The Royal Horseguards London

Sithokozile ngesikhathi sethu kulolu hotele oluyingqayizivele. Ngemva kokucwaninga okuningi nokubuka imephu, sakhetha le hotele ngenxa yokuba seduzane nezimpawu ezinkulu ezizobonwa ngababambiqhaza bokuqala eLondon. Igumbi lalihlanzekile futhi likhulu, abasebenzi banobuchwepheshe, futhi umoya jikelele ubuhle. Lokhu kwasetha kahle isimo sokuhlala kwethu. I-lobby inukubeza ngeziketela ezinhle, futhi kukhona igumbi lokuhlala elihle kanye nebar. Izinto ezicabangayo ezifana nezambulela zabavakashi emnyango zenze ukuhamba kube mnandi. Ukudla kwasekuseni kuyibhufeti enokukhetha okuningi kwezithako ezihlukahlukene futhi izithako zikhwalithi enhle. Uzothola konke okudingekayo ukuze uthole ukudla kwaseBrithani okuphelele, kanye nezinkwa ezintsha, ama-cereal, ama-yoghurt, inyama epholile, ushizi kanye nezinsalela. Igumbi lokudla kwasekuseni linomqhele futhi linezihlalo ezikhululekile, ngakho bekuyindawo enhle yokuhlela uhambo lwethu ngenkathi siphuza itiye noma ikhofi. Uhlaka lwesakhiwo luhlaba umxhwele, ikakhulukazi uma lubukwa kusuka eThames; lufana nesigodlo. Lukhulu kakhulu futhi luhlabahlosile. Uma uthanda izakhiwo zomlando noma ufuna ukuzizwa ungumuntu wesimanje eLondon, khona-ke le hotele ikulungele. Ngaphakathi, uzothola imininingwane emihle yalesi sikhathi efana nezindonga ze-marble kanye nezinsiza ze-brass, nezindawo ezijwayelekile zigcina ubuhle bendawo yakudala. Amagumbi amasha anokuthokozisa okusha, njengezishisi eziphansi, ithelevishini enkulu, kanye nokulawula ukukhanya. Sakhokha igumbi elijwayelekile le-double futhi lalincane kancane uma unamalebula amabili kanye nezikhwama ezincane, njengoba kungekho izindawo ezithile ezihlelwe ukuze zifake izikhwama kodwa saphumelela. Sathola umbhede ubuhle kakhulu futhi isikhathi esichithwe egumbini sathokozisa ngenxa yezigqoko ze-terry cotton, umshini wekhofi, kanye nezinkomishi ze-china ezinhle. Kuhle kakhulu. Indawo ikhululekile. Emini yethu yokuqala yayilula kakhulu - sahamba kuphela amamitha ambalwa ukusuka emnyango wehotele sibe seThames, ngqo phambi kweLondon Eye. Ukuhamba okuncane phambili futhi ngaphambi kokwazi, sasivele sikhona eBig Ben naseWestminster Abbey. Isiteshi se-tube esiseduzane nguCharing Cross futhi siseduzane nezinto eziningi - sahamba cishe yonke indawo. Sithole lokhu kuyindawo efanele yokuphuma kwababambiqhaza bokuqala eLondon futhi siphakamisa kakhulu kubavakashi abafuna ukufinyelela kalula ezimpawu ezibalulekile, kodwa ngaphandle kwabantu abaningi noma izindawo zokuvakasha. Kukuhle, kuhle futhi kunenani elihle. Sizohlala futhi!

Ihotele ikwindawo enhle, iphakathi kodwa ithule kakhulu. Kwakukhona izinkinga ezimbalwa ngesakhiwo. Ngabe nginogumbi ophakeme futhi bekukhona ukuvuza okukhombisa ukuthi kube khona ukuvuza endaweni ethile ethile enophahla oluphakeme lapho upende ubububula futhi uphuka ekhoneni. Ama-carpets ayashintsha, enezinhlamvu ezinkulu egumbini lokuhlala elihlukile lekhanda lami elikhulu. I-corridor yayinukubeza okungafanele emnyango wami. Kwakukhona umgqomo omkhulu kwenye ye-corridors ukuqoqa amanzi ahluleka, echaza umoya. Kuhle uma usukhona, kodwa kungase kube kubi uma ubhujiswa egumbini eliseduzane. Ngaphandle kwalokho igumbi lalilungile. Likhulu, lihlanziwe, igumbi lokugezela elihle elingenalo uphunga lwe-mildew. Ukudla kwasekuseni kwakungahambi kahle. I-juice ye-oren ibinokungafanele, engadliwa. I-juice ye-apula ibinamanzi. Ku-hotele yalezi zinga ngempela ngilindele okungcono. Bekungekho izithelo ezomile ezihambisana ne-muesli/granola/yoghurt ethile. Ibhufeti lokudla okushisayo belilungile. Ukudla kwasekuseni kuyaphumelela futhi kungenzeka ukudliwa, kodwa akukona okuthokozisayo engizokubheka phambili. Ngentengo engiyikhokhele ngijabule, akuhlukile kakhulu kumahotele angaphansi, anokuthokozisa okuncane ngosuku engihlala khona. Uma ngabe ngikhokhele intengo ephezulu le hotele ivame ukuyikhokhisa ngabe ngingajabule. Kodwa ngentengo efanele bekukuhle.

Le ndawo ibuhle futhi inhistory yayo engangithokozisa kakhulu. Indawo elula futhi ibonakala iphephile njengomtraveli wesifazane ophakathi. Ngithokozile ukuvuka ngelanga phezu kweLondon Eye! Ngabe ngingahlala kuphela ubusuku obunye futhi angizange ngithole ithuba lokuhlola izinsiza zehotele ukuze ngizwe konke.