Arrived in Chongqing pretty early. I had made a reservation at a hostel that my last hostel in Xi'an recommended--I took one of their advertisement cards with me, which most travelers will use to show to a taxi driver. Usually this is better than just having the address because the hostel will put a map and any special directions that can help you or a taxi locate it. Unfortunately this card was not very effective. The taxi driver probably dropped me off where the card said, but it was an apartment complex, with 3 giant, enormous, massive, identical builings. The best way to describe my frustration is through the email I wrote as soon as I arrived:
hey just got to Chongqing. ack what an adventure: I took a taxi from the train station and he dropped me off in front of a tall apartment building. I was a bit confused so I showed the hostel card to the security guards and they pointed me inside. I took an elevator to the number but the door just looked like someone's apartment, but I knocked anyway--no answer. Then I looked on the back of the card and saw a second address--"fuck", I thought--this must be the hostel and maybe this is the office or something. I dunno. I tried to find the other address by asking people--a ton of people wanted to guide me for money. yuck. Finally I gave up and came back to the original place--turns out this was it, but its actually some guys apartment with a room with beds, and I'm the only one staying here. The hostel is downtown--im not sure why the Shuyan people recommended this place, but he said he would let me switch.
When I wrote this email I didn't realize that the original door I knocked on was the wrong door--it was in building A. The real hostel was the identical room in building C. I discovered this when I tried to get back to the hostel (which was really an apartment) later that afternoon when I tried the key in the door and it didn't fit. This was because when I arrived the first time some lady was showing me the way from a different direction (and the building fronts all look the same). I'm glad I switched. Despite being nice inside, I cannot forgive a hostel for letting me get so lost.
The guy who owned the hostel did take me out for Hot Pot that night. It was like eating a soup made with novacaine. It sure tasted good until the numbness started kicking in.
the hot POT!
stuff in the hot pot!
stomach
No comments:
Post a Comment