London

Happy belated birthday to Sam, who hopefully had a good night in her new city.

In the Luton airport now. I've been to lots of airports, but the Luton security line is the closest I have felt to cattle. The cacaphony of languages added to the effect,and it was a bit Ellis Island esque, except I knew the local language. Which wont be true for the next month.

I arrived in Heathrow yesterday. My Virgin Atlantic flight was delayed for nearly two hours. I'm not sure wht the original problem was, but eventually they had to switch planes and move all of the checked luggage from one plane to the other.

Tylenol PM was a fail, as I took it when I expected the plane to leave but was instead really drowsy for an hour as we waited to leave with full lights on and a really cold cabin. I slept maybe half the flight and only five hours last night. I dont feel that bad but I might just be shifting into a perpetual state of exhaustion, as my friends at Tim' wedding last weekend said I looked perpetually tired. But last night I slept without waking, a sharp improvement over my Asian sleeping habits. I did wake up with a start at 0406this morning, right before my alarm went off. Why an 8am flight as ever a good idea is beyond me (it might have been the only direct to Belgrade this day)

I arrived in London proper around 1300 and headed to the hostel I had picked out. They were booked full, andhostelworld was telling me there are no hostel avaliable for June 23. Hmm. So I said screw that and went to Westminster Abbey with my full pack. I had been to the Abbey over a decade ago with my family, but iy was the one London landmark I wanted to revisit. It was as good as I remembered, and I was able to join in on a small prayer service in front of St Edward the confessor (that's the space behind the altar where the new royal couple signed the registry, for those who watched*)

*No, I did not. The guides were keen to point out key locations

I headed to near Kings cross and St Pancras for easy departure thi morning. Struck out at another hostel, but was pointed to another possibilty. There I was first tol thy were full,but with the help of a slightly hyperbolized story and a rain starting to pick up outside, the girl at the desk took pity on me a found me a room.

I squeexed in a late visit to the national portriat gallery, which was nice and meshed well wit my trip to the Abbey. It wa aso free. My room last nigth was over forty dollars! Not in Thailand any more, AJ. I have been in sticker shock since I took my friend Genevieve out to eat while in Chicago and dropped the equivalent of ten days lodging in Cambodia.

To Serbia! Have a hostel prebookd this time.