The Royal Horseguards London

Sithokozile ngesikhathi sethu kule hotele ekhethekile kakhulu. Ngemuva kokucwaninga okuningi nokufunda imephu, sayikhetha ngenxa yokuba seduzane nazo zonke izimpawu ezinkulu okufanele zibonwe ngumuntu ophuma okokuqala eLondon. Igumbi lalihlanzekile futhi linomusa, abasebenzi banobuchwepheshe, futhi umoya jikelele muhle. Lokhu kwakusetha kahle isimo sokuhlala kwethu. I-lobby inuka kahle ngezikhandlela ezinhle, futhi kukhona igumbi lokuhlala elihle kanye ne-bar. Izinto ezicabangayo ezifana nezikhwama zezivakashi emnyango zenza ukuhamba kube mnandi kakhulu. Ibhakabhaka liyibhufeti elinokukhetha okuningi kwezithako ezihlukahlukene, futhi imikhiqizo iyakhanga. Uzothola konke okudingekayo ukuze uthole ukudla kwaseNgilandi okuphelele, kanye nezinkwa ezintsha, ama-cereal, ama-yoghurt, inyama epholile, ushizi kanye nezinsalela. Igumbi lokudla likhanyiswe kahle futhi linokuhlala okunethezeka, ngakho bekuyindawo enhle yokuhlela uhambo lwethu siphuza itiye noma ikhofi. Uhlaka lwesakhiwo luhlaba umxhwele, ikakhulukazi uma lubukwa kusuka eThames; lufana nesigodlo. Lukhulu kakhulu futhi luyamangalisa. Uma uthanda izakhiwo zomlando noma ufuna ukuzizwa unjengomuntu osendulo eLondon, le hotele iyakufanele. Ngaphakathi, uzothola imininingwane emihle yesikhathi esedlule efana nezindonga ze-marble nezinsiza ze-brass, nezindawo ezijwayelekile zigcina ubuhle bendalo endala. Amagumbi amasha anokuthula okusha, njengezinga lokushisa elingaphansi komhlaba, ithelevishini enkulu, kanye nokulawula ukukhanya. Sikhethe igumbi elijwayelekile le-double futhi lalincane kancane uma nithwele izikhwama ezinkulu kanye nezikhwama ezincane, njengoba kungekho zindawo ezithile ezilungiselelwe izikhwama kodwa saphumelela. Sathola umbhede unomusa kakhulu futhi isikhathi esichithwe egumbini sasingcono ngenxa yamagilavu e-terry cotton, umshini wekhofi, kanye nezinkomishi ze-china ezinhle. Kuhle kakhulu. Indawo ikahle. Usuku lwethu lokuqala lwalulula kakhulu – sahamba kuphela amamitha ambalwa ukusuka emnyango wehotele sibe seThames, ngokuqondile phesheya kweLondon Eye. Ukuhamba kancane phambili futhi ngaphambi kokuba sazi, sasivele sikhona eBig Ben naseWestminster Abbey. Isiteshi se-tube esiseduzane nguCharing Cross futhi siseduze nezinto eziningi – sahamba cishe yonke indawo. Sithole lokhu kuyindawo efanele yokuphuma kwabavakashi abasha eLondon futhi siphakamisa kakhulu kubavakashi abafuna ukufinyelela kalula kuzo zonke izindawo ezibalulekile, kodwa ngaphandle kwabantu abaningi noma izindawo zokuvakasha. Kuhle, kube nekhono futhi kunenani elihle. Sizohlala futhi!

Ihotele ikwindawo enhle, iphakathi kodwa ithule kakhulu. Kwakukhona izinkinga ezimbalwa ngesakhiwo. Ngabe ngigumbi eliphezulu futhi bekukhona ukuvuza okwenzeka ngaleso sikhathi odongeni/ophahleni olunokwehla, upende ubumbe futhi uvele uphume ekhoneni. Ama-carpets agugile, enezinhlamvu ezinkulu egumbini lokuhlala elihlukile lekhanda lami le-king. I-corridor yayinuka umswakama/ukuhlanya emnyango wami. Kwakukhona umgqomo omkhulu kwenye ye-corridors ukuqoqa amanzi aphumayo, kuchaza le nuku. Kulungile uma usukhona lapho, kodwa kungase kube kubi uma uhlala egumbini eliseduzane. Ngaphandle kwalokho igumbi lalilungile. Linendawo eningi, lihlanzekile, ibhavu elilungisiwe kahle ngaphandle kokukhombisa umswakama noma kuphi. Ibhakabhaka lalidumazekile. I-juice ye-oranges yayibi, ayinakiwe. I-juice ye-apula yayinamanzi. Kule hotele yeziqinisekiso ngempela ngilindele kangcono. Kwakungekho fruit eyomile yokuhambisana ne-muesli/granola/yoghurt ethokozisayo. Ibhufeti lokudla okushisayo lalilungile. Ibhakabhaka liphumelele futhi ngempela lingadliwa, kodwa akukhona okuthile engangizokujabulela. Ngentengo engiyikhokhele ngijabule, akufani kakhulu nezindawo ezincane, ezisezingeni eliphansi ezihotelini engihlala kuzo. Uma ngabe ngikhokhele intengo ephezulu le hotele ivame ukuyikhokhisa ngabe ngingajabuli. Kodwa ngentengo efanele bekulungile.

Le ndawo ibukeka kahle futhi in history yayo engangithokozela kakhulu. Indawo elula futhi ibonakala iphephile njengomfazi ophumayo wedwa. Ngithokozile ukuvuka ngelanga elikhanyayo phezu kweLondon Eye! Ngabe ngingahlala kuphela ubusuku obunye futhi angizange ngithole ithuba lokuhlola izinsiza zehotele ukuze ngithole konke.