A tiring place
So I splurged and spent a whopping 59Euro for a hotel - that is like 75$ for just one night. OUCH. But it was necessary, I was so tired - and the breakfast buffet is supposed to be first rate - it alone costs 10Euro, so really the room is just 49Euro with a really expensive breakfast?
My dad would hate the room. It is small and there are corpses of mosquitos in grotesque death poses. On the stucco ceiling and the concrete walls and the ugly curtains. But the bed is soft and it doesn't smell - I think more than the discomfort of the last few weeks, it is the SMELL of all these horrid places that is wearing me down.
It was not an easy thing to even get tht hotel. I left the hostel and went to the train station, where I stuffed all my bags in a locker, closed it, went to pay, and found that it had locked itself shut and not printed out a barcode (they are computerized lockers). So I did not know if it would suddenly open and I ha no way to open it later. Over to the train office for a minor fit. The locker specialist (What, is she on staff just for when this problem arises?) and I finally got the locker open by punching in the override code (she) and kicking the door until it unjammed (me). We were a superb team.
Then to the tourist office. ALL I DID was ask for another hotel and mention that the last one they had recommended was infested with vermin and perhaps she should pause before readily recommending it to other sleepy travellers.
"I can do that," she answered, "If you write a letter."
I told her that I had spent enought time living the hellish hotel and I was not going to go out, purchase stationary and an envelope (These hotels provide neither stationary nor an envelope), write an letter, and deliver it to her. I had better things to do. Just please make a note of it. Or not.
She said that if I did not write a letter I could not really expect anything to be improved.
I told her that I did not care if it was ever improved or not. I was trying to save someone my night, but I really did not care. I wanted a room for the night where I could actually sleep, and a suggestion of something to do to try and redeem this city from being one of the worst travel experiences of my life.
She told me that one cannot judge a city by its hotels. And that it was not the city it was my attitude towards the city.
Oh! Can't Judge a city by the hotel?? I told her that I had hardly slept in over a week. A city should have at least one hotel that was not missing toilet seats or infested with animals. And to please find that hotel and to book it for me.
This went on and on. It was so stupid. Finally I (very rudely) told her that I was in no mood to debate the hellhole of which she is so proud - thqt she may work at a tourist office but she has no idea what it is like to be a tourist in this city - and to book me a room at the Ibis hotel (I knew they had a special).
She booked me a room and I left. It was not the Ibis hotel. Muckily I did not have to yell when I reached the Ibis hotel. They called another tourist centre and changed to booking. All I wanted from the lady was a bit of pity. I was not going to stay at a bloody hostel but they insisted it was a lovely one.
I slept most of the day, then went to H&M. There is a shopping street in the city where the stores are on the first level of architecturally stunning buildings. These stores operate as loss-leader stores, since rent costs something like 50 000E a MONTH. For a little store. and there are 4 H&Ms on this street. Today I discovered the fourth one! I didn't buy anything (I am being massively thrifty! Breakfast was free at the ass hostel, I bought a waffle for lunch, and bought banana and youghert at the supermarket for supper. Of course, now it is almost time for supper-wasn't-enough-snack) but it was fun to look. Then I went to see The Island. In English. It even costs .30E to use the washroom in the THEATRE.
Now I have to go back to the train station, get some clean clothes and a toothbrush out of the locker, and get back to the hotel. Unless I get everything, drag it to the hotel, and maybe stay there tomorrow too. I am just so tired!!
My dad would hate the room. It is small and there are corpses of mosquitos in grotesque death poses. On the stucco ceiling and the concrete walls and the ugly curtains. But the bed is soft and it doesn't smell - I think more than the discomfort of the last few weeks, it is the SMELL of all these horrid places that is wearing me down.
It was not an easy thing to even get tht hotel. I left the hostel and went to the train station, where I stuffed all my bags in a locker, closed it, went to pay, and found that it had locked itself shut and not printed out a barcode (they are computerized lockers). So I did not know if it would suddenly open and I ha no way to open it later. Over to the train office for a minor fit. The locker specialist (What, is she on staff just for when this problem arises?) and I finally got the locker open by punching in the override code (she) and kicking the door until it unjammed (me). We were a superb team.
Then to the tourist office. ALL I DID was ask for another hotel and mention that the last one they had recommended was infested with vermin and perhaps she should pause before readily recommending it to other sleepy travellers.
"I can do that," she answered, "If you write a letter."
I told her that I had spent enought time living the hellish hotel and I was not going to go out, purchase stationary and an envelope (These hotels provide neither stationary nor an envelope), write an letter, and deliver it to her. I had better things to do. Just please make a note of it. Or not.
She said that if I did not write a letter I could not really expect anything to be improved.
I told her that I did not care if it was ever improved or not. I was trying to save someone my night, but I really did not care. I wanted a room for the night where I could actually sleep, and a suggestion of something to do to try and redeem this city from being one of the worst travel experiences of my life.
She told me that one cannot judge a city by its hotels. And that it was not the city it was my attitude towards the city.
Oh! Can't Judge a city by the hotel?? I told her that I had hardly slept in over a week. A city should have at least one hotel that was not missing toilet seats or infested with animals. And to please find that hotel and to book it for me.
This went on and on. It was so stupid. Finally I (very rudely) told her that I was in no mood to debate the hellhole of which she is so proud - thqt she may work at a tourist office but she has no idea what it is like to be a tourist in this city - and to book me a room at the Ibis hotel (I knew they had a special).
She booked me a room and I left. It was not the Ibis hotel. Muckily I did not have to yell when I reached the Ibis hotel. They called another tourist centre and changed to booking. All I wanted from the lady was a bit of pity. I was not going to stay at a bloody hostel but they insisted it was a lovely one.
I slept most of the day, then went to H&M. There is a shopping street in the city where the stores are on the first level of architecturally stunning buildings. These stores operate as loss-leader stores, since rent costs something like 50 000E a MONTH. For a little store. and there are 4 H&Ms on this street. Today I discovered the fourth one! I didn't buy anything (I am being massively thrifty! Breakfast was free at the ass hostel, I bought a waffle for lunch, and bought banana and youghert at the supermarket for supper. Of course, now it is almost time for supper-wasn't-enough-snack) but it was fun to look. Then I went to see The Island. In English. It even costs .30E to use the washroom in the THEATRE.
Now I have to go back to the train station, get some clean clothes and a toothbrush out of the locker, and get back to the hotel. Unless I get everything, drag it to the hotel, and maybe stay there tomorrow too. I am just so tired!!
posted by Melamondiale @ 12:36 PM
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