Late Checkout...

(Saturday March 5, 2011)

The best idea I have ever had.

ibis Hotel has a checkout time of 12noon. They also have a location at Charles de Gaulle Airport. I got off the plane, made it through customs, grabbed my bags, hopped on the shuttle to the next terminal, walked out the doors and down the sidewalk about 50 feet, then in the front dors of the hotel.

After dropping my bags in my room and checking in back home I headed down to the restaraunt for dinner. My soup was very tasty. It was 5 vegetable soup. I don't know what 5, it was pureed. Eventhough I wasn't hungry I cleaned my bowl.

Back upstairs to my room. With a full tummy I was really starting to feel like it was bedtime. Before bed I decided to sort out my suitcases. I had packed them for travelling on the plane, not for being used daily. So it would be a good time to shuffle things around as needed. Or not. I was so tired I just moved the same items back and forth a few times, then stood there confused. I gave up.

It really was time for bed.

The TV had one English channel! BBC News. It was nice to crawl into bed and watch some TV while waiting for my happy little sleeping pill to kick in.

Next thing I knew, it was 9am and my alarm was going off. I managed to snooze till 10, then it was up and at em.

Shower, a nice long and hot one, re-do all the re-sorting I did last night, get dressed and then it was time to check out.

Check out was at noon. I just made it.

I am thankful for the late checkout.

Today I have had a great day. It was move from the hotel to the hostel day. By the time I had lunch at the Hotel and did some online checking in the lobby it was 2pm. Off I went by train. I headed into my first choice Hostel, I figured what the heck, I will see if they have room. They didn't. But they booked me into another Hostel across the City. Back on the train I go...

The train was quite crowded on the second trip. On the second train I was standing next to two men who were chatting with each other and held my bags as I had them stacked on each other. We were all squished in like sardines. I got out at my stop and they lifted my bags to the platform for me, and off they went on the train.

I waited for my third and last train and managed to squeeze in. At the next stop, guess who got on the train!? The same two men. They were also getting off at my stop. Again, help with my bags. As a matter of fact, they helped me right to the door of my Hostel, then took me out for dinner a little later.

After dinner was the search for Internet. The Wireless at the Hostel was not working. There is an Internet Cafe two blocks down and I managed to Skype with Mom, Dad, Random and Erilyn. Erilyn thinks the best part of Skyp-ing is sticking her tounge out at the camera.

Tonight I am staying at the Fuaj Cite des Sciences HI Hostel. So far, so good. Except for the Wi-Fi thing. It's clean and has a kitchen. I am in a 5 bed woman's room that only has 3 of us in it. So far it is very quiet and clean. Surprisingly clean.

My Room at the Hostel.

I am off to read and get some sleep.