capsule hotel space
Random Observation/Comment #134: My friends and I share a number of fun drunken stories, and when they’re told very vividly, I imagine myself in their place (or, at least, an ample part of the festivities). This is especially true when I hang out earlier in the night and leave before the party finishes. When I hear their descriptions the next day, I always feel like the fun-mobile is stalking me, but never has the courage to visit when I’m there (sad face). I mention this because I “remember” a night that involved Duff, a trash bag filled with Dunkin Donuts, sleeping on a park bench, and police officers. Good times.
I don’t necessarily worry about a lot of things, but I do plan as far ahead into the future as possible. Some may say that this isn’t very spontaneous and junky for a backpacking traveler, but I think I’ve planned the spontaneous moments in the back of my mind, just in case. My main concern, besides transportation and a basic things-to-do list in the city, is the location where my things will sleep. Personally, I’ve survived staying out all night and finding someplace to sleep at 5AM, but I don’t think these good times could be reenacted if I were carrying my clothes and laptop with me the entire night. So, really, the reason for my accommodations is to keep my shyt safe. Given this logic, I do not need a five-star hotel if a locker can accomplish the same goal. I’m specifically choosing hostels because it’s the cheapest way to keep my things sheltered while meeting interesting people. I’ll be traveling alone, but I expect to make friends along the way.
My favorite site to find hostels is Hostel World. Price is a large factor, but I much rather prefer location. Obviously, the better situated hostels will be a little more expensive, however if it’s walking distance to some of the main attractions, I wouldn’t mind paying a little extra money. To solve most of these problems, I use “Yahoo! Travel” or one of the Frommer’s downloadable maps of the main areas. Actually, I’ve found it very useful to look at Frommer’s suggested itineraries (e.g., Paris Suggested Itinerary) for the major cities. I looked through the New York City one, and it seemed quite doable. They try to squeeze a lot into one day, but all of the museums and major attractions are within walking distance and flow very nicely. I will be personally following most of Frommer’s tours adjusted to my own pace and budget. At the very least, they tell you what you could do outdoors if weather permits.
Whenever I talk about sleeping in a hostel, my friends always ask me if I watched the movie “Hostel.” To that, I promptly reply, “No, and I don’t want to. Don’t tell my parents about it because they’re not going to let me go if they watch it.” I’m not sure of the details of the movie, but I know it loosely relates people sleeping in a hostel getting kidnapped and tortured. I don’t know how they get captured, but if it’s like any other corny horror film, there’s going to be a very busty blonde taking a shower – it doesn’t sound that bad, actually. I won’t say that I’m not worried about having my belongings stolen (it has passed through a few of my brain tunnels), but there’s really nothing I could do besides spending more money on a hotel or just not going on the trip all together (either of which I do not consider an option). I would be a little more worried if I were a girl or a girly-man. I am neither, so this should all run smoothly.
~See Lemons Sleep with one eye open
