The Royal Horseguards London

Sithokozile isikhathi sethu kule hotele ekhethekile kakhulu. Ngemuva kokucwaninga okuningi nokufunda imephu, sayikhetha ngenxa yokuba seduze nazo zonke izimpawu ezinkulu umuntu ophuma okokuqala eLondon efuna ukuzibona. Igumbi lalihlanzekile futhi linokuthula, abasebenzi banobuchwepheshe, futhi umoya jikelele ubuhle. Lokhu kwasetha kahle umoya wokuhlala kwethu. I-lobby inukubeza ngezikhenkethi ezisezingeni, futhi kukhona igumbi lokuhlala elihle kanye ne-bar. Izinto ezicabangayo ezifana nezikhwama zezivakashi emnyango zenze ukuhamba kwethu kube mnandi. Ibhakabhaka liyibhufeti elinokukhetha okuningi kokuthanda wonke umuntu futhi imikhiqizo iyiqhawe. Uzothola konke okudingekayo ukuze uthole i-English ephelele, kanye nezinkwa ezintsha, ama-cereal, ama-yoghurt, inyama ezibandayo, ushizi kanye nezinsalela. Igumbi lokudla likhanyiswe kahle futhi linemihla yokuhlala ethokomele, ngakho kwakuwumkhathi omuhle wokuhlela uhambo lwethu ngaphezulu kwezinkomishi zeti noma ikhofi. Uhlaka lwesakhiwo luyamangalisa, ikakhulukazi uma lubukwa kusuka eThames; lufana nesigodlo. Lukhulu kakhulu futhi luyamangalisa. Uma uthanda izakhiwo zomlando noma ufuna umuzwa wesimanje waseLondon, le hotele iyakufanele. Ngaphakathi, uzothola imininingwane emihle yesikhathi esedlule efana nezindonga ze-marble kanye nezinsiza ze-brass, nezindawo ezivamile zigcina ubuhle bendawo yakudala. Amagumbi amasha anokuthula okusha, njengezishisa phansi, ithelevishini enkulu, kanye nezilawuli zokukhanya. Sikhethe igumbi elijwayelekile le-double futhi lalincane kancane uma nithwele isikhwama ngasinye kanye nezikhwama ezincane, njengoba kungekho izindawo ezithile ezihlelwe ukuze zifanele izikhwama kodwa saphila. Sithole umbhede unethezekile kakhulu futhi isikhathi esichithwe egumbini sasinomoya opholile ngenxa kwamagilavu e-terry cotton, imishini yekhofi, kanye nezinkomishi ezinhle ze-china. Kuhle kakhulu. Indawo ikhululekile. Usuku lwethu lokuqala lwakuhle kakhulu - sahamba kuphela amamitha ambalwa ukusuka emnyango wehotele ukuze sibe seThames, ngqo 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, kuhle futhi kunenani elihle. Sizohlala futhi!

Ihotele ikwi ndawo enhle, emaphakathi kodwa ithule kakhulu. Kwakukhona izinkinga ezimbalwa ngesakhiwo. Ngibe negumbi phezulu futhi kwakukhona ukuvuza okukhombisa ukuthi kube khona ukuvuza kwesikhathi esithile odongeni/uphahleni oluphakeme lapho upende ubumba futhi uvele uphume emkhakheni. Amakhethini ayashintsha, enesikhumba esikhulu egumbini lokuhlala elihlukile le-king room yami. I-corridor yayinuka umswakama/ukuphola emnyango wami. Kwakukhona umphongolo omkhulu kwenye ye-corridors ukuqoqa amanzi aphumayo, echaza le nuku. Kuhle uma usukhona lapho, kodwa kungase kube kubi uma ubhujiswa egumbini eliseduzane. Ngaphandle kwalokho igumbi lalilungile. Likhulu, lihlanzekile, ibhavu elilungile elinokuningi okungabikho kwe-mildew. Ibhakabhaka lalidumazekile. I-orange juice yayingalungile, ayinakuphuza. I-apple juice yayinamanzi. Ehhotele enjalo ngempela ngilindele okungcono. Kwakungekho izithelo ezomile ezihambisana ne-muesli/granola/yoghurt etholakalayo. Ibhakabhaka lokudla okushisayo lalilungile. Ibhakabhaka liphakathi futhi ngempela lingadliwa, kodwa akukhona okungithokozisayo. Ngentengo engiyikhokhile ngijabule, akufani kakhulu nezihotele ezincane, ezisezingeni eliphansi ezazikhona ngosuku engihlala kulo. Uma ngabe ngikhokhele intengo ephezulu le hotele ivame ukuyikhokhisa ngempela ngabe ngingajabuli. Kodwa ngentengo efanele kwakulungile.

Le ndawo iyamangalisa futhi inembali yayo engiyithokozelayo. Indawo elula futhi ibonakala iphephile njengomfazi ophuma yedwa. Ngijabule ukuvuka ngelanga elikhanyayo phezu kweLondon Eye! Ngabe ngingahlala kuphela ubusuku obunye futhi angizange ngithole ithuba lokuhlola izinsiza zehotele ukuze ngizwe konke.