It was my maiden trip to Europe and it could not have been any better than a trip to the cosmopolitan, trendy and exciting city of London.

It is a charming old-fashioned city with a unique sense of fashion. Its ancient architecture, juxtaposed with gleaming skyscrapers creates an unending contrast that keeps many a first time visitor on the look out for the city’s great pleasures.

There is no better time to be in London than in the summer when everyone seems to be in a rush to get a share of the blistering sun before the weather gets back to its icy, rainy ways.

London is a truly tourist city everyone seems to be visiting, tourists atop the trademark double-decker buses with their cameras in tow are a common sight, many more cruise away on the Thames river that snakes through central London.

Touristic City

The Trafalgar square, St Paul’s Cathedral; Sir Christopher Wren’s 1708 master  piece, the houses of parliament that are picturesquely situated on the banks of the river Thames , the Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Tower of London, the revolving London Eye and Big Ben are some of the sights that capture many a visitor’s attention while in London.

Everything here seems to be a tourist attraction, a lesson to our own tourism managers here that there is more we can show our visitors other than the famed mountain gorillas in the North.

Efficient public transport

The transport system in London is well organised but can be confusing for a first time visitor. Armed with an oyster card one can travel on the tube or city bus with a lot of ease problem comes with getting on the right bus or train.

While on the tube could notice anxious faces of travellers listening or looking out for the stations from to disembark to disembark.

People are not afraid to ask for directions, including from me a muturange the land of one thousand hills (guess I looked like a Londoner).

On the street and on the tube many asked me directions and I must confess I dispatched many on the different buses any many got off the tube at different stations on my advice, God knows if they ever got home.

There is one thing about London that a first time cannot fail to notice especially if you are from Rwanda; the fast pace of life, on the street, in office premises, there seems to be a sense of urgency about everything, one cannot help but run along albeit uncomfortably.

Racism or freedom of speech

Hyde Park, London’s central park is one green area where Londoners go for a walk. It is also here where the speakers’ Corner is found. Over the years people gather at the park on Sundays to listen to different speakers.

Tradition has it that at this corner people can say ‘anything’ from politics to religion without fear of being prosecuted.

Speakers can openly attack the political establishment of the day without fear under the veil of freedom of speech.

There is no immunity from the Law though; Police can still swing into action if a complaint is raised. The debate according to my host has now days shifted from politics to especially social issues and religion.

The debate was all about religion the Sunday I chose to visit, different speakers both Muslim and Christian were strewn all over  the different corners with sizeable audiences all engaged in heated debates that could be mistaken for a big quarrel.

At one end, before a Muslim speaker, sections of the crowd called Prophet Mohamed all sorts of names, names that would lead to a Jihad in any other place other than at the speaker’s corner. 

However it was the Christian speaker with his black assistant who attracted my attention.

One member the largely white group of listeners asked the ‘preacher’ if Christianity was fair, he demanded to know why the speaker’s assistant (a black man) was poorly dressed while he the preacher was smart in a pressed shirt. 

It was a good question not until another person interjected "your assistant is supposed to be in a zoo” I joined the rest in laughter but was quick to stop after the realisation that this tirade could have as well been directed towards me, a black man in a crowd of white people!

Expensive to live

London can be expensive, this told best by those who work in this cosmopolitan, trendy and exciting city.  This was made more real by a friend who works with one of leading media companies in the City.

While on a trip to the wealthy, handsome suburb of Wimbledon, the home of the world-famous tennis tournament, as a good host he bought me lunch.

Problem is that he constantly reminded me how expensive the meal he had bought me was and how lucky as I was to have it! There are beggars, yes beggars on the streets and on the subway, a sign of the hard times in this beautiful city.

Partying spirit

 London never goes to sleep just like the sun in summer, its not uncommon for the sun to set as late 9.00pm during summer. I witnessed one of the longest days in the year where it was shinning until about 11pm!

Londoners love their drinks, there is a lot of merry making, couples kiss freely like they are in their own bedrooms and no one seems to care, youths with well chiselled bodies walk bare chest with mega headphones plugged onto their ears and the girls in micro –mini shorts, dresses and skirts, just a few of the many cultural shocks in this beautiful city.

Ends