The Travelling Fairy DancerThe Backpacking Chronicles - Edition 1
March 23rd 2008 08:11
Lessons Learned.
Deep in the bowels of a backstreet, the hostel's sign flickered red in the dark. The man behind the desk, smiling with eyes half closed and holding his head up in a shaky hand, nodded in greeting and did not speak.
Backs groaning under the weight of our packs after a long walk from the train station, we flopped onto our beds in utter exhaustion.
An hour of welcome sleep later, a loud crash scared the living crap out of us and, worse, we woke to find five large, hairy men scowling down at us in our seven-bed dorm; previously, blissfully unoccupied.
Like two crazy women with matted manes, wide eyes and shaking fists, we jumped up spontaneously and started to yell, asking what on earth they were doing in the female dormitory.
Shocked into silence, the men (who, on further inspection were rather thin, good looking boys barely out of their teens) gawked at us for a few seconds before rolling around on the floor in uncontrollable laughing fits. Holding their stomachs, they spoke to each other in what sounded like an Eastern European language and promptly ignored us.
Bewlidered and at a loss, we covered our heads with our pillows and eventually slept, safe and sound, to the sounds of their hilarity.
In the morning, we walked out into the Edinburgh sun (what there was of it) with relief, after running from the soggy toast and sloppy porridge at breakfast.
The lesson? To avoid unexpected surprises in the dead of night or at breakfast, while backpacking, it pays to check it out before you check in. Not all hostels have same sex bedrooms, and this will either totally suit you...or not.
Great Edinburgh hostel tip: Edinburgh Central YHA, 9 Haddington Place.
Deep in the bowels of a backstreet, the hostel's sign flickered red in the dark. The man behind the desk, smiling with eyes half closed and holding his head up in a shaky hand, nodded in greeting and did not speak.
Backs groaning under the weight of our packs after a long walk from the train station, we flopped onto our beds in utter exhaustion.
An hour of welcome sleep later, a loud crash scared the living crap out of us and, worse, we woke to find five large, hairy men scowling down at us in our seven-bed dorm; previously, blissfully unoccupied.
Shocked into silence, the men (who, on further inspection were rather thin, good looking boys barely out of their teens) gawked at us for a few seconds before rolling around on the floor in uncontrollable laughing fits. Holding their stomachs, they spoke to each other in what sounded like an Eastern European language and promptly ignored us.
Bewlidered and at a loss, we covered our heads with our pillows and eventually slept, safe and sound, to the sounds of their hilarity.
In the morning, we walked out into the Edinburgh sun (what there was of it) with relief, after running from the soggy toast and sloppy porridge at breakfast.
The lesson? To avoid unexpected surprises in the dead of night or at breakfast, while backpacking, it pays to check it out before you check in. Not all hostels have same sex bedrooms, and this will either totally suit you...or not.
Great Edinburgh hostel tip: Edinburgh Central YHA, 9 Haddington Place.
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Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Nice to meet you... and may I say you look respendent in your purple and green.
Ha HA ha, the stuff of fond memories... and a memorable read, thank you for sharing.
I look forward to more of your travels in part 2.
Lilla ...