So here we are...I think it's a week after my last post. Lame. I know. In any case, we are here in London, and have been here since late Thursday night. My trip in Barcelona wrapped up nicely, spent the last few days with the lovely Aneta from Poland (there are photos from the shoot I was telling you about last time on my facebook). Had a really nice time hanging out with her. Thursday came and went rather quickly, and I made it to the airport just fine without any hitches. I was hoping my entry into the UK would be the same, but it wasn't to be. Once again trying to come across into the UK would be extremely problematic, I just had no idea how problematic it would be. I thought it would be as simple as showing them my 6 month visa I had acquired two weeks prior, but no, it wasn't. The questions started flying again. This time I had Masa's address and a phone number, but still no proof I would be leaving the country or proof that I had sufficient funds in my bank account. The agent asked me how long they kept me waiting last time I tried to pass through customs and he laughed when I told him it took nearly an hour. He told me to take a seat, he was just going to keep me for 5 minutes. Yeah right. 5 minutes later, the same agent had clocked off (apparently it was the end of his shift) and I saw him heading home. So I waited. And waited. And half an hour later a woman came out and told me to come with her. She took me in back and told me to sit down. She took a series of photographs of my face and then proceeded to fingerprint me. When I asked her why all of this was being done she said it was because someone didn't like the answers I gave them. I was pretty pissed at this point. Next I am moved to another room where I am to be held for an indeterminate amount of time. Another guy starts filling out information, asking me some questions and telling me about how I am now in custody and that I may or may not be granted entry into the country. I could be held in the next room for up to 24 hours. I'm pretty pissed at this point, but what can I really do? I sit in the room for about 10 minutes before they call my name. This time it's a different guy. He is to interview me. We walk downstairs to get my other bag and while we are doing so, I am telling him about what happened when I tried to cross in and he is wondering why they stopped me. He pretty much said the agent who stopped me was an idiot, and that I was just unlucky. I tell him my plans post UK and he tells me he'll see if he can get me out of there ASAP, and he did. So basically I lucked out and didn't have to sleep there overnight, or leave the UK, but now I'm probably flagged in Interpol or something and will forever be plagued with issues getting into the UK. We'll see. I'm just glad I made it through. Anyhow, after that ordeal I was pretty frustrated, my plan to meet Chris around 1130 at Masa's flat was spoiled and by the time I exited the terminal it was just after midnight. Luckily I found a taxi, had to pay £55, which equates to nearly $90 US, for the long ride from the airport to South London. Rip off. But I was finally back to Masa's.
Today we are heading out from London by car, first to Stonehenge and then to Oxford. Tomorrow will see us heading north to York and finally to Newcastle to visit a friend. The following day we will head into Scotland where we'll stay in Edinburgh for a few days and make attempts to play golf at St. Andrews. After this we'll return to London by train and take a ferry across the english channel and arrive to Amsterdam by train the following morning. So there it is. The boring, flat, uninteresting update you all were waiting for :P Until next time...ciao...
Zach
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