A sleepless night in Montreal

Our story begins with a weary traveller with enough researves of energy (and courage) after a 6hr flight and a brief stop in Toronto, to attempt the public transport of a foreign city to get her to her final destination, rather than fork out the dough required for a taxi. So, with a 15kg backpack and two pieces of handluggage, our intrepid traveller leaves the airport at 2000 hours with her faithfull lonely planet guide in hand.

Two buses, a ride on the metro and 20 minutes of literally walking in a circle (took the wrong turn leaving the metro station), our beloved nomad makes it to her destination at 2200. One dingy little hostel in thankfully a quite part of town. Oh, and did I mention that is was 29 degrees and close to 80% humidity?

So only slightly dripping with sweat... I knock on the door, no answer, the door is closed and no one is about. I look in my book for the number of the hostel and make a call. On the first attempt I think I have the wrong number as I can't understand a word of the guy on the other end (sounded arabic). I call again and get the same guy so hang up. I check the number a third time and wait while the phone rings... I get through and its the same guy. I tell him of my plight and eventually manage to stumble through his strong accent to find that he does work for the hostel im looking for, that I am actually standing outside where the hostel used to be located, and it now currently situated 700! yes 700 houses down the street. oh, and the reception closes at 2300. goody! there is also the fact that the old building still has their name on it. looks like my 2yr old lonely planet guide has actually let me down, for the 1st and only time.

I hitch up my backpack again and head off down the quite, deserted suburban street, counting down the house numbers as i go. I cross several street intersections and the roads begin to get busier. There are more people out on the streets, enjoying their saturday night, looking askance at the poor traveller plodding along with all of her luggage in tow.

After nearly 45 minutes of walking through the nearly solid wall of moisture that is the Montrealian night air, I come to another busy street corner, opposite stands a fairly crowded pub with people laughing and drinking inside and out. I walk closer and find that, just my luck, the hostel is right next door, with most of the rooms, including my own, located above the pub. Brilliant. I check in with a few minutes before the reception closes, looking a lot worse for wear, given the copious amounts of perspiration pouring from my brow. I'm shown to room where things only get better...

I find that there is no air conditioning and only one poor little window open to the night. This portal to the outside however, is more effective in letting the boistrous laughter from below and the near constant sound of traffic to drift into the room, as opposed to any form of relief from the stifling heat. How the other 7 people in the room are coping with this is beyond me.

There is some relief in being able to have a shower, but this is minimal as the bathroom is no more than a closet that has a window with ineffective blinds allowing the world to see in. I manage to cool off briefly under the running water, but the cramped quaters soon have me sweating again, while trying to avoid having anyone from outside see anything that they shouldn't. Changed and most definitaly ready for bed, I squeeze myself out of the bathroom and climb onto the top bunk of my very rickity, metal framed bunk bed. Anyone who is ever stayed in hostels will know that metal framed bunks are the worst when it comes to trying to roll over silently while also trying not disturb your bunk mate with too much movement. I sprawl out on the bed, trying to get comfortable in the still stifling heat, and having very little success. The noise from outside, the intermitent blaring wail as another ambulance rushes past, combined with the heat and humidity, all adds up to one very sleepless night in Montreal.

And so my adventure in Montreal begins. But as they say, it can only go uphill from here, and to that addage, Montreal lives up to it's true potential, leaving me having the best and most jam-packed 4 days on my travels thus far ^_^