- Week One - During the weekend following our orientation, the University of Hawaii students decided to participate in the self-delegated Photo Frenzy challenge around central London. The ride to the center of the city took around an hour, with us struggling to navigate the public transportation system. These are the landmarks we had the opportunity to stop at: 1. BIG BEN The original name for Big Ben was the "Clock Tower". It is one of the most notable symbols of the United Kingdom and was mentioned in one of my favorite childhood movies: Mary Poppins. As we exited the station, we found ourselves looking at (the unfortunately under construction) Big Ben. Although we couldn't get to experience the true marvel of Big Ben, some of us were satisfied with just buying souvenirs at one of the nearby carts. 2. TOWER OF LONDON This beautiful castle is officially known as "Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London". It's a historic castle that is home to the Crown Jewels of England. The entrance fee to tour the inside of the castle was a bit out of our budget range, so we settled for taking a picture outside the castle grounds. 3. TRAFALGAR SQUARE This public square is a short walk away from Buckingham Palace and features four lion statues at the center. Its been a significant landmark since the 13th century and has been used for many community gatherings and political demonstrations. Being a beautiful and bright afternoon, a lot of people were relaxing on the stairs and taking pictures with the large lion statues. 4. CHINATOWN Although it wasn't a part of our photo frenzy challenge, we decided to make a trip to Chinatown since it's near Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Many of us missed the taste of asian cuisine, so we stopped by a Japanese restaurant for lunch and got some milk tea for dessert! 5. KENSINGTON PALACE This palace is located in Kensington Gardens and has been a residence to the Royal Family since the 17th century. Similar to the Tower of London, the entrance fee to tour around the State Room was quite expensive so we ended up just roaming around the gardens. 6. SHAFTESBURY MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN and COVENT GARDEN The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain is located near Piccadilly Circus and is (mistakenly) known for featuring Eros, the god of love, at the tip of the fountain. In comparison, Covent Garden is located in the West End of London and is an extremely popular shopping site. The two landmarks are surprisingly only a 10 minute walk from one another, making it really easy for us to explore both areas. 7. RED TELEPHONE BOX Although this was also not part of our photo challenge, can we really say we've been to London without having taken a photo with the iconic red telephone box? We all had a super fun experience adventuring around the city for the first time. Although it was a lot of walking, we made a ton of great memories and have (nearly) mastered the public transportation system!
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AKI'm truly grateful for this opportunity to study abroad and would like to share my experiences with all of you! Ranging from pre-departure tips to recommended travel destinations, I hope this blog will serve as a inspiration and reminder to always explore. Archives
December 2019
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