Travels: Parkour in London

Posted Tue, 07/01/2003 - 12:27 by ardarvin

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High above Piccadilly Circus.

Somewhere near Big Ben.

This summer I took three months off from my non-existent job to travel throughout Europe. However, in three months I only had time to visit London and Spain. That may seem like ample time to see more, but I think people who run around from place to place, only spending a day or two at each stop, are retarded. I don't like leaving a place until I've become a part of it -- until I've overcome being a tourist, i.e. an outside observer. That may a take a week, or it may take a month.

People are allowed to speak their mind only at Hyde park on Sundays (speakers corner). At least that's what this Marxist guy claims. He was pretty rad. I'm a Marxist until someone comes along and convinces me otherwise.

Speakers corner.

I initially hated London. I found the architecture gray and boring, the people stressed out and cranky, and the national pastime is buying designer clothes. The food sucks, the bars close at 11pm, and by 11:30pm you are stranded without public transit. The only signs of life in the city was in the gay district, but getting hit on by gay dudes quickly grows wearisome. After a week of feeling out of place I was ready to give up and move on.

I met Olympia at a hostel in London. We traveled together for a couple weeks, and then met up again in Barcelona.

Olympia's new tat.

Then I met the people from urbanfreeflow.com at a parkour jam. I'd read about parkour on the internet, and was keen to learn some of the techniques. The UFF guys had been practicing it for about a year, and guys like Asid, Blue Devil, and Kirby definitely had some impressive skills.

They showed me around the city, taught me the basics, and in turn I climbed a few things which seemed to tickle their fancy. One of the traceurs (what parkour-ists call themselves), M2, was kind enough to offer me a place to crash on his floor. His $3500 per month Highbury and Islington floor. Definitely a step up from the overcrowded hostel, and the tarp on a rooftop that I'd been staying at previously.

M2 showed me some better places to eat, better pubs to drink at, nicer people to hang out with, and in return I climbed a few things which seemed to tickle his fancy. (See: Buildering: Parson's House)

Finally feeling at home, and having met a nice traveling companion, Olympia, it was time to move on to Barcelona.