Hostels, again.

I had yet another interesting experience at a hostel on Thursday night. I was in Vienna just for the evening to do some errands and to meet Margaret and Dick, friends of my mom and dad, the next morning. I arrived in Vienna after 6:30, so I didn't have much time to really do anything. I dropped my things off in my 4 person dorm room. I'm so over the rooms with more than 8 people. I prefer the 6 bed or 8 bed rooms. 4 was perfect, and it was all females so I was pleased. As I entered the room to get rid of my backpack, I noticed that one of the residents of room 405 was already asleep. Really?! It's 6:45 pm. I'm not one to really talk since I tend to go to bed on the early side, but seriously? Ok - so I immediately tiptoed around the room putting away the things I didn't need and grabbing the essentials for the evening. Now, not only was this petite asian woman sleeping, but she had built a little fort so that the lights were blocked from bothering her. She was in a cocoon type structure in her bed - having a towel and blanket hanging from the bunk above her to block the light. I was very considerate (as I usually am) and turned on only my "bed light" so as not to bother her while I was in the room. When I was done, I turned out all the lights and left for the evening.

After some meandering around Vienna, I returned to the hostel. I had ventured up and down some of the shopping streets and hit up the Starbucks and a grocery store. I like to roam the aisles in the store and see what they have there that I can't get in Hungary. I found some chai tea, some lychee drinks and new chocolate flavors by Milka- I was pleased. When I returned to the hostel, I did some computer stuff and played around on the internet until about 10 when I turned in to read a bit. It was then that the second roommate came home. She took a shower at 10:30 and followed with hair drying and rustling around before heading to bed. It wasn't a big deal as it was still before 11:30. I can handle that - I'm not a complete loser, but I was tired and had to get up fairly early the next morning. I also had made a HUGE traveling faux pax- I forgot my ear plugs. I'm a very light sleeper, and this was not a good situation. I put my iPod in for a while, but sleeping on those ear buds is no good. After she stopped rustling around (I swear - and this is a total stereotype, but has definitely been my experience- asians pack each of their individual items in a crinkly plastic bag when traveling. Subsequently, when they go to retrieve any of said items, they crinkle the bags and make an annoying amount of noise. This asian woman wasn't any different) she went to bed and I was able to take my iPod out.

Only then did the third roommate return. It was after 12:30 and she turned on all the lights, and rustled around in her things (yes, she was asian too) to find the necessary items she needed. Keep in mind that I was getting up early (at 6:30) to leave to meet Margaret and Dick. So I had already showered, and had set out my clothing for the morning, along with all of my hygine items and had packed everything else away. I was ready to put on the fresh clothes and walk out the door more or less. These three - had no intention of being subtle or quiet about their goings on. She showered, and then blow dried her hair as well. Why one needs to blow dry hair at 1:00 in the morning I have no idea. At any rate, there was a fan in the room. While she was in the shower, I decided I needed some white noise, and I got out of bed, plugged it in and turned it on level 2. It was not facing anyone; the wind hit the wall. I just wanted something to offset the noise that was being made by the rustling around of my last roommate. She finished in the bathroom, and proceeded to come out, turn on all the lights again and rustle around until she was ready for bed. THEN, she shut off the fan and crawled into bed. What? she turned the fan off? Obviously someone in the room wanted it on, and it wasn't blowing on anyone, why would she turn it off? It clearly wasn't on when she blowed into the room initially - it was turned on recently, why on earth would she turn it off? I just couldn't figure it out! At any rate, it was after 1:3o when she finally settled down, and eventually I just got up and turned on the fan again - screw these women. The one in the cocoon was snoring a bit and I needed some noise other than my iPod. I thought all would be settled until I got up at 6:30. Boy was I wrong. The second roommate's alarm went off at 4:00- am. Yes, 4 in the morning. WHAT THE?! She apparently had an early train to catch - so it was back to the bathroom for her, and another round of hair drying. I was about ready to kill someone. The cocoon women got out of bed just after 5 and took her computer downstairs. She'd apparently had enough of this. I got up just after 6 and got ready. I had not slept well, but thus is the life of hostels I suppose.

I think, if it were up to me, at large hostels - like the one I was at - there should not only be choices of genders in the room, but also rooms designated for "early risers" or "late night partiers." I happened to strike the luck of the draw with this one and have a couple of each, so it was like the perfect storm, but whatever - it's what you get for 19 Euro I suppose.