Mummy Dearest

I don't know why I ever think that I am going to get any rest on a red-eye. Fatalistic optimism, I suppose. I did have the first row in economy class so the leg-room was spectacular, but the tiny thin blankets and the screaming baby counter-acted any thoughts of shut-eye. I watch 127 Hours and instantly felt better about my situation. At least I have two arms, right?

I arrived in the mother country at about 9 am local time (2 am for you Albertans) and since I couldn't check into my hostel until 2pm, I navigated the warrens of the London Underground well enough to make my way to the British Museum (free all day every day!) and spent the afternoon wandering through sarcophagi and bronze swords. One thing you can say for a colonial empire- they collect a lot of stuff along the way, including the mummy of Cleopatra!. With more marble columns and gold filigree than you could shake a stick at, the highlight of the afternoon was definitely the Rosetta Stone. The archaeologist in me was giddy while the practical traveller in me wished it wasn't a Saturday afternoon. There was a crowd of people 4 deep around the case, but I waited patiently along the edge like a good Canadian and eventually got my hieroglyph fix.

With the jet lag catching up on me, I dragged myself through the rain to my hostel (things would have been quicker if I had looked up the address before leaving home) and passed out in my lovely curtained bunk for the rest of the day. Tomorrow is old building day and I plan to seek out the London Bridge which I briefly managed to glimpse on the approach to Heathrow, along with all the other good stuff like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, British Parliament, etc. Hopefully I will be less of a zombie tomorrow.

-A.