Excited for the week to come, our trip to London started off in the BCA gymnasium. All 39 students got to know each other better as we shared what we were looking most forward to about the trip. Our air travel was smooth and the flight even landed at Heathrow a little ahead of schedule! After making our way through customs, we traveled to our hotel via charter bus. Students got our first look at England as we watched horses and cattle graze the English countryside and marveled at the cars driving on the “wrong” side of the road!
“The flight was an exciting buildup and arriving into London, I’ve been very intrigued by the architecture of the buildings.” - Perri Wang, ABF’19
We arrived at the K+K Hotel George in Earl’s Court, located in the heart of the city. Because of the wonderful service of the hotel, all of the rooms were ready to be checked into upon our arrival! Students enjoyed one and a half hours of downtime where we could unpack, shower, rest, and get ready for our visit to Westminster. We regrouped outside of the hotel and made our way to the Earl’s Court station of the London Underground. Although the station was packed, our travel team leaders made sure that we were able to navigate the complex system that is the London Tube. Minding the gap, we got off on the Westminster stop and made our way to the Parliament building.
On line, we had the special treat of seeing guests wear traditional British formal wear, including the famous ladies’ hats, as there was a wedding going on in the building. Inside the majestic Parliament building, students took self-guided audio tours, which enabled everyone to customize their pace and areas of interest in the building. Visiting Parliament was incredible and an amazing first activity for the trip. In the midst of Brexit negotiations and increased attention on British politics, we were able to stand in the rooms where history has been and would be made.
“When I stood where the Prime Minister stands, I got chills.” - Ryan Leung, ABF’19
“The parliament audio tour takes you down a road that engulfs you in history; it was very interesting to think that major political and economic issues like Brexit are debated in that building.” - Ryan Coohill, ABF’20
After our informative visit to Parliament, everyone had worked up an appetite. We took to the Tube again to travel to the original location of Byron Hamburgers, a famous and well-regarded chain in London and broader England. Students could order anything they wanted from milkshakes to appetizers to main courses like the famous Byron burger. Students who still had room could top off their evening with their choice of dessert. Starting to feel the effects of jet lag, we made our way back to the K+K and called it an early night as students relaxed in preparation for another jam packed day tomorrow.
- IS & SP
A special thank you to our media team, Ari Semerciyan, David Lee, and Daniel Lee for these photos!