Exploring the sights and meeting good people

• Bus to Bristol
• Bristol to Bath (not shower)
• Bath time
• Bath day 2
• Bristol round 2
• Bristol day 2
• The end of this part

Bus to Bristol

With our new route sorted, we navigated our way to the bus station, manoeuvring through the maze of people. Surprisingly, finding the bus station was easier than expected, despite the initial confusion with Google Maps. But, as they say, all’s well that ends well. After a brief 20-minute wait in line, we boarded the bus, relieved to find it barely half full. This allowed myself and Matt to each claim a seat, reminiscent of our earlier plane journey. London to Bristol, here we come!

As the bus ride commenced, a voice from behind offered me a pastry, which I politely declined, with stranger danger ringing in my ears and the stupid thought of a poisoned pastry crossing my mind. However, as time passed, the same voice piped up again, this time inquiring about our origins upon noticing our brownish legs starkly contrasting with England’s typically pale complexion. This sparked a lively conversation ranging from his former semi-pro football career to astute observations about us, which were surprisingly accurate and very thought provoking. This conversation lasted the remainder of the journey making time fly as we traded information back and forth as well as some good old wisdom passed forward from Anthony (our wise new friend)

Bristol to Bath (not shower)

After lugging our hefty luggage bags through the bustling mall in Bristol, attracting the occasional intrigued side glance, we swiftly devoured some lunch and headed to the train station for our journey to Bath. By now, we fancied ourselves as seasoned pros at navigating train travel, easily identifying the correct train and hopping on board. Sitting across from us happened to be a chatty American gentleman, whose name escapes me. As fate would have it, he turned out to be in charge of several universities scattered across the countryside.

In a remarkable twist of fate, he asked us where we hailed from, to which we proudly replied, “Dunedin, New Zealand.” His face instantly lit up with amazement as he began recounting his fond memories of Dunedin from his youth, particularly a memorable fishing expedition off the coast. Allow me to regurgitate you with the details because, trust me, it’s worth it.

He was on a fishing boat on the hunt for some Tuna, if it wasn’t then bite me because this is the fish I choose. After reeling in a colossal catch, the captain of the boat sliced out a cube of the prized fish and cooked it up for everyone on board to sample. Satisfied with their share of the bounty, they checked the radar and set their sights on a nearby Japanese vessel. Skilfully navigating their vessel alongside the unsuspecting boat, they struck a deal, selling the large tuna while discreetly concealing the missing cube. A few moments after parting ways, shouts erupted from the other boat as the crew realised they’d been duped, their prized catch short of a cube.

Telling us story after story about his time in Dunedin the Bath stop drew closer, but not before he told us how he had met Jacinda Ardern and how great he thought she was… I will reserve judgement… having already told him my thoughts. Anyway, enough political nonsense this is a travel blog Jordan so act like it…

Bath time

Arriving at our first hostel was a breeze, complete with a complimentary glass of beer—a welcome treat after our journey. However, despite sharing a room, we never actually crossed paths with our mysterious roommates. But let me tell you, one of them could rival a freight train in the snoring department!

Enough of that boring stuff, we wasted no time dropping off our bags and delved straight into exploring the city. Bath Abbey church was our initial stop, though we couldn’t venture inside due to a graduation ceremony in progress. Nevertheless, the breathtaking exterior added another layer of magnificence to the skyline. Our aimless wandering yet again unearthed some hidden gems, maximising our one-night stay as we soaked in a bunch of sights best captured in the pictures below.

You can see that Bath is a true masterpiece when it comes to old architecture, the relatively quiet city I would highly recommend visiting.

The day drawing to a close we made a plan to get up and explore more of Bath, some of the famous landmarks.

Bath day 2

With the good old freight train snorer in the bedroom, sleep became a distant dream. As sunlight filtered into our room, we seized the opportunity to explore Bath. Our first stop: The Royal Crescent, renowned for its majestic architecture in the form of a crescent. Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, this iconic building offered some good photos especially since it was early and no one was around (see below).

Next on the agenda was to find a hearty English Breakfast before continuing our adventure. Mission success, although maybe not as big as initially hoped but it contained black pudding, a first for me and I must say hopefully not the last as it tasted brilliant.

Listen up, people or whatever you are! If you find yourself in Bath, you absolutely cannot miss the Roman Bath Houses. Sure, it may cost a bit, but trust me, every penny is worth it. Equipped with an electronic guide to lead you through the labyrinth of history, this experience is nothing short of mind-blowing. Witnessing the remnants of the original Roman Bath Houses alongside the ingenious technology they employed is truly enlightening. As you journey through the museum, you’ll come face to face with ancient artefacts, from pre-Roman coins to the weaponry wielded by Roman guards, each with its own fascinating tale to tell. The Roman Bath Houses offer not only a wealth of knowledge but also stunning photo opportunities that will leave you in awe. It’s a solid 10/10 recommendation from me! (See instagram HERE for more photos)

Now the only part I don’t recommend unless you are hearty. Sampling the Roman Bath House water at the end of the tour. Below is a series of events summed up in two images of a before and after.

Bristol round 2… sort of

After the Roman Baths it was time to board a train to Bristol (we clearly hadn’t had enough of it). Arriving in Bristol for the second time, meant staying here for a couple nights at the hostel known as Full Moon Backpackers.

Despite our check-in not being until later, the hotel graciously allowed us to store our main luggage, granting us the chance to explore a bit beforehand. And what did we do? We made our way to the nearest Banksy piece. In a city teeming with graffiti and wannabe Banksys, locating the real deal can be a tad tricky. Nevertheless, we stumbled upon our first Banksy: The Mild Mild West. With photos in hand, we ventured to the next one, a bit further down the road. This led us to what seemed like a sketchy area, strewn with broken glass and every inch plastered with graffiti. However, this Banksy had been defaced and covered over with another work of what I would call rubbish. Without wanting to spend much longer in this area we boosted back as our check in time was ready.

After being informed by the person on the desk at Full Moon backpackers and several other people that Bristol is one of the safest cities in the UK it all made sense. Since this was all new in a foreign land I had judged the graffiti as crime and gang land. However, upon closer inspection, it became evident that it was more about people expressing themselves, mirroring the artistic vibe of the city. I’d honestly liken Bristol to Wellington in terms of its artsy atmosphere. Don’t always let first impressions rule over you (mental note to self).

Bags in room I would like to note one flaw with the Global 80 Macpac bag. Despite it being perfect In every sense with wheels and straps working a dream, the frame of the pack is just slightly too bulky to fit under beds at hostels, which means so far I have had to find a corner of the room for it. This is knit picking to be fair because every other aspect of the bag is perfect, but I said I’d always be honest.

After that bag interlude, let me introduce you to one of our roommates—a Scottish guy around our age who was en route to a friend’s wedding but decided to make a pit stop in Bristol. Another gem of a person we met on our journey, he shared tips on places to visit in Scotland while we reciprocated with advice about New Zealand, as he and his girlfriend were contemplating a move there. These insightful conversations were becoming a regular occurrence, and I couldn’t be happier about it. It just goes to show, it’s always worth striking up a conversation with fellow travellers if they’re up for it.

As night fell on Full Moon Backpackers, it was time for the England vs Brazil game. Fortunately, there was an outdoor screen set up downstairs next to the bar, complete with a large canopy to accommodate everyone. Watching England play football while in England was quite the experience, especially with the rowdy fans adding to the atmosphere. As the game progressed, we struck up a conversation with a couple of young English lads who suggested attending a rave at an abandoned warehouse in Bristol. Sounded cool, right? After all Bristol is known for its nightlife. Well… below is a video of this rave which sums it up.

So, after enduring all the security checks for this rave… that was the outcome: some Drum and Bass tunes playing to a pretty empty dance floor. But hey, we saw the funny side of it and still tried to have a little fun, making the most of what we could.

Leaving the rave after waiting in vain for more people to show up, we passed the lads who had suggested the rave in the first place with an awkward exchange. We decided not to tell them just how dead it was inside. It seemed odd for a Bristol Saturday night; we appeared to be super unlucky.

After a couple of beers and a hike to the rave, nature called. Luckily, on the walk back, we stumbled upon a bunch of abandoned buildings, half-falling down, with some grassy areas ideal for such emergencies. Let’s call them Bruce. Bruce says they gotta go and jumps a small brick wall into a dark corner, perfect for such activities. Next thing you know, a spotlight lights him up and an electronic voice commands, “Security, please remove yourself from the area.” I’ve never seen Bruce jump the fence and run so fast in my life. It was the perfect end to the night, full of laughter on the way back to the hostel as we relived the funny moments.

Bristol day 2

If you’re not much of a walker, you’d probably loathe being our travel companion, as myself and Matt tend to opt for foot exploration whenever possible. Day 2 in Bristol greeted us with a surprise appearance of that semi-warm yellow thing in the sky, prompting us to embark on yet another journey on foot. Naturally, we decided that the best way to explore more of Bristol was by, you guessed it, walking. Our mission? To hunt down as many Banksy works of art as our legs could endure, inspired by a QR code in the hostel that provided us with the locations of his pieces.

With the walk underway the weather also decided to adjust itself on us with the clouds exhaling down on us occasionally, luckily was only some light rain however. We first came across a snazzy little street on our adventure which showcased the inner beauty of Bristol further endorsed by walking to the Bristol Town hall and Cathedral, both breathtaking buildings that leave their presence known for those that are luckily enough to be in it. The Town hall is an older curved building that has taken symmetry to a whole new level, the Cathedral a Gothic masterpiece standing proud.

After staring at those distractions for sometime, nearby was the first Banksy of the day, ‘Well Hung Lover’. Not much more to say on this for it speaks for itself but for us it was less about the Banksy works of art and more about the adventure across town.

Our next Banksy excursion took us to Bristol University, where, according to our information, one of his pieces was located near the museum. While we were intrigued by the prospect, the museum’s entrance fee and our desire to keep moving prompted us to forgo entry. Nevertheless, we were treated to a look at the historic Bristol University tower nearby, a sight that’s sure to captivate any architecture enthusiast.

We retraced our steps down the street, passing by tantalising food markets (which we later indulged in for lunch) and traversed across the docks toward our next destination. Upon arrival, we found ourselves at the Mshed, a free-to-enter museum where one of Banksy’s artworks was on display. This particular piece had an interesting history; originally painted on the side of a ship by Banksy, it was later painted over by a disgruntled harbour master. Undeterred, Banksy recreated the artwork, this time using stencils for efficiency and evasion. Eventually, the owners caved and removed a portion of the ship to display it in the museum. Also we decided to have a quick gander around the museum while here, which housed some artefacts from early life in Bristol and England if thats something that peaks your interest.

Not far from this Museum was his next work of art ‘The girl with pearl earring’. This one we were fully oblivious to and walked past it even when at one point I turned around and stared at it directly to make sure we hadn’t, nice one Jordan. Although there has been several vandalising attempts made on this, there is now a fence and so it mostly stands true to the original work.

I’m going to also include the next work of Banksy’s in this because I’m not gonna lie I found it a little lame, for it was just some words really. This one took us back across the docks again on our way back, its called: ‘You don’t need planning permission to build castles in the sky’. Now I know theres a deeper meaning there but sure add some picture or something more then words.

Despite sounding boring on the old digital paper, our walk through Bristol was anything but boring. It was an adventure filled with diverse encounters and snippets of conversations, offering a glimpse into the vibrant life of the city. From the heart of Bristol to the bustling docks, we soaked in the sights and sounds, although we regrettably missed out on the famous Bristol Bridge due to its distance from our route. Nevertheless, if you find yourself in Bristol, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The end of this part

One last thing before you can give your eyes a much needed break (if you agreed to that then I take that personally). People. Our final night in Bristol showcased the beauty of human connections. In the cozy common room of our hostel, we struck up conversations with an array of fascinating individuals. First, there was a German girl who had just finished a medical placement in London, followed by (now bear with me) an English dude who works in hospitals with a something something nuclear bla bla my brain is too small to comprehend what he was saying PhD.

Then, enter a Greek lady with a knack for unintentionally steering conversations toward the Holocaust and apologising before doing it over and over, much to the discomfort of the Germans present, although her blunders were humorously defused by an Aussie bloke (farmer). Joining the mix were two Australians—the farmer, a surfer chick and Dutch chick, and two German dudes (both very efficient… in conversation aka… said minimal words). This group got on well after the initial AA style meeting introductions of your name and where you are from had passed. Despite the initial awkwardness of introductions, the group quickly bonded over shared stories, beers, and laughter, turning strangers into friends in the span of three hours.

The moral of the story? Meeting people while traveling, especially in hostel settings or out exploring, is almost guaranteed to enrich your experience. Each encounter offers a chance to learn something new, whether it’s about different cultures, perspectives, or simply sharing stories and laughter. So, don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation—you never know what fascinating connections you might make along the way.