Friday, May 5, 2000
At 12:19 PM, I took the Eurostar train to Waterloo station in London. The trip takes about 2 hours. From Waterloo, I took the Tube to King's Cross, checked in to Ashlee House, a very inexpensive hostel (cash only, 261-265 Gray's Inn Rd, 44 171 8339400, £15 x 3 nights = £45 = US$71.10). Ashlee House isn't bad if you don't mind that your bathroom is down the hall and your sleeping quarters resemble military barracks. Smoking isn't allowed in the living quarters, so people smoke just outside the door and when people come and go the wind from outside blows the smoke inward everywhere—not a very effective non-smoking policy. Had lunch at Wagamama. This noodle house was packed—a long line out the door to get in. People sit farm-style at crowded picnic tables to eat Asian noodle soups. Servers take your order with handheld electronic devices that wirelessly transmit the orders to the chefs in the kitchen. Eating here felt very weird to me because there were probably several hundred people in the room, but I was one of perhaps 5 or 10 Asians. I couldn't understand why this place was so popular. Explored Soho. Stopped at Old Compton Cafe, a popular gay spot that's open 24 hours a day.