Now, with that kind of lead up...
$#!% that Happens When I'm Left to My Own Devices:
Katie's 1st Adventure in Brussels
Bag collected, train station located, ticket purchased & platform located.
Determined to execute my plan of getting the Brussels' central train station and getting a cab for the short distance to the hotel given the late hour, suitcase, and the simple fact that I'm exhausted and have no patience to get lost I find the taxi stand.
The first guy passes me to the next car, claiming he doesn't understand the hotel name (despite me showing it on the paper, complete with address.) The original guy comes and asks and then proceeds to give me instructions because it's "really close."
I must have made him repeat the instructions 3 times, and I repeated them back to him each time. Direction number one? Cut through a dark looking park area which wasn't too long of a stretch.
At this point I didn't even mind the stairs because I was more concerned with the swaying drunk man, beer still in hand, walking in front of me. I purposely slowed down until we were on the street before passing him at which point he starting to serenade me. Fortunately, even in the late hour, our hotel was in the thick of things so there were lots of people still out and I was able to head off in the direction I was told.
Problem is, none of the roads I saw were on the craptastic map I had BECAUSE I was planning to have a cab take me! I walked around for a good 20 minutes, trying to remember which landmarks our hotel was by after doing the search for where we wanted to stay. I hit the main street and knew I needed to back track into the cobblestone alley ways (fabulous for rolling a suitcase by the way) so I did.
It was probably about 15 more minutes of this when a guy on the street asks if everything is okay. Actually it was more of a Mademoiselle, what's wrong? As he crossed the street to his car. So I asked him where we were on the map and if he knew which direction I needed to go because it's midnight, I've been up since 5 and I'm lost. Why? Cause the taxi drivers decided that it was close enough I could walk. Ha. I can't read maps and oh, I don't have one and the directions he gave me to where he "thought" it was? Um there was the dark park to kick it off which I was okay with but then there was a really drunk guy and he was singing me a song so I booked it out of there.
No. He didn't speak English all that well so I kept all of that in my head.
He of course didn't really know where the hotel was so he asks 2 younger guys (with beers in their hands) headed our direction if they knew where my hotel is. I soon realize he's getting driving instructions and when I protest that I'll walk, my suitcase ends up in his trunk while the other 2 guys start "dude, California" and ask if I want beer. And suggest I should call them. Then one of the guys asked me for his number but his wing man totally failed at his job because he encouraged us to get out of there.
So I get in the car. Cell phone out. (No there weren't any new numbers in there!) Seriously. at this point I could end up in Africa a lot faster than I've ever planned, but I just didn't care. I'm tired. We get to the main road and he stops and asks people. They're tourist too. Next stop was a guy...he point in some direction.
Determined to execute my plan of getting the Brussels' central train station and getting a cab for the short distance to the hotel given the late hour, suitcase, and the simple fact that I'm exhausted and have no patience to get lost I find the taxi stand.
The first guy passes me to the next car, claiming he doesn't understand the hotel name (despite me showing it on the paper, complete with address.) The original guy comes and asks and then proceeds to give me instructions because it's "really close."
I must have made him repeat the instructions 3 times, and I repeated them back to him each time. Direction number one? Cut through a dark looking park area which wasn't too long of a stretch.
At this point I didn't even mind the stairs because I was more concerned with the swaying drunk man, beer still in hand, walking in front of me. I purposely slowed down until we were on the street before passing him at which point he starting to serenade me. Fortunately, even in the late hour, our hotel was in the thick of things so there were lots of people still out and I was able to head off in the direction I was told.
Problem is, none of the roads I saw were on the craptastic map I had BECAUSE I was planning to have a cab take me! I walked around for a good 20 minutes, trying to remember which landmarks our hotel was by after doing the search for where we wanted to stay. I hit the main street and knew I needed to back track into the cobblestone alley ways (fabulous for rolling a suitcase by the way) so I did.
It was probably about 15 more minutes of this when a guy on the street asks if everything is okay. Actually it was more of a Mademoiselle, what's wrong? As he crossed the street to his car. So I asked him where we were on the map and if he knew which direction I needed to go because it's midnight, I've been up since 5 and I'm lost. Why? Cause the taxi drivers decided that it was close enough I could walk. Ha. I can't read maps and oh, I don't have one and the directions he gave me to where he "thought" it was? Um there was the dark park to kick it off which I was okay with but then there was a really drunk guy and he was singing me a song so I booked it out of there.
No. He didn't speak English all that well so I kept all of that in my head.
He of course didn't really know where the hotel was so he asks 2 younger guys (with beers in their hands) headed our direction if they knew where my hotel is. I soon realize he's getting driving instructions and when I protest that I'll walk, my suitcase ends up in his trunk while the other 2 guys start "dude, California" and ask if I want beer. And suggest I should call them. Then one of the guys asked me for his number but his wing man totally failed at his job because he encouraged us to get out of there.
So I get in the car. Cell phone out. (No there weren't any new numbers in there!) Seriously. at this point I could end up in Africa a lot faster than I've ever planned, but I just didn't care. I'm tired. We get to the main road and he stops and asks people. They're tourist too. Next stop was a guy...he point in some direction.
We go that direction. Flag another person down. Sends us another direction.
Flag a cab driver down. He gets us to the right street then I see a cafe with the same name as the hotel and we're on the right street. My friend Samil from Cameroon goes in and comes out with a waiter who tells us its down the street. He moves back towards the car, but I tell him I an walk the rest of the way. He claims it's a 3 minute walk...it was the across the alley and 2 doors in.
And I was already excited to see Jeff, but after this ordeal? Words cannot even express the thrill I had when he opened the door and we promptly laughed at both our "adventures" getting to the hotel.
In summary...
- I would not have gotten in the car if I really didn't feel good about the situation, but it passed the gut check.
- I'm happy to report that the people of Brussels are super friendly, helpful, and kind.
- Yes, I had my personal items in my lap, door was unlocked, hand near door handle, and I was ready to see if I could run just in case events turned to something that crazy; and luckily they did not because wearing the same clothes all weekend would have sucked.
