Bus 243

There was only one other person at the top of the bus when we got on near Old Street Station. We sat at the very front, so we could get a good view of the area from all sides. After a couple minutes, a handful of stops later, three men got on and sat next to and behind us, despite there being plenty of open seats. They boomed in a language I couldn't identify. Russian maybe? Polish?

The people came in waves, both outside and on the bus. The street would quiet a bit, and then, we would come upon a market or the main street of a neighborhood, and the sidewalks would be suddenly overflowing. Still, the bus became busier, regardless of the state of the street.

For the majority of our journey, we were the only ones speaking English. The languages shifted with the neighborhoods: Polish, Turkish, Arabic, African, etc. These ethnic areas tended to have older, more run down buildings, while the more generally "English" areas were in the middle of remodeling. Regardless, the farther we went, the older and more unkempt the area looked.

That is, until we got to Wood Green. Suddenly, modern towers cast their shadows over us, and sunlight glared off their new glass and into our eyes. The town center seemed to have previously industrial; the buildings looked like they may have formally been warehouses. Now, with the edition of office towers and newer storefronts, Wood Green was the picture of office and retail business.

And, of course, not wanting to take another hour to get home, we opted for the tube for our ride home.