When I think hostel I think of 10-bunk rooms filled with backpacking youngsters tumbling in wasted at 3am. Hence I'd never, until now, considered hosteling an option - not even when I was a wasted backpacking youngster. Recently it was explained to me that not all hostels are created equal and given my budget, length of stay, etc., I should really reconsider. Fine.
I picked El Tanguyuu on a tip from the nice man who runs the language school, but also out of desperation because it was getting down to the wire and the nightly fee was super cheap. Super cheap should have been the burning red flag to stay away. When I showed up with my bags on Saturday morning the old guy behind the cluttered desk took me to my "estudio" suite. After a few seconds of adjusting my eyes to the darkness in the room I took notice of several indications that the little studio was likely still occupied: folded clothes on the foldout cot in the middle of the room, a dirty towel hanging near the bathroom sink and half a pot of cold coffee in the Mr. Cafe machine on the kitchen counter.
Señor! I cried out from the doorway. Are you sure this room isn't occupied? -Yes, they left last night. -Is the cleaning person coming today? -No, she comes on Mondays -But the room is dirty. -It is? Where. -Look, there's trash on the floor! -I'll bring you a broom.
I stood there, stunned and not at all hesitant to sweep it myself. After all, if something needs doing... good lord, what had I gotten myself into. I wasn't sure I would make it through the night let alone two weeks. No way. So I quickly swept and headed out onto the street in pursuit of a better situation.
About four stops into my search I encountered the Hotel Real Sto Domingo about six blocks up from the shit-show I'd landed at earlier in the day. When I arrived there was a cascade of hot water falling from the second floor down onto the red tile in the courtyard. A nice young woman rolled into the lobby from around the corner, a little surprised to see me standing there, and apologized profusely -you see, we're just in the middle of cleaning all the floors. SOLD! She told me she'd give me a very generous discount for the long stay and that I could move in as early as 8am the next morning if I left a cash deposit for the first night. SOLD!
Ok, I would only have to survive one night in the house of horrors. I'll just unpack my toothbrush and my babywipes and my alcohol swabs and my bug spray. If I buy a large container of beer, any beer, I'll probably pass out, get little bit of sleep before my early-morning move.
Stay tuned for part dos...
there's nothing like hostel living...
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