Few days in "Londonistan", as some call it

 


Usually I just pass through, stopping for a short time only or not stopping at all, so I don't know London too well. This time I stayed for a few days in the very centre, right at Piccadilly Circus, in a capsule hotel. It is not as bad as some people may think; in Asia it is quite common. Following different views on social media, I see that many warn that London has been taken over by Muslims. In the small city on the south coast where I usually stay, I didn't see much change over the last 20 years; there were relatively many immigrants and Muslims back then, and today it doesn't look very different — there isn't a visible increase. I thought maybe London is worse, and I wanted to find out.

It is Ramadan, and in central London I saw one street decorated for Ramadan, and a bus advertisement saying that zakat (a religious tax paid by Muslims for charity) is good, but there wasn't a very large visible Muslim presence. In fact, the most commonly spoken foreign language seemed to be Spanish. Chinese New Year had also taken place recently, and the streets of neighbouring Chinatown were decorated as well. London looked like a multicultural city, since it is one, but it didn't look as if it had been taken over by Islam. I am sure there are Muslim-majority neighbourhoods, just as there are Latino or Polish neighbourhoods, or districts where you mainly find white English people. I should come back to London and stay longer — several months or a year or so — and really discover it; for now I only had a few glimpses of central London and some inner suburbs. 







The capsule hotel in London centre. Not cheap, but better than a dorm as you have almost perfect privacy. Before going to sleep on the 27th of February, all the news were talking about a war with Iran. 







On the 28th of February, the world woke to the news that Israel and the US attacked Iran, and they already mentioned dozens of young school girls killed in one of the strikes. Some of the ex-pat Iranians gathered on Trafalgar Square to celebrate the occasion, but for a city of ten million, their number was very small.








London’s Chinatown, just next to Leicester Square, is one of the liveliest parts of the West End, filled with Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and bright red lanterns across the streets.















The area around Elephant & Castle has a strong Latin American character, with many Colombian, Ecuadorian and other Latino shops, cafés and restaurants.





Not far from Elephant & Castle, in a former squat, you find 56a Infoshop, an anarchist book shop, and other community initiatives. It is in the district of Walworth which has a working-class inner-London neighbourhood feel. 
























A few random photos of central London, during night and day. Watch out, phone grabbing seems to be a problem. Some make money this way — others make music or write poems. 








































Popular posts from this blog

Countries

Image
     The world is yours. Where do you want to go next? Featured: Those countries are featured where posts with useful information are available—such as maps, practical details, guides, instructions, etc.—in addition to the many accompanying photos. 
More »

Leshan (very basic) tourist information with map

Image
  Many visitors come for just a few hours on a day trip from Chengdu—but that’s a mistake. You need a full day to properly visit the Leshan Giant Buddha , see it from the river, and explore the nearby Oriental Buddha Park and Wuyou Temple hill. At a leisurely pace, it could easily take two days. You can also do a day trip to Emeishan from Leshan by public bus, but in my opinion, it's better to stay overnight there—perhaps in a monastery below the Golden Summit. So, for Leshan alone, you’ll need at least one night, preferably two. The city itself is quite sprawling, modern, and tidy, but it doesn't offer many attractions. The train station is a bit far from the center, but public transport is a good option to reach both the city center and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Below are the tourist basics. 
More »

Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - Day 1: Yuanjiajie & Golden Whip Stream

Image
  Located about 30 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie, near the town of Wulingyuan, is China’s oldest national park: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This is the place that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, earning it the popular nickname "Avatar Mountains". The park covers a large area, with shuttle buses, cable cars, and even lifts operating inside to connect the main scenic spots. (Shuttle buses are free with the ticket; the rest are at an additional cost.) There are popular cliff-edge paths as well as quieter hiking trails. The national park is divided into 4 main areas, and the entrance ticket is valid for four consecutive days, which is useful if you want to explore each earea to some extent. It's not likely that you can hike every trail in four days unless you’re an extreme walker. The four main areas consist of Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Huangshi Village (Huangshizhai), and between them are other locations such as the Gol...
More »

Leshan Giant Buddha - Walking tour and boat ride

Image
  Located near Chengdu, Leshan is home to the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Carved out of a cliff face, the 71 meters tall statue overlooks the junction of the Min and Dadu Rivers. You can walk up to the statue’s head and look down, walk down to its feet and look up, and view it from a boat. The area also offers distant but nice city views. You could do the walk and the boat ride easily in a short day, along with a visit to the Mahao Cliff Tombs and Wuyou Temple, both located between the Giant Buddha and the cruise port. In a longer day's program you can also include a visit to the Oriental Buddha Park, a separate and fairly large attraction (separate ticket required) that is well worth seeing — see the post about the Oriental Buddha Park . 
More »