First Night in the Hostel

I get back to the hostel fairly early, but I've had a long day. I'm ready for bed. I'd bought provisions at the supermarket for breakfast for the next few days and water since I'm not longer sure the water is safe to drink in this country.

I had read that the water was safe to drink in Hungary, but I noticed they didn't put ice in my drink when I ate dinner. I decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so I bought a large bottle of water. Hungarians seem to like fizzy water. This is a fact I was unaware of when I bought my liter bottle. Fortunately, their fizzy water doesn't have that weird salty taste like American tonic water. I figured I could live with it. I also figured it would go flat within 24 hours and I'd have regular water.

When I returned to the hostel, I was reminded of the owner's chain-smoking habit. Now that the windows were closed, the smoke was much more noticeable. Crap. I'm allergic to smoke. This was actually something I hadn't planned on encountering. I forget that not every country has the same anti-smoking laws that we have.

I closed the door to the room and opened the window to give the room a chance to air out while I gathered my toiletries and my night clothes. This was my first good look at the bathroom. The shower was better than expected, but I knew I wouldn't be getting into it until I was desperate for a shower. I did bring along baby wipes and a wash cloth just in case, so I'd be able to last a few days without becoming too stinky. Funky showers are the one thing I don't handle very well. I can sleep just about anywhere, eat just about anything, but I really have a hard time taking a shower in a funky place.

I don't really trust the lockers so I retrieve my bike chain so I can chain my backpack to the head of my bed. I also pin my passport and emergency credit card to my long sleeve shirt and put a t-shirt on over it. This first night, I also decide to leave my boots next to my bed. Just in case.

I laid down in my sleep sack and felt bed springs. They aren't uniformly poking up, however I have a huge spring poking me in the upper back. I look at the other beds. The look like they've got better mattresses on them, but I wouldn't be able to chain my backpack near my head. I could chain my backpack to the bedpost, but I can sleep through almost anything. I could easily wake up to a bike chain only if I sleep in one of those beds. I figure the top bunk mattress will be the same as the bottom bunk, so I don't even bother checking. Instead I curve myself into an S shape to avoid the pointiest springs.

The other person staying in my room arrived at some time in the night. She was a young Chinese girl who was more paranoid that I was. She woke up several times in the night and checked to make sure she had her keys around her neck and did several inventories of her locker during the night.

There was also a very boisterous French-sounding girl that arrived later that evening. She wasn't staying in the hostel as far as I could tell, and I also figured she didn't want a room since she didn't stay. I kept hearing her say in heavily accented English "And they told me to come back tomorrow?"

Between the frustrated French, the paranoid Chinese girl, and the springy bed I still managed to get a decent night's sleep.