So remember when I went to Europe back in May?  And I posted about it regularly?  But then I stopped suddenly and never finished it?  Well I think that was because subconsciously I did not want the trip to end. So if I held out forever, never finishing up blogging about it, it would not be officially over.  But now since 2013 is dangerously close to being over, while I still have four more trips left this year, I figure it is time to get cracking.

When we last left off, I had returned to Sofia from Belogradchik. I also got to use my very first squat toilet.  Oh the adventures one has when one travels.

So after arriving back in Sofia, I was done.  Hot, burning, filthy, squat toileted, exhausted, hate.  I broke my “no cab” rule and took a cab to my Sofia hotel.  It cost me about $4 USD, which is quite a bargain.  The driver offered that I could smoke in the cab, since he was already lighting up.

I got to my hostel.  I don’t do dorm type rooms because I am old and crabby.  I also don’t like walk ups because I am old and arthritic and don’t use a back pack. Finally, I avoid shared bathrooms like the plague, because you know, PLAGUE.  (I am just kidding there, I know shared bathrooms are relatively clean, I just cannot resist a pun, no matter how bad it is.)

So when the check in guy hands me my key and tells me I am on the fifth floor and it is a walk up AND we are on floor zero, meaning it is really on floor six…I am sure he is mistaken.  Why would I book a fifth (SIXTH) floor walk up?  In Sofia?   One of the cheapest places on the planet?

But I do not argue.  I know damn well I am an idiot and very well could have booked this room.  I just figure I will lug my crap up all those steps and check my confirmation when I get to the room.

I get up all the steps.  I am dying.  Did I mention I was hot, burning, filthy, squat toileted, exhausted, hate?

I open my room door and there it is.   A room without a bathroom.  Up six flights of stairs. In Sofia, where hotels cost less than a pack of cigarettes in New York.  Okay I’m slightly exaggerating there.  It would be equal to TWO packs of cigarettes.

Okay there has got to be no way in hell I booked this. Let me check my confirmation.   I pull out my laptop type thingy and GAH.  I did not ask for the wifi password.  DO. NOT. MAKE. ME. WALK. BACK. DOWN. AND. THEN. BACK. UP. SIX. FLIGHTS. OF. STAIRS. JUST. TO. BE. SURE. I. BOOKED. A. ROOM. THAT. IS. UP. SIX. FLIGHTS. OF. STAIRS. WITH. A. SHARED. BATHROOM.

People!  Are you not listening to me?  I SAID I AM HOT, BURNING, FILTHY, SQUAT TOILETED, EXHAUSTED, HATE.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

I walk back down the stairs. While I am down on ground level, I go to the supermarket and pick up some bread and cheese for dinner.   Have I ever mentioned Bulgarians are the nicest people ever?  Well they are.  I tried asking the cashier if they sold Chapstick.  She had no clue what I was talking about.  I pulled out an empty tube and mimed it.  She got so excited understanding what I meant.  She then told me in broken English that there was a DM nearby and began trying to explain to me what a DM is.  Now was my chance to get super excited.  I KNOW WHAT A DM IS!!!!

(DM is a chain of health and beauty supplies, kind of like a Walgreens or CVS in the states)

She gave me clear directions.  I got back to my hostel with dinner, Chapstick and enough brain cells to remember this time to ASK FOR THE WIFI PASSWORD YOU ASSHOLE.

Back up six flights of steps to the room.  I log onto the internet.  I log into Booking.com.  I review my reservation.  It clearly states shared bathroom.  I then look at the hotel page.  It clearly states there is no lift.  I am just too stupid for my own good.

The beds were comfortable and I did have a balcony so I didn’t fuck up completely.

This was the view.  Very pretty.

After showering, I ate dinner and got all cozy in that comfortable bed and stayed there doing blog stuff.  There is a genuine comfort in doing “normal” things while traveling . It makes you feel like you are at home wherever you are.  I love that feeling.  It just makes me want to push myself to live this life forever.