London is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

I arrived in London on Christmas Day around 11.00 pm. My brother-in-law, Gerald and I eased our way through immigration as most people would have arrived a day earlier knowing that the tube or the underground train system does not run on Christmas Day. We had to wait for more than 30 minutes for a taxi to Hammersmith, where we will be staying with a friend of mine. The cost for a 30 minute ride was 50 pounds (with added charges after midnight and the holiday) plus a 5 pound tip.

Chin, my friend in London stays in Hamlet Gardens. Although it was late when we arrived, the quiet neighborhood seemed very nice.

Boxing Day falls on the day after Christmas. It is also a tradition for most stores to slash prices to lure customers to shop that day. Chin took us to Oxford Street, home to major departmental stores (like Selfridges, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer to name a few) and flagships stores (like Uniqlo, H&M, Topshop and Zara). Crowd was packed on both sides of the street. I thought Soho in New York was bad during the Holiday Seasons, this was a lot worse. But it was fun to get a little taste of London on our first day. However, I could not believed that the tube went on strike as we were about to take the underground train home. Incident like this would have never happened in New York.

On the second day, I did what most tourists do - visiting the top tourists' attractions in London along the River Thames: Trafalgar Square, The Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the infamous Downing Street, which contained the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers in United Kingdom. I realized how efficient the tube was in London when it runs. A day pass of unlimited rides cost 5.60 pounds. From the moment I inserted my day pass through the machine to enter the tube, I found that going from one station to the next was like going through a maze of tunnels, walkway that splits into different directions, and then, the very long up down escalators. Unlike the uptown downtown subway directions in New York, here they are the north, south, east, and west.

I met up with Pat and Roger on my third day. Pat just completed her studies in London, and she's heading back to Malaysia with Roger in 2 weeks time. We just hung out and chilled the whole day.

One of the highlights in London was my visit to the British Museum. Most museums are free in London although donations are greatly appreciated. The Egyptian antiquities are the world's largest and most comprehensive outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Greek collection includes sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens.

I spent my last full day in London shopping with Gerald in Camden Town and Notting Hill. They are popular shopping areas that are different in terms of the neighborhood, flavor, and character. In Camden, there are both outdoor and indoor markets. The outdoor market sells mainly clothing at bargain prices. There are lots of things to buy, and prices are from low to mid range. It is popular among bargain hunters. However, in Notting Hill the stores seemed to cater more for people looking for quality. There are antiques, jewelries, souvenirs and other specialty stores. I saw rows of Victorian townhouses in multiple pastel colors with high-end stores and restaurants line on both sides of the street.

I really love London although weather can be a cold and depressing in December. Sun rises around 7.30 in the morning and it starts going down at 3pm. Neighborhoods such as Camden, and Notting Hill have so much to offer and yet, they are distinctive in their own way. The tube can be fun. It may be frustrating at first, but once I know how it runs, every turn in the tunnel can be surprisingly joyful. And finally, the tube ride from Hammersmith to Heathrow is only 3.50 pounds.