Now, you know what I said last night about courting disaster….
I arrive in Washington DC and of course the Metro is closed at this time in the morning so I think I’ll try Uber.. I hear it is very good so lets have a look. It’s absolutely pouring with rain but I get an Uber in 10 minutes and the service is excellent.. am very impressed, it’s cheap too only $13.
He drops me at the AirBnB address and watches me enter the building so I have to say it was just great and I will deffo use Uber again.
I enter the building using the code… it’s dark and something is pushing up against the front door… I try to find a light switch, it only turns on the outside light, but through the doorway I can see there is a mattress made up as a bed on the floor just inside the door.. oh, oh I hope this isn’t mine. Apparently I am in room A and I can see the door vaguely in the gloom so make my way over. In the room I can’t find any light switch, but there is a bare bulb lamp on the floor so I switch it on. OMG what is this!!! There’s a camp bed that is sagging in the middle with a very, very thin half blanket, a bottom sheet and a pillow. The bed looks like it has been slept in. That’s all there is in the room and the bed doesn’t have a top sheet.. I can’t stay here!
I have a look around and in the hallway with the ‘bed’ is a ‘kitchen’ area with a rusty old dirty 2 ring hob.. I find the light switches and the bathroom.. the bathroom is ok and has two sinks, both of which have other peoples stuff on them. There do not appear to be any towels..
The absolute worst part is the notices plastered around the walls… I have photos…
and the reference to anal sex and periods is just astounding!!
I text the host immediately to say I cannot stay here and that I will not use any facilities and will leave in the morning.
After about 10 minutes I decide I really can’t stay here even just to sit on the bed until morning so I check out booking.com and get a hotel in Arlington. I book it and another Uber that arrives in 15 minutes. I text the host to say I am leaving now.. I’ll sort out my refund with AirBnB later.
The hotel isn’t the best I’ve stayed in by any means, but anything is better than the other place.
I eventually get to bed a 4.30 in the morning… relieved to have found somewhere safe, comfortable and warm.
In the morning I email AirBnB to complain and request a refund… let’s wait and see what happens, but I’m not very hopeful. I don’t really care about the money I’m just glad I found somewhere else. I have to go to the Irish embassy today to collect my travel authorisation and I get an email from Fergus, the guy I have been corresponding with, to tell me to arrive at 4.15 to meet with him.
The hotel has a shuttle bus service to the metro station at Rosslyn, which is just a few stops from the station near to the National Museum of the American Indian, which is where I am planning to go.
The day is grey and drizzly but I enjoy the walk from the metro station to the museum. There is a long queue and I am pretty hungry so I decide to come back later. On the way to find somewhere to eat I pass the Museum of Modern Art and they have a sculpture garden.. I spend quite a lot of time having a look around; I love sculpture and wanted to study it at Art school, but I didn’t go in the end.
If you are not into sculpture skip the photos… there are a lot….
I also spot this rather cheeky chappie…
A little further on I come across another Sculpture Park… a smaller one..
For those of you skipping the ‘culture’ it’s ok to open your eyes now…
Next I see the FBI building… oooo I wonder if they have tours??
Nope… I didn’t really think so.
Well it’s almost time for my appointment at the Irish Embassy; I have to catch another metro, this building is part of Metro Central station, isn’t it lovely.
I arrive at the Embassy on time and meet Fergus, who is very nice. I have to fill in some paperwork and then he gives me the travel authorisation. It only lasts for 10 days and is valid for just one journey so will only get me back home. I have to go to the Embassy in London and complete another application for a new passport. Fergus is going to email them to let them know I will be coming in and explaining what has happened.
At last I get something to eat; there is a Subway nearby so I go in and eat. From there I decide to go back to my hotel and have an early night, I’m really knackered as I’ve only had 4 hours sleep… yawn! I didn’t make it back to the Museum of the American Indian, but that’s ok as I have plenty of time to enjoy it tomorrow.
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