Day 1

Yap, so I boarded the plane to Dubai, where I continue my journey to Heathrow. The overnight flight on Emirates was bad, partly because it was very crowded, and partly because the seats were too small. Anyway, I tried to sleep whilst onboard because when I land in London, I wont get to have much rest before going off to explore the city.
The sunrise was beautiful. Imagine a picture of blue and orange above a layer of clouds, of course I am still on course to Dubai. I have never thought that blue and orange make such a nice mix. Anyway, many people took pictures of the sunrise. Had meals on board and then we landed in Dubai. I have read many reviews on Dubai airport, and I just couldnt stop worrying about my own transit there. But, because I have a healthy 3 hour transit, I basically just walked the whole stretch of the transit area, stopping in the shops, thinking if I should buy the sovernirs. But since I havent really see Dubai, I was only in the airport, I decided I will not buy sovernirs then. So, I continued my walk all around Dubai airport, watching people sleep on any free space they can find, and waiting for my gate to be called. Finally I boarded my flight onward to London. It was a 777-300ER and I totally loved that plane. It was bigger and less crowded. I liked the fact that the seat in the 777-300ER was much bigger and appreciate the foot rest. I had lunch and just watched the sceneries of the middle east from the sky. Another surprise from the plane. The ceilings of the cabin was lit with stars during the cruising period. It was very pleasant, I mean, I was literally sleeping under the stars...though they are only bulbs.
Emirates served the best food I have ever ate, I think they are comparable to SIA. I know most of my friends are still die-hard fans of SIA, but I really like Emirates for their multi-national crew, their exotic uniforms and just up-to-standard food and entertainment. The food was served hot and it was plentiful. Anyway, the only fault I can find with Emirates is that the 2 legs of my onward journey did not depart on time. Those late departure made me very worried for my return flight since I have only like 1 hour to connect. Nonetheless, their food and inflight entertainment made the worry unneccesary.
After approx 7 hours, I arrived at Heathrow! Finally, made my way to express, bought a ticket and off to the city. Heathrow is one of the busiest airport, other that Singapore, which I know. There are like planes coming in every minute. But the state of the airport itself reminds me of how old the city is. Anyway, I just hurried to London central on heathrow express.
Checked in at YHA St Paul's. I just loved the quiet in the area. Even though St Paul's cathedral will just behind the hostel, I didnt pass by it, cos I took another road in. Smooth check-in, and off I went to explore the city. My first stop is the Blackfriars bridge which I had my first view of the city. There I spotted London eye, my destination for the day, so I walked along Victoria Embankment towards it. The distance looked manageable, so I thought I just walked to enjoy the Thames as well as to kill time. Along the walk, I passed by the institute of electrical engineer. Since my major is electrical engineering, I took a moment to take some pictures of the building and continue walking. I passed by Westminster Park, then crossed a bridge to reach Jubilee Park. Since I was early for my Eye flight, I had dinner there and took many picutres of the Eye. The massive structure of the wheel, together with the time of the day (dusk) made it perfect for photos to be taken, so I practised my photography skills. Finally I entered for my flight. It wasnt frightening, everyone in the capsule just flocked towards the city side, since the sun is setting in that direction. Anyway, took many many photos again. At the highest point, I tried my best not to look down. The most frightening part is the going down since you couldnt see the previous capsule. So, I sat down on my way down. Apart from the paranomic views of the city, London eye probably is just another tourist attraction. Being the highest observation deck in London, the views are definitely worth it but it if only for about half an hour. I thought that an eveing flight would mean less people in the capsule, but I guess since it was a Saturday, many tourists as well as locals flocked there for their get-away. By the time I got out it was about 8.30pm, so I made my way back to St Paul's. I couldnt find a busstop to take, so I walked back. This time, I passed by Cleopatra needle, and the Temple. Walk and walk, I reached my hostel finally.
My first day in London. As the clock in St Paul's strike 10pm, I got ready for bed.