The Royal Horseguards London

Sithokozile ngesikhathi sethu kule hotele ekhethekile kakhulu. Ngemuva kocwaningo oluningi nokufunda imephu, sayikhetha ngenxa yokuba seduze nazo zonke izimpawu ezinkulu okufanele zibonwe ngumuntu ophuma okokuqala eLondon. Igumbi lalihlanzekile futhi likhulu, abasebenzi banobuchule, futhi umoya jikelele ubuhle. Lokhu kwenza kube lula ukuhlala kwethu. I-lobby inuka kahle ngezikhumbuzo ezisezingeni, futhi kukhona igumbi lokuhlala elihle ne-bar. Izinto ezicabangayo ezifana nezikhwama zezivakashi emnyango zenze ukuhlola kube mnandi. Ukudla kwasekuseni kuyibhufé enezinketho eziningi zokunambitha zonke izithakazelo futhi imikhiqizo ikahle. Uzothola konke okudingekayo ukuze uthole ukudla kwaseBrithani okuphelele, kanye nezinkwa ezintsha, ama-cereals, ama-yoghurts, inyama epholile, ushizi nezinsalela. Igumbi lokudla kwasekuseni linomqhele futhi linezihlalo ezikhululekile, ngakho bekuyindawo ejabulisayo yokuhlela uhambo lwethu ngaphezulu kwezinkomishi ezimbalwa ze-tea noma ikhofi. Uhlaka lwesakhiwo luyamangalisa, ikakhulukazi uma lubukwa kusuka eThames; lufana nesigodlo. Lukhulu kakhulu futhi luyamangalisa. Uma uthanda izakhiwo zomlando noma ufuna ukuzizwa ungumuntu wesimanje eLondon, khona-ke le hotele ikulungele. Ngaphakathi, uzothola imininingwane emihle yesikhathi esithile efana nezindonga ze-marble neziphetho ze-brass, nezindawo ezivamile zigcina ubuhle bendawo endala. Amagumbi amasha anokunethezeka okusha, njengezinga lokushisa elingaphansi, ithelevishini enkulu, nezilawuli zokukhanya. Sakhangela igumbi elijwayelekile le-double futhi lalincane kancane uma nithwele isikhwama ngasinye kanye nezikhwama ezincane, njengoba kungekho izindawo ezithile ezihlelwe ukuze zifake izikhwama kodwa saphumelela. Sathola ukuthi umbhede ubukuhle kakhulu futhi isikhathi esichithwe egumbini sathokozisa ngenxa yezigqoko ze-terry cotton, umshini wekhofi, nezinkomishi ezinhle ze-china. Kuhle kakhulu. Indawo ikhangayo. Ekuseni kwethu kokuqala bekulula kakhulu - sahamba kuphela amamitha ambalwa ukusuka emnyango wehotele ukuze sibe ngqo eThames, ngaseLondon Eye. Ukuhamba okuncane phambili futhi ngaphambi kokuba sazi, sasivele sikhona eBig Ben naseWestminster Abbey. Isiteshi se-tube esiseduze nguCharing Cross futhi siseduze nezinto eziningi - sahamba cishe yonke indawo. Sithole lokhu kuyindawo efanelekile yokuphuma kwabavakashi abasha eLondon futhi sikuhlonipha kakhulu kubavakashi abafuna ukufinyelela kalula kuzo zonke izindawo ezibalulekile, kodwa ngaphandle kwabantu abaningi noma izindawo zokuvakasha. Kukuhle, kukhulu futhi kunenani elihle. Sizohlala futhi!

Ihotele ikwindawo enhle, phakathi kodwa ithule kakhulu. Kwakukhona izinkinga ezimbalwa ngesakhiwo. Ngibe negumbi phezulu futhi bekukhona ukuvuza okukhombisa ukuthi kukhona ukuvuza endaweni ethile ethokozisayo lapho uphahla luphakeme khona, nemibala ibhujiswa futhi ibhujiswa ekhoneni. Amakhethini agugile, anendawo enkulu yokungcola egumbini lokuhlala elihlukile lekhaya lami le-king elikhethekile. I-corridor inuka umswakama/ukuphuma emoyeni emnyango wami. Bekukhona umgqomo omkhulu kwenye ye-corridors ukuqoqa amanzi aphuma, okuchaza umoya. Kuhle uma usukhona, kodwa kungase kube kubi uma uhlala egumbini eliseduze. Ngaphandle kwalokho, igumbi lalikahle. Likhulu, lihlanzekile, igumbi lokugezela elinakekelwe kahle ngaphandle kokukhombisa umswakama. Ukudla kwasekuseni kwakudumazile. I-juice ye-orange ibihlekisa, ayikwazi ukuphuza. I-juice ye-apple ibinamanzi. Ku-hotele yale ndlela ngempela ngilindele okungcono. Bekungekho izithelo ezomile ezihambisana ne-muesli/granola/yogurt ethokozisayo. Ibhufé lokudla okushisayo lalikahle. Ukudla kwasekuseni kuyaphumelela futhi kungenzeka, kodwa akukona okuthandayo engizokujabulela. Ngentengo engiyikhokhile ngijabule, akufani kakhulu nezindawo ezincane, ezisezingeni eliphansi engihlala kuzo. Uma ngabe ngikhokhele intengo ephezulu le hotele ivame ukuyikhokhisa ngempela, ngabe angijabule. Kodwa ngentengo efanele bekukuhle.

Le ndawo iyamangalisa futhi in history yayo engangithokozisa 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 ngizwe konke.