Stuck!

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ROTTERDAM Day 87

We were woken at 7am this morning by rude, noisy, light flicking roommates. We went down and had our included breakfast which was actually really good. They had chocolate for us and sprinkles to put on something but I am not sure what, maybe the yogurt? Oh and I had grabbed a boiled egg and it was on my plate next to my choco bar and Jennifer pointed out to me that the egg had melted my choco bar and now it was covered in choco. So I figured since it was boiled it would be safe to lick the choco off the egg. It was a strange moment in my life to lick an egg. We have become quite giddy with the insanity of the situation and random things not working for us, like the cereal machine and hot water for my tea. People around us seem to enjoy our insane tactics to get what we want when things break and our giddy contagion.

With our bellies full we made our way through the city to the train station to take the 25 minute train to the port. Rotterdam is actually a pretty ok place but it is impossible to enjoy with the extra costs we are incurring and our desire to leave. Oh did I mention that our hostel is actually a cube floating on a pillar. It is some crazy architectural project from the 80’s that they now use as apartments and businesses and a hostel as well. So our room is a really strange shape. I think I would appreciate it more under different circumstances.

We made it all the way to the ferry to be told in no uncertain terms that there were no cancellations and no way we would get on a ferry today or tomorrow and we should just wait until our booked ferries rather than waste or time sitting around at the port. So we left and returned to our hostel again. Back at the hostel I asked the staff if it would be possible that they could give us a bowl of boiled water at dinner time, as they do not have a guest kitchen, so that we can have mr.noodles in order to save some money. We were told that it would be absolutely no problem since it was just the two of us. So we went to the grocery store and got our 40cent soups and returned to watch a movie on my laptop before going back down for our soup.

A movie later we returned down stairs to find the cafeteria loaded with people all eating some spaghetti dinner. We go over to the bar and ask for our bowl and hot water and informed him that two staff at the main reception said it was ok. Well, he looked at us and said ‘no the kitchen is busy with the people from the event’. So I told him that we just want the bowl and he can fill it with hot water from his coffee machine. He again said no and I reminded him that two staff already approved this. So he calls over his manager and asks him in front of us and the manager says ‘no’ and walks away. So I am furious and we say ‘fine how much for the dinner’. And he says ‘you can’t have that. This is a special event we are catering so you can’t eat that food.’ So now I am fuming and Jennifer says ‘ok lets just go to McD’s and eat and calm down’. So we go and spend more money to eat dinner.

We return and I demand the manager speaks to me and the dimwit at the desks looks at me and says ‘he’s very busy at the moment’ and I told her ‘I don’t care. Either you call him over your walkie talkie or I walk over to the middle of the cafeteria and announce in front of all your special event guests that I want to speak to the manager immediately.’ So she called and he happened to have the time to come over to the more inconspicuous corner to speak with me. I spoke with him for a while and he eventually apologized and told me I could get all the hot water I want for the remainder of my stay, but for my information it is the standard policy to not give out water to any guests because once you give it to one person you have to give hot water to everyone. Dear god imagine the horror of having to give people a bowl of hot water when you do not provide any kitchen self service facilities whatsoever. **Side Note: at 99%!o(MISSING)f the hostels I stayed at they had kitchen areas for the guests to make their own food and if they did not have this they had really cheap pre made sandwiches available** So eventually he conceded that I did the right thing by asking twice if it was available and I was right to feel upset after being refused in the end and then being told we could not have any food whatsoever. So he again agreed to provide my hot water for the rest of my stay as well as giving me and my friend a free pizza dinner the following night. I thanked him for his understanding. But boy I was pissed at the whole situation. How many things can happen to us?

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