went fast to sleep, it was only 8pm however I think all the jetlag caught up to me.
I slept until about 1am when we reached our first stop however I went back to sleep, you can definitely feel and hear when the boat is stopping, this continued to happen until about 2 and I didn’t wake up for another until sunrise, at that time I was getting a little concerned if I was going to miss my stop. I went out to the main deck as we pulled into another island, the sun was just up and watching the people on the island and the boat was a fun experience. As we we’re pulling out of that island I decided to head back to the room and pack, we pulled into another island and I rushed towards the door to hear the announcement of what island it was, however it still wasn’t Leros. As we were heading into Leros I got a phone call saying to check out and head to the foyer for departure, so all that worry was for nothing.

Finally, I was on the island, what a relief it felt to finally be on dry land, I waited for my friend to pick me up, I was thinking it was going to be a cute Mamma Mia moment where her friends arrive, however my friend thought I was coming into a different harbour, and she arrived only 10 minutes later. Not a problem though, I was just happy to be there.
As soon as we got to the main square, I had my first ever coffee, and I still think about it a lot, called “Freddo Cappuccino” the most perfect coffee you could ever drink, I had so many of these while I was there, definitely don’t skip these if you a coffee lover. After the coffee, I headed for a breezy nap on a balcony thanks to some Jet-lag.

Later that afternoon, I headed into the main area, Alinda Beach. This is where a lot of people stay while holidaying here. It’s a long stretch beach with some straw umbrellas and wooden seats. There is plenty of accommodation around this area, it has a lot of cafes where you can order the food across the road and eat it right on the sand and shoreline.

Order inside, across the road, and get food delivered here.

After hanging out in Alinda, we headed back to the mother of the grooms house, I was fortunate enough that the mother of the groom lent me a beautiful dress. For dinner we headed to a local taverna where I got to experience the best food, I think I had, my favourites were the fried cheese with honey, it was delicious. After a fully belly, we headed back to our hotels to start another day in paradise.

After a comfortable sleep I went to reception and handed my key in (policy of hotel) and they told me I had a free breakfast,

After breakfast I headed for a scenic walk around the area, still in the same clothes I arrived in, looking at all the colourful architecture along the way, the area I stayed in had so many beautiful houses, I felt so relaxed walking around,
After walking I headed for another of those delicious coffees with my best friend and then I was ready to explore the beautiful island. For lunch half the wedding party went to a beach bar in Merikia called Lime Beach Bar, it was a such a chilled out place, so relaxing. After lunch we headed back and had a quiet afternoon until I met up with the rest of the family and wedding guests.

Sat and relaxed here for a couple of hours.

That night, for dinner, we all headed to Hatzidakis Winery. We had a 2 course dinner with wine to match, for entres we had a delicious mezza plate with cheeses, fresh tomato’s and Olives and bread, for mains we had moussaka, and it was the best moussaka I’ve had.

The next day, it was a lot more relaxing, coffee again in the morning, and then took some photos around the streets of Agia Marina, also I finally had a change of clothes, the sister of the bride kindly overpacked and leant me some clothes for the remainder of the trip, I was so happy to be out of those gross clothes I had on.
After taking a million photos, we headed for a beach side taverna, the beach was called Xirokampos, it was a beautiful afternoon, we went for a swim too, if you are going to a beach in Greece make sure you take reef shoes, there is uncomfortable amount of sea grass and inside can be sea urchins, I purchased “Reef” brand shoes from Australia, however my luggage was lost so I never go to wear them.
For dinner, we had a relaxed evening sitting outside the mother of the groom’s home by the water watching the sunset.

The wedding day.
Finally, it was the day we’ve all been waiting for, it started like every other day, a coffee! Then my best friend and I went for a nice walk. All the bridesmaids gathered in the bride’s room, doing our hair and exchanging stories.
Eventually, we had to eat, so we all headed to get gyros by the marina. After lunch, we headed to the mother of the groom’s house to get the dresses steamed and ready for the photographers. After the make-up was done, we did our hair. However, I have naturally curly hair, so unfortunately, my braid didn’t do anything, so we just put it in a slick back bun, which was the best decision I made.
The wedding was scheduled at around 7:30 pm. (sunset), so we had heaps of time to get ready. Finally, it was time to get my best friend wedded, we all got on the ATV’s and headed to Bellenis Tower. The wedding ceremony was as beautiful as ever.
The reception was at a beautiful taverna/bar called Zephyros. It was decorated with fairy lights and beautiful table settings.

Since the night was young, we all headed to a bar that was in a cave. It was super cool.
When it comes to drinks, the Greeks are very generous with their pours, I was saving my drinking for the bar, so I ordered a vodka and soda lime, simple and hydrating right? So, I had thought, and because everyone else was drinking I got another one.
After dancing for a short time, a tray of shots came around and I decided to take the shot, I didn’t even know what it was at the time although there was lemon and salt, I just took it without the extras. After having some more fun, I decided to take another one because there were still so many left, I didn’t want them to go to waste, so I thought, why not! At the time of the shots, I didn’t feel the effects.
I’m lightweight, so I think it hit me all at once, I only started to realise when I couldn’t walk up 1 small set of stairs.

We left the bar arms in arms, trying to walk straight however, we were nothing but.
I had to start hiking up to my hotel, It wasn’t a far walk per se. I think it was only 2kms or nearly a mile straight up. It’s quite steep when you’ve had a few too many. On my walk I met a police officer, he was smirking at me, probably because I was walking like a baby donkey.
I put my hands out gliding on the footpath walls to keep myself up right. Once I made it to my hotel, I realized the reception was closed, and I had left my key there the day of the wedding.
So I realised I was locked out, I messaged our group chat and asked if I could sleep on someone’s couch for the night and thankfully someone replied fast, so I walked back down again. also ran into the police officer again and this time he stopped me and said “where are you going, this is the second time I’ve seen you” at least I still had my senses and I just gestured over there and then he asked me “how much have you had to drink” with my fingers I did the general “just a little bit” he laughed and I kept walking.

The last day was a was a quiet one. Some of us made it out for a morning coffee, and others slept in until 1 pm.
For dinner that night, we headed to a bar next to the windmills called Harris, which had amazing cocktails and the best scenery. We went to a beachside dinner in Panteli Beach which consisted of fresh marinara seafood pasta. For dessert, we got lukumades, a delicious Greek doughnut with honey and crushed nuts, they were to die for.

Departure of Leros, I didn’t have too much to pack so I gathered the borrowed clothes up and gave them back, I bought two backpacks from a store before leaving, so I could throw away my broken carry-on, however they broke later on the trip, a lot of us were leaving on the same day, so we caught a ferry to Kos and then a flight to Athens. The ferry passed by Türkiye which was so cool to see. It was really 50 metres away.
Once in Kos, we had a private transfer to the airport, which helped so much, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone travelling that way.

Flying from Kos to Athens was really easy. The flight was smooth and fast.
Once at Athens airport, I caught an Uber/taxi to my hotel. My taxi driver was really friendly and talking about all the areas, so I thankfully didn’t get ripped off this time.
For dinner back in Athens, I went and got another gyros place. It wasn’t as good as the one on the island, however, it was cheap. It was only 3€. I decided to head back to my hotel room and eat in bed.

I decided to do a hop on, hop off tour of Athens, and it was a fantastic way to see the city and surrounds, I had a plan to go to the archaeology museum, so I went early to avoid the crowds, like everyone else, I got off the bus back at stop 1 and headed to my hotel, I didn’t know but on Sundays in Athens all shops are closed so I couldn’t do any shopping.
I had to wake up early for a flight out of Athens the next morning, so I went to the hard Rock Cafe for dinner and went to sleep early,
I have heard mixed reviews on Air France being a bad airline in Athens with a lot of strikes, so I left the hotel at 2am, the driver that picked me up laughed at me when I told him that because it only took us 15 minutes to get to the airport, absolutely no one else on the road.
I got to the airport 1.5 hours before the check-in opened, and all the chairs were full. Unfortunately, I had to sleep on the cold floor.
The check-in counter finally opened, and I joined a long waiting queue. I finally got up the front and they said I couldn’t check in one small backpack; however I stood my ground and demanded it, I had to go to the “special luggage area” so I really stood in that line for nothing.
Once through security, my flight was about to board, so I had no time waiting.

I flew from ATH-CDG, I had a 14 hour layover in Paris (I left the airport). ATH – SIN and SIN-SYD. Flight time 24hrs.

CDG to SIN, I slept about 11 hours.
I’ve come to the realisation that I hate the window seat, I’d rather the aisle otherwise you’re trapped there, for some reason I thought I’d be able to see some Paris sights from the window of the plane lol, but I guess that failed.

Reviews on accommodation:
Snob Hotel Athens:
The accommodation was not the best, when I booked, I was so excited, the photos definitely were different, the hard mattress, thick sheets, no signs where reception was, boring staff, I would not stay again. My bathroom sink was dirty. This is in between the neighbourhood of Psyri and Monastiraki, very close to the shops.

Blue Star Ferries: Blue Galaxy.
Worth every penny, having your own bathroom on a huge ferry is a bonus, the bed was extremely comfortable, same with the pillows, very basic but still worth it. I paid 150 euros. I would recommend booking whenever you can, so you don’t miss out on the onboard accommodation.

Elefteria Hotel Leros:
Location was in a really interesting area, it has a small square near by which had many cafes and shops. The room was very colourful, it had a nice view of the castle, the bathroom was renovated, that’s one of the main reasons why I chose that place. The owner was quite abrupt always, I had a weird vibe from him most of the time, his wife was extremely friendly and sweet. On the night where I got locked out (left the key with reception because of their rules) the owner left my room door unlocked with the key on the inside, I thought that was extremely unsafe, my passport and money was in there and also I can’t get stop imagining if someone was in the room waiting to attack, I’m probably overreacting but I was heavily intoxicated single female.

Ciel Suites Athens:
Do you ever have those times where you never forget the best hotel you’ve stayed in; well, this is it for me. Centrally located in Monastiraki Sq., Walking distance to the 1st stop of the hop on hop off tour bus. It was amazing, the check in process was fast, it’s a small hotel with no thrills, marble floors in the lobby, marble staircase, it has a lift, but it is tiny as in one person and their bag per time. The rooms were so modern, very NY style, big room, the comfiest bed and two cute little Julliet windows that you could open up for fresh air, the bathroom was fancy, the hotel room felt relaxing and moody, I wish I stayed here first and longer.

N Y C

June 6, 2024October 19, 2024 RebWithaCauseLeave a comment

After a short 8-hour flight I finally touched down in the best city in the world the big apple, customs took about 1.5hrs to pass through and my bag was on the other end. I hopped into a cab and got dropped off at my hotel I was staying close to Chelsea and Hudson Yards, check in was easy and the staff we’re super nice. I got up to my room I was surprised it was on the 24^th floor, and I got upgraded to a midtown suite, holy moly it was huge, by the time I got there it was nearly midnight so I went to sleep fast, the suite featured a bathroom straight off the doorway and coat closet, big lounge room with midtown views, the bedroom had a an American king with bathrobes and another big tv and the ensuite bathroom had a soak in bathtub shower combo and beautiful vanity, unfortunately I only got to stay here one night.

The next morning after a good sleep in I packed some of my bag and decided to have a relaxing bath before I had to check out, however I was only in the bath for about 10 minutes until I heard the fire alarms going off, as I was relaxing I thought the alarm was coming from fire trucks down stairs in the streets but the sound never went away so I got up and as I walked into the bedroom there was a light flashing red, I then ran around the room trying to find something decent to put on and to evacuate, I found a robe and ran to the door however once I got there a person standing in the hallway said it was a false alarm and they turned the alarms off, it really scared me. I called reception to ask them if I could get a late check out due to the disruption of the alarm and they happily gave me another hour, so I hopped back into the bath and relaxed a bit more. Later at checkout when I asked what the alarm was all about, they said that someone did it as a prank on our level, the only thing going through my mind when the alarm was going off was I would have to run down 50 flights of stairs, and to pull a prank that stupid in a city that had a major terror attack is horrendous. I really hope they got fined for that.

After checking out I left my bags at the hotel and headed to the Samsung store to try and find a watch strap because in London it broke the Samsung store was right near the highline so I walked the highline back to Hudson yards, I found that the highline was one of the coolest things to do in NYC, what a creative place to hang out in see some of the sights without passing cars, the weather that day was so hot around about 35c/95f so any chance to find a cool spot to sit under a small tree I took.

The end of the high line is at the vessel, Hudson yards has a big shopping mall with boutique shops and it’s also home to The Edge a new viewing platform with a glass bottom, it also has a restaurant and bar, it was on my things to do list, for lunch I got shake shack. I headed back outside and booked the attraction for the edge called The City Climb, you climb on the outside of the building it’s a 45 degree-angled staircase and 1,200 feet above the ground, the cost was $185 usd so around $300 aud.

After booking the attraction I headed back to the hotel to get my bag and go check in to my hostel, I decided to walk instead of taking the subway or a taxi it was only a 1 mile walk straight, although I struggled a lot with my suitcase, I tripped over trash I tripped over my own suitcase, the wheels kept screwing up, I was annoyed, however I finally got found it, the hostel was on the 3^rd floor and there was an elevator , I checked in and my room had 4 bunk beds with females only, I unfortunately got the top bunk which I will always hate, I put my stuff into a locker provided. After setting up my cords for later that night I booked a City Harbour Lights Cruise so when the time was right I decided to walk to the wharf, I hopped on the boat and got a seat inside until I realised the views would all be better outside so I nicely nudged myself between two nice women that were happy to move over a couple inches both way to make way for me, the cruise departed at 6pm, there was good commentary about the sights I chose the left side of the bow and had the entire Manhattan skyline all the way, the boat first went towards New Jersey and then turned around, went back under the iconic Brooklyn bridge, just as the sun starting setting the city was perfectly shadowed and we headed to stop at the statue of liberty just as the sunset colours were fading into darkness, being an avid photographer I learnt a couple skills on my Samsung phone to try and not allow light in and when someone saw me taking a photo like I do they asked if I could take the photo for them like what I did, afterwards a whole bunch of people just handed me their phones and I took the photos of the statue for them, I really hope it turned out for them. The boat started again and we left the statue of liberty behind on our side of the boat we got views of Brooklyn and again NJ, the whole boat ride was about 2.5 hours, after it got back to the wharf I headed back to my hostel and got some dinner next door, while eating I met a really lovely girl from Latvia and we became friends, we talked for ages and decided that we would spend the whole day together the next day.

Day 2, I set my alarm early because I didn’t want to be late for my new friend, I got ready and we left to go try and find a coffee place, we found one and walked to central park to have our coffees, we then walked to the big fountain in the middle and my friend met a busker under the grand staircase and she asked if she could sing with him, she has the voice of an angel I was blown away and the acoustics under the stairs made it even better, she then wanted to go to the natural history museum so we spent the morning inside, by the time we had finished it was lunch time so we had lunch downstairs in the cafeteria, it wasn’t great and it was both one of our regrets because if we stepped outside we could have eaten for way less, after the museum I wanted to go the red stairs in times square to get some cheap tickets to see Chicago my friend said that she loved the theatre and we put our money together and got tickets. After getting tickets we headed to St Pauls Cathedral and then shopping for a new outfit for the musical because I had nothing fancy to wear so I headed into H&M and found the nearest dress and purchased it, once leaving we had to take a cab back to our hostel to get ready, since the theatre was only a couple of blocks away it didn’t take long to walk, it was at The Ambassador’s Theatre.

The show was incredible I was just on the edge of my seats all night because of excitement.

After the show we met up with another girl from our hostel and had a slice of pizza and headed for a bar, we went to a Spanish style bar very close to our hostel and danced all night until about 2:30 am.

Day 3, I had to say goodbye to my new friend, however we got to do some things before, she went back to central park and sang one last song with the same busker this time it was Shallows, it was beautiful, after some singing, we headed back to the hostel to grab her bags because it was time for her to leave. I walked her to grand central station. We said our goodbyes and I headed out into times square, I wanted to get another hop on hop off bus so I found a person selling them and I purchased a 48 hour pass, included in the 48 hour pass was a night tour and a day cruise. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the bus then got off once it fully went around Manhattan, I got back off at Times SQ and went window shopping, for dinner I went to wholefoods to get a salad.

Day 4 wasn’t the best day, as I was fully ready to go out, I went to grab onto a small pole which I thought was supported and it came out of its attachment and I fell onto my back really bad, straight away I knew I had broken my ribs I was in so much pain and it truly winded me. The entire day I contemplated going to the ER, however I was scared and alone in the city and I didn’t end up going, (biggest regret) I took a photo of it and then went about the rest of the day in serious pain, I went on another bus and headed down to the river to get on the sightseeing boat, same good views as the night tour.

Once I got off the boat I hopped on another bus and went to the Whitney Museum, probably one of the most amazing museums I have seen, and to top it off they had a rooftop deck with views overlooking uptown. I headed back to my hostel for the night, and had to do the night tour to Brooklyn and New Jersey, by that time the pain had gotten worse but I still went on, every single time the bus stopped or went over a bump my back hit the seat and it made me cringe, the night tour was really enjoyable and it was good to see the city at night and NU too, after the tour finished I headed back and went to sleep.

Day 5 I still had time left on my hop on hop off group, so I got the first bus and got off at city hall to go walk on the Brooklyn bridge, but before I went on the walk, I noticed filming happening so I watched that until they finished, it was a tv show called FBI, it was so cool to see how they filmed one little part, once they wrapped I walked to the start of the bridge.

Walking along the Brooklyn bridge was surreal, and such a fun thing to do, it was boiling hot that day, it was already mid 90’s or mind 30’s, so I found shade in the highest point of the bridge, once I was on the other side of the bridge I wanted to see DUMBO (down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), usually a hot spot of tourist that take pics in front of it, however when I went there I had it all alone and didn’t get that good shot.

After dumbo I headed for Brooklyn bridge park, a really nice area they refurbished in 2021, I sat in pier 3 where it overlooks Manhattan with the financial district side, I sat around that area for a long time taking some photos of the skyline, listening to the light waves crash along the rocks, just dreaming of the day to call it home one day. I left pier 3 and just walked towards the bridge and around all the waterfront and ended up on a really nice trail on the inside called “The Greenway” I found some really good, shaded trees to stop for some time to take a break from the sun, after walking I wandered around to find some lunch and stumbled across another shake Shak and ordered a meal however unfortunately I think I stole someone else’s order because they kept yelling out my name mid-way through the burger so I just slid down and hoped no one would notice me.

After the burger I did the walk back to Manhattan this time it was even hotter I was so exhausted, on the Manhattan side of the bridge as I was walking back there was food markets in this undercover area, after the walk I headed to city hall park to rest and people watched, after resting I walked through Chinatown and east village and stumbled upon Gramercy Park. What a dream that would be to live around that area and especially being allowed in the park, Gramercy park is the only one of 2 private parks in the city, only those around the park pay an annual fee to have a key to the park, unfortunately I didn’t meet anyone that could get me in however I took some photos and sat outside and did some more people watch, a lot of people had dogs, the owners were so friendly. I headed back to my hostel and went to sleep.

Day 6 was the shortest day, I slept in until 11:30, it was already nearly in the 100’s high 30’s, I grabbed some fries and headed into central park, I climbed onto the rocks close to the playground, I was then joined by a cute squirrel, I fed him some of my fries and he was so happy he kept coming back for some more until some annoying children scared it away. After lunch I walked around central park a lot, I found the “Friends” inspired fountain, I took some good photos of the city backdrops, I stumbled upon the famous bow bridge, however it was too busy so I waited for a small little spot right on the water, I saw so many people rowing from the Loeb Boathouse, boats are $15 per hour with a $20 deposit.

Later that afternoon/night I got to finally go do “The City Climb” in Hudson yards. I had been looking forward doing this for 6 months so I couldn’t wait. It all starts in the gift shop, this is where you can pre-purchase time slots for the edge platform, I waited in line however if you already have “The City Climb” tickets you can cut all the lines, you have to go through a detector like at the airport and then they take you to a special room, once in the room the person that is taking care of you hangs around, you have to sign paperwork and then you are ready to go. You then get into a private lift to take you up to the viewing platform but away from the public side, they give you a safety suit and you have a locker to store your phone and other valuables, once you are dressed you get an individual person to put a harness on, at that point I was a bit worried with my sore ribs, I didn’t mention it to them otherwise I think I would’ve been unfit to do it. After getting the harness on another person tightens everything, you have about 6 people checking the harness to make sure it’s up to the safety standards, which is reassuring because you are about to climb on the outside of a big building, after tightening they used zip ties to make it extra secure, the pain when zip tying on top of my broken rib, ouch.
After they secure you all in you go into another lift and go up another 2 levels and again they make sure everything is all secure and tight, they give you a two way puller that drags along with you and attaches you to the railings, I wasn’t so scared however once we opened the doors to walk towards the staircase on the outside of the building we had to demonstrate that our harness was working and we had to lean forwards over the building, but we couldn’t stop there we had to start climbing the 45-degree incline, there were 161 steps in total, the stairs were very steep and tall, while climbing the stairs the harness started dragging and pulling my back upwards motion I was in so much pain I thought I wasn’t going to make it up all of them.
The top is a 1,271-foot high-point, once up the top we got to spend around 45 minutes savouring the panoramic views of Manhattan, once the entire group was on the level, everyone leaned forward at the same time to look down and we also leant backwards, then we got our individual shots, it was a bit daunting to lean off the edge however the staff and everyone in the group are all encouraging each other that it made it a lot easier, after getting individual photos we got to take a couple group shots and then just hang out for a while, the staff even let us stay up there longer because we were the last group up, instead of walking down the same stairs our group used the emergency stairs to walk back down to the locker area, the staff took our harnesses and suits off and got all our belongings out of the lockers, afterwards we got a medal and then we said our goodbyes.

Day 7 was the hottest day, I decided I wanted to go to a beach and just get some fresh air and cool down, I decided on Coney Island, of course I didn’t have a beach towel with me so I went quickly to target and found the cheapest one I could find, on the way back from the shops I had realization, time felt like it stopped and everything went into slow motion and I realised how accustomed I had become of this city already and this city is where I will hopefully come back and live one day.

I got the D train to Coney Island, I think I caught the slowest one because it took about an hour, however once I got out I saw the big amusement park and found the beach shortly after, I put my towel down right near the flags so I could remember where I was and relaxed the rest of the day, I went and got some lunch and after lunch it started to get really hot so I went for a swim, the water was nice and fresh but still a little warmth in it, once I got out I decided to have a nice afternoon nap and went to sleep for 2.5 hours, after waking up I went for another quick swim and decided to call it a day, unfortunately I hopped on a bad train carriage because it didn’t have any air-con so it was hot, however when I got back I had a Popeyes chicken sandwich and it made up for it.

Day 8 it was time to leave this amazing city behind, I had a super early flight out of Newark so I had to leave at around 5:30, getting a cab was a breeze. I headed inside it took ages to find my airline, I flew Alaskan, going through security was super-fast, I was excited coming to this airport because I heard they had a really big upgrade but unfortunately I had to be in the boring old part, I had a quick nap and then boarded my flight, I was super lucky because my row was the only row empty and got the 3 seats to myself, the service was nice, there was no inflight entertainment which is always a bummer but I had a really good nap and woke up in sunny Los Angeles.

Hotel – Crown Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan – 5/5 it was a fantastic hotel, the upgrade was amazing, the bed was even more amazing, the only thing the reception staff need to be more welcoming they seemed a little boring.

Hostel – Nap York Sleep Station – Central Park 8^th Av – 4/5 – I stayed in a 4-bed female only dorm.
The room wasn’t the same of the photos which was disappointing, the check in process was easy, the room was comfortable, and it had an ensuite inside, the staff didn’t help tall when I broke my rib, they weren’t helpful of where the best hospital was, they just shrugged it off, even though it was the hostels negligence, they need better training in medical emergencies. The location was great, very close to Columbus circle and central park.

London

June 5, 2024October 19, 2024 RebWithaCauseLeave a comment

I landed at Heathrow and I expected so many delays with baggage and customs, there we’re zilch, none, no lines whatsoever, customs took only a minute to get through, he was also confused because he thought I was only staying for a week all the way from Australia and questioned me for a quick second however after telling him I was on a world trip he did a big sigh of relief. Getting my bags also only took no more than 30 minutes, but it wasn’t like what you saw on the news there were no bags piled, the airport was empty, maybe it was just dumb luck or maybe it was just all hysteria from the media.

Once I grabbed my already heavy bags I headed for the bus terminal and if you have been to Heathrow airport you know you have to go find the lifts, go down, walk 2kms and finally you’re in the small crappy bus terminal there, at the time I got to the terminal the workers had already gone home for the night so I stood at the automatic machines trying to figure out how to get to London Bridge, I tried everything even trying central, however nothing came up, it really drove me to insanity, so I headed to the tube, my worst nightmare, luckily this time there we’re a couple people still working and they happily told me where to go exactly, I hopped on one and unfortunately no seats, so I had to uncomfortably stand with my large bag trying to stop it from wheeling away eventually, it wasn’t long till got a seat, I had to change at “Green Sq” I thought it was going to be a nightmare but it was actually quite easy to navigate. I finally got to London bridge station, with my google maps in tow I walked to try and find my hostel while dodging trash and party goers.

I made it to my hostel so exhausted, I put whatever stuff I need to in my locker and then headed to bed, by this time it was 1am so I didn’t want to make any more noise than I already had.

The next morning, I woke up and found a bathroom, which was the cleanest in the hostel and headed to my free breakfast which was in the bar downstairs, it was mayhem down there, so many people, all trying to eat, all trying to scramble around getting the last of the foods, when I got downstairs there was no milk left for the cereal so I had to wait for someone to refill it.

After breakfast I headed back to my 29 “bed” dorm room and got changed for the day, I was ready to hit the city and see the sights of London again, the weather was so perfect, a nice 27-degree day.

I headed out and the streets where a busy bustling city , people going to their usual 9-5 while I was ready to find the hop on hop off bus, unfortunately I picked the wrong time to head to London, the time I chose happened to be a weekend long train strike, so I headed to the nearest bus stop to try and find hop on hop off branded buses and where they stop, I had no luck so I found an information man and got terrible directions however he still pointed me in the similar area I needed to be, I waited for what it felt like 20 minutes and no bus, then suddenly saw one go passed me so I ran for my life, sprinting passed everyone huffing and puffing, I was unsuccessful in catching it, however I was relieved enough to find out where it stopped so I caught my breath and asked when the next one is and to my surprise it wasn’t far away.

I hopped on the bus, showed my ticket to the driver and he gave me a super long receipt in return, I grabbed my complimentary earphones and headed upstairs, the bus was quite packed, so I got a seat outside, no big deal. It was a beautiful London day.

The bus continued through London bridge and then eventually drove onto the bridge to give us picture perfect views of tower bridge and the Thames heading towards cleopatras needle and then seeing the iconic big ben, by that stage everyone got off the bus, so I took the very front row which gave me better views of all the monuments.

There is nothing quite like seeing Big Ben, seeing all the small details of the clock. After going past Big Ben the next stop was Westminster Abbey and the statues across in the park, then near Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth gate, Marble Arch, Park Lane, going through all those famous streets where the prime minster lived and seeing all those beautiful white townhouses. I eventually got off the bus (once it when around again) at Marble Arch and walked all the way along oxford street until I reached piccadilly circus and headed for lunch at the hard rock café, on the hop on hop off tour they offered a discount to eat at that place, after lunch I headed to try and find a pharmacy at this stage I wasn’t feeling too crash hot and came down with a bad flu so I went and got some cough syrup and sat in Hyde Park crying feeling so defeated and down, once I dried my tears I went for walk around, tried to find the right bus to catch back to my hostel only to find the last bus had already gone.
I decided to walk to a tube station however the strike was now well and truly on, all tube gates were shut and no buses I walked all the way from Queen Elizabeth gate to London Bridge, it says it was only 3.2 miles however it felt like forever especially being so run down I felt like a zombie, however I did get some amazing views along the way, I finally made it back and tried to go to sleep however it was a rough night sleep, I coughed all night.

The next morning I was in bed until noon, I was unfortunately the sickest I have ever felt and once noon came along I decided to look for new accommodation, I felt like I wouldn’t have gotten better staying in something extremely loud, I found a new tiny hotel in Kensington, it was a reasonable price so I booked, packed up and headed to reception to check out, the hostel would only give me one night refundable which sucked and then I left.

I checked into the new hotel which looked completely different to the photos online, so I was disappointed. Once I got in, I went straight to bed and slept.

Day 4, my days were getting numbered. Outnumbered to be exact, I wanted to do so many things this time I came to London, however I only added two more things to my list, I went on another bus tour this time I booked Big Bus Tours, and set off for another round of trying to stay awake on a moving transportation type day, they didn’t take the exact route for the other tour group so I thought it was still worthwhile. I eventually got off at Tower of London and headed to see inside, when I was walking to the entrance there was so many food trucks, I think it must have been a festival happening at the same time, as soon as I got through the gates I luckily saw a beefeater and listened to the commentary, after he finished I went to see the crown of jewels, unfortunately it was almost closing time so I didn’t get to see the death chambers. After leaving I headed for the bus again to go back to the hotel to have an early night again.

Day 5 I decided to have a more relaxed day in the city, I got on the bus again and this time hopped off at Selfridges for some window shopping until I realised, they had Din Tai Fung there and decided to stop and have lunch. For dinner I headed to Chelsea, I ordered a lasagne went to a supermarket to get a drink, when I was on street level, I realised my lasagne had fallen out of my takeaway bag and I had to get nandos instead, I was so devastated.

Last day in London, I decided to get up and head to a laundromat to wash some of my clothes, unfortunately it was wasted time and they didn’t wash so I headed back to the hotel and looked up same day laundry services (BIG MISTAKE), after leaving my washing with the reception for the same day service I headed out to the city again and this time I got off the bus at Harrods, window shopped till I got hungry and headed into the food hall, it was amazing I then stumbled on takeaway pasta and sauces by Pasta Evangelists where you choose what pasta style you want, your sauce and any other toppings, I went a bit bougee and got mushroom filled raviolis with a sage burnt butter sauce and to top it off a shaving of truffles, I was in heaven.

I walked to go find a spot to eat and stumbled upon the Victoria and Albert Museum and sat on the stairs and watched everyone go past.

After lunch I got a bus to Westminster Abbey, luckily there was no line at all except still a lot of people. I also decided to get the extra ticket to go upstairs, and instead of taking the elevator I walked up all the stairs there was 108, once up the top I got a great birds eye view of the entire Abbey, it was really amazing to see.

After going to the Abbey, I hopped on the final bus and got off at Kensington gardens, I wanted to go into Princess Dianna children playground however it was off limits at the time I was there. As I was walking I stumbled upon the beautiful geese pond, I walked around it twice only because I got lost the second time, I wanted to find the peter pan statue but before I got there I stumbled upon the Italian gardens, gosh they are so beautiful once I thought I spent enough time I kept walking to try and find the statue again but it was only a short up the path stroll away, if you are like me you’ve probably seen the statue in many movies before so seeing it for the first time was really exciting,
once everyone cleared I got the area around the statue all to myself.

After the statue I followed the lake all the way to the other side, it was a really beautiful afternoon walking and people watching it was probably the highlight of my trip.

I walked back to my hotel and grabbed some dinner on the way home, I checked the lobby to see if my washing was back but unfortunately it wasn’t, I started to get to get a bit worried because it was my last night in London, I got an email from the same day washing company saying they can’t bring the washing back until the next day after lunch, after many emails I had to leave without getting my washing, instead asking the hotel to send it back home. However, it never arrived to this day.

The day had arrived that I was heading to the next destination. I packed up all my belongings and headed to the underground, I accidently purchased the wrong ticket to Heathrow however they refunded me later, I arrived at Earls Court bound to Paddington then onto the Heathrow express, it was such an easy experience.

Once I got to Heathrow airport I checked in and got upgraded to premium economy, Heathrow airport wasn’t too busy either, so I made it through security really fast.

Premium economy experience with British Airways. It was really comfortable seating however my chair headphone jack was broken so I couldn’t listen to movies without just holding the cord the entire time, the food was crap as well I was so disappointed.

Hostel: St Christophers Inn London Bridge: 1/5, the bathrooms we’re always dirty I stayed in a pod style room with 29 beds, the bed itself was comfortable at least.

Hotel – The Villa Kensington: 3/5 the photos on bookings . com don’t look like the hotel room itself, the room itself was very tight, it had too many things in the room that didn’t need to be there for instance a really big standalone wardrobe, it just took up everything, also the bathroom was tiny but clean there was no toilet scrubber which is a bit silly, the staff we’re incredibly nice and it was in the perfect location, so close to a lot of the nicer side of London.

Hop on hop off buses: I went with the two famous brands the famous red sightseeing bus that you see everywhere and also Big Bus Tours, I will recommend big bus tours more because the commentary was really funny and different, they also went to a bit more locations than the red bus.