Megabus sleeper service

I met Raquel in Missoula for our last £1.99 cocktail before heading to Buchanan bus station, which will mark the start of my crazy 6 weeks down London.

I had a cosmopolitan and she had a modern sex on the beach. Their cocktails are not the best in town but they are the cheapest for sure, so that would do us for the night. Which reminds me I need to write a feature on cocktails (TBC).

But anyway, after a good catch up and two cocktails each, she returned to her flat while I walked my way up to the station.

Tonight I will be travelling on the Megabus sleeper service to London. I was quite excited as I usually take either the sitting night bus (pure hell) or the train- this should be entertaining.
Plus being a big Harry Potter fan, I had this image of the "Knight bus" in my head.

So I arrived in the station, showed up my tickets and was given a number for my bunk bed.
I made my way to the bed and "oh the horror": a tuna can, a human sized tuna can, a mermaid can (and can I remind you I am the tiny sort of human).


My bed was practically on the floor, and I would have to crawl to get under there.
Here is the deal, I suffer from a light claustrophobia, not the horrible type where I can't get into a lift, it's not that bad, but usually if I can't stretch my arm, I start panicking.
I am not very proud of what came next: I had to use the "puss in boots face".
I use it rarely as it can be quite powerful, but it worked and I got a middle bunk, which wasn't much bigger but at least I wouldn't choke.

I can't complain much about the bed itself , it was quite comfortable: nice bouncy pillow, thick duvet, mini light so I could read, and a pair of curtains for some intimacy (mine were broken, though).

I lost my phone somewhere in the bed and had to move like spider man for a good 10 minutes to find it.
I also banged my head on the ceiling 3 times and I am the size of a hobbit, I bet a normal sized man would barely fit in there.

Anyway, I fell asleep rather quickly (thanks Missoula), it was 23.30 and since the bus was due to arrive at 7 am I thought "yay, almost 8 hours sleep ahead of me!".

So I was quite surprised when I got woken up at 5.55 am. But I got up, went to sit on my allocated seat where a scone was waiting for me: "well how nice" I thought. I made myself a cup of tea and to my surprise, nowhere to put it.
I don't really see the point of giving out breakfast and not providing us with a tray or a cup holder...

So here I am, teacup stuck between my knees, trying to spread jam on the scone inside my bare hand, destroying it at every shake of the bus. Woops a sharp bent: "Yaaaouch! bloody tea!". I gave up.

I heard this Chinese couple moaning two seats away from me and I couldn't help but asking them what they thought of the journey. The man told me he wasn't happy because his girlfriend wasn't feeling well.
I turned to the girlfriend "this is too shaky, my head is spinning".
Believe me, I have been in a Chinese sleeper service when I lived in Shanghai: five people sharing one bed, men smoking inside, spitting on the ground. If this is bad to Chinese standards, this is really wrong.

I went around the bus and here is what other passengers told me "the toilets are a disgrace, there is no holder for the toilet rolls, so they kept falling on the floor, it's unhygienic!".
When asked about the beds, this Aussie lady told me "I was fine because I was on the top bed, but my boyfriend had to sleep on one of the low ones and he could barely fit. I didn't sleep at all myself, too shaky".

As for my experience, I did sleep but woke up every couple of hours, stressing that we would already be in London. But that's just me.
I wish I had known about their wake up call so I would have relaxed a bit more.
I was not happy with us arriving 40 minutes early- this is a sleeper service, you are paying for a night sleep after all.
When I asked the driver why, he said the roads were quiet at this time, well here is a thought pal, I mean , I only started driving myself last week but how about "slowing down"- the Chinese girl would certainly agree.

I arrived in London at 6.30 in the morning, it was dark and cold, and I could have done with an extra half hour sleep, even if it was not in a Hilton suite.

So this is me, in London now, exhausted, covered in scone crumbs, raspberry jam and tea, ready to take on London.

Happier than ever, though.


Megabus sleeper service

+ Way more comfortable than their normal night service.
+ Good abs workout.

- Sized for 12 years old.
- The price: for 35 pound one way, next time I will fly with easy-jet.

Wee Frenchy is relocating to London

Sorry folks, I haven't been writing in a while.
Between my placement in STV (subtle drop, I got published for the first time), preparing for London and my driving test , it's been a pretty crazy month.

So yes, London: I have found my dream work placement, 6 weeks in a London-based French radio station.
My first chance to actually read the news which is an amazing opportunity, but weirdly enough , I have never read in French, so this will be a bit of a challenge.

On Sunday night, I met Paul and Derek in the Butterburn pub in Hamilton for a last drink, and a surprisingly huge amount of tears from my side- I am blaming their French kiss shooter which is just heaven in a glass, two layers of Baileys and Chambord.

Then old work colleague Brian, who was rehearsing with some guitarist friends, started singing a song I had never heard before named "the green fields of France". Here went the tears again, I am going to miss Scotland so much.

There is a reason why Scots have such a good reputation worldwide. I have lived in France, in China, in Australia, and in London for a bit, I have never ever made so many friends at once, never felt so loved and welcome anywhere else in the world, and for that Scotland, I give you a "cheers, pal!".

But back to London (too much cheesiness for my blog), I will be down there for a minimum of six weeks, enjoying every minute of it, and I will of course share my experience online, so keep posted.