Getting to and around London

1. Getting to London from Budapest 

The flight from Budapest to London was very packed and the Wizz Airline staffs were very strict when checking the carry-on luggage size. Every passenger who brought a trolley suitcase but did not purchase the priority pass was picked on and handed a hefty luggage surcharge tab at the gate. I was feeling really nervous as my backpack was slightly bigger than the stipulated measurement. Thankfully, the staff left people like me alone and I thanked my lucky star for that. I swear I am going to pack lighter on my next trip and I hope I can find my ideal backpack by then. 

2.  Getting around London

2.1 Getting from Gatwick Airport to the city centre

As the United Kingdom (UK) is no longer part of the European Union (EU), passengers arriving at the airport have to get their passports checked. The custom at Gatwick Airport in London was pretty fast but it could have been faster if not for people like the 2 below who cut the line. It’s annoying but not worth stirring up a conflict. It’s better to bitch about them here to remind myself not to behave in such a way. 

The train ride from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Coach Station via the Southern Train line was fast and hassle-free. You can just use your contactless payment card to pay without buying tickets in advance.  Taking the bus is not advisable as the unpredictable traffic delay can sometimes set you back by 3 times longer than taking the train. 

Food in London

This trip to London was predominantly a food tour as my friends are in the know of where to get the most popular food in London. 

1. Borough Market

1.1. Richard Haward’s Oyster (8 pounds for 6 Oysters)

According to my friends, this shop serves the freshest oysters in the Borough market. They said that the price is cheaper compared to Singapore. I asked my mum if she would like to try them in the future, and she cringed when she found out that they were raw. 

Oysters brought back memories of my maternal grandmother. When my grandmother was young, she used to take a boat out into the South China Sea to harvest oysters with her friends. She recounted these stories to me when we were visiting her hometown in Kinmen when I was 13 years old in the year 2003.

I could not imagine my old and frail grandmother swimming in the open sea when she was young. She had never stepped into the pool in Singapore. My grandmother also claimed that she could speak impeccable Mandarin before she migrated to Singapore. All my childhood, I had only heard her speaking Hokkien, a dialect originating from China. She was made fun of when she spoke Mandarin in Singapore when she first arrived in Singapore in the 1950s. When she stopped speaking Mandarin, she lost the ability to converse in it with her grandchildren. 

My grandmother loved eating oysters and she would make noodles, egg omelets, and fried vegetable patties with oysters when I was young. I did not particularly like them when I was young but just ate them as they were edible. 

1.2. Japanese Raman (9.5 pounds)

This was the second time I ate Japanese Raman in London and it was delicious too. I like the miso soup base as well as the charred grilled tofu. It’s my comfort food.

1.3. Humble Crumble (4 pounds)

I love the name of the shop and also the idea of serving hot apple crumble with oozing custard on a cold day. This is my favourite dessert of the day. I went back to Manchester thinking about this dessert. As a substitute, I bought fresh custard from ASDA supermarket which was really nice. I think it’s nicer than Sainsbury’s. 

2. New Dishroom (8-10 pounds per main dish)

To some native Indians, this may be anglicised Indian food. However, this restaurant proves to be exceptionally popular in London. It was crowded even at 4 pm. The food was hearty. I felt bad that my friends had to order mostly vegetarian options to accommodate my diet. This was a treat from my friend:) I am thankful that we were finally able to explore London together 10 years after the idea was first incepted by my friend. 

Total Expenditures

Expenditure Category	Per Person	% of Total Cost
Air ticket to London	S$ 38	16%
Airport Transfer Train Ticket	S$ 26	11%
Train Ticket to Manchester	S$ 51	21%
Tube Tickets (2 days) From Zone 1 to 4	S$ 23	10%
Luggage Storage (1 day)	S$ 11	5%
Food	S$ 42	17%
Gifts	S$ 48	20%
Total	S$ 239	100%