A traveller's reflection: 2017 UK Trip: London, England (Day 2)

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Saturday 20 May 2017

2017 UK Trip: London, England (Day 2) - The Wax Museum and the Grand Mosque...

“Travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full...” – Lord Dunsany

(Early morning ride in the train from Wembley)

Date: 23 May 2017 (Tuesday)

Route: London free and easy

Hotel: Travelodge London Wembley (£66.50)

As Britain continued to grieve after a bomb attack earlier this week in Manchester, extra armed police were on UK streets amid a high state of alert. The train from Wembley was literally empty!

As earlier planned, today we visited The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. We had earlier bought the tickets on-line at £32/pax. The busiest period at Madame Tussauds is between 12 noon and 3pm, so we booked the earliest slot available. There were armed policemen everywhere and visitors were subject to thorough checks. Because of the safety alert, the museum will not admit visitors with large backpacks. Luckily we traveled light.

The major highlights of the wax museum were the waxworks of famous and historic people, film characters, favorite Celebrities, Marvel Super Heroes, The Royal Family, the Star Wars Experience and other incredible waxworks on display.

(Madam Tussaud Wax Museum)

(Priority Entrance, no queue)

(Mr 007, Jame Bond)

(The Royal Family)

(Albert Einstein)

(My favorite band, the Beatles)

(With the US Presidents, Mr Obama and Mr Kennedy)

(A train ride through London)

Today we had time to visit the London Central Mosque and performed our prayers there. The mosque is also known as the Islamic Cultural Centre or Regent's Park Mosque. It is located near Regent's Park.

It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1978, and has a prominent golden dome. The main hall can accommodate over 5,000 worshippers,with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall.

The inside of the dome is decorated with broken shapes in the Islamic tradition. There is also a small bookshop and halal café on the premises. The mosque is joined to the Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) which was officially opened by King George VI in 1944. The land was donated by George VI to the Muslim community of Britain in return for the donation of land in Cairo by King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan on which to build an Anglican cathedral.