In a city like London, with so much history and tons of attractions, it's a little overwhelming to try and narrow the list down to fit into just a few days. My list included popular sites like Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Palace. Also on my list of to-dos in the city was shopping (of course!). Well, I and several others decided to venture to London on Friday for our free day, and I got to see almost everything on my list that day, so I was kind of scrambling to figure out what to do with my Saturday in the city. Kimberly Smith and I decided we wanted to go shopping on Oxford Street and have High Tea at the famous Harrod's around 4 or 5. Well, when we first got to the city and got our luggage taken care of, we were given a map of the city to use by a fellow classmate. On this map there was an ad for the London Zoo. I LOVE zoos! I was immediately interested in trying to find the zoo (and a little surprised the thought hadn't crossed my mind before then), but a little worried that Kimberly, my travelling partner, wouldn't share in my enthusiasm. I mentioned the idea to her, got the general location from the man at the hotel desk, then dropped the subject.
A little while later, while we were on Oxford Street and had already done a little shopping, Kimberly said out of nowhere "let's go to the zoo." Of course I was all for it, but I was worried she was just saying that to make me happy, not because she actually wanted to go. After she reassured me that she really wanted to go, we headed for the nearest tube station. So exciting! Once we got there (after a brief detour through the Camden Town Market) there were a TON of people in line! We got our tickets, and headed inside. Immediately the beauty of the zoo was obvious. It was far enough out of the city that almost no buildings were visible. There was a green park to one side and kids soccer fields on the other. All of the habitats for the animals were nice, as well.
The first exhibit we headed for was the Gorillas, which was a new exhibit. There was a landscaped trail from which you could observe the gorillas in their habitat walking and eating and everything. Further down there were viewing windows that the gorillas could actually walk right up to (and they did!). It was really awesome to be so close to such beautiful and powerful creatures. Other animals we saw were lions, tigers, and bears -- oh my! These were all great. The lion was one of my favorites. He was so beautiful, and we couldn't help but think of Aslan. There was also an aquarium, penguins, giraffes, zebras, PEACOCKS! (I think they're so pretty), and many more. Being an animal lover, I was like a little kid the entire time, running from exhibit to exhibit with a huge smile on my face. It was definitely one of my favorite activities from the trip.
A little while later, while we were on Oxford Street and had already done a little shopping, Kimberly said out of nowhere "let's go to the zoo." Of course I was all for it, but I was worried she was just saying that to make me happy, not because she actually wanted to go. After she reassured me that she really wanted to go, we headed for the nearest tube station. So exciting! Once we got there (after a brief detour through the Camden Town Market) there were a TON of people in line! We got our tickets, and headed inside. Immediately the beauty of the zoo was obvious. It was far enough out of the city that almost no buildings were visible. There was a green park to one side and kids soccer fields on the other. All of the habitats for the animals were nice, as well.The first exhibit we headed for was the Gorillas, which was a new exhibit. There was a landscaped trail from which you could observe the gorillas in their habitat walking and eating and everything. Further down there were viewing windows that the gorillas could actually walk right up to (and they did!). It was really awesome to be so close to such beautiful and powerful creatures. Other animals we saw were lions, tigers, and bears -- oh my! These were all great. The lion was one of my favorites. He was so beautiful, and we couldn't help but think of Aslan. There was also an aquarium, penguins, giraffes, zebras, PEACOCKS! (I think they're so pretty), and many more. Being an animal lover, I was like a little kid the entire time, running from exhibit to exhibit with a huge smile on my face. It was definitely one of my favorite activities from the trip.
Being in the presence of such diverse wildlife and such beautiful colors and grace just makes me stand back and marvel at how awesome our God is! What a creative imagination! I'm thankful He loves us enough to give us the opportunity to observe and appreciate His masterpieces and praise Him for it. This entire trip was such a wonderful experience. The places we saw were so rich with history. I got to know a lot of new people and built relationships with people I already knew. Several friendships that were nurtured by this experience will, I believe and hope, last far into the future and have a great impact on my life. It was a wonderful group of people to travel with, and I can't imagine the trip any other way! Also the works of Lewis that we read were thought provoking and inspiring. His ideas and analogies, especially in Mere Christianity, were so basic but so great! I know that book has already
touched so many lives, and it gives me a new way to reach friends who don't know the Lord but are critical of traditional ways of presenting Christian ideas. I look forward to reading much much more Lewis in the future, and also to re-reading many of the works we read for class in order to find new insights and pieces of inspiration I may have missed the first time.Posted by Kelly Jones
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