Oslo Hostel

It is a good job that I have trained myself to get used to midnight strolls, or else the walk through Oslo city centre past midnight with just a small b&w map that I printed off the internet might have made me nervous.

 

But I agree with all the psychologists who say that predators can sense fear and so the best way to combat it is to build up a resiliance against such threats ( and anyone who has suffered Gillingham at night will know exactly what I mean ).

 

Thus, thanks to my previous encounters I made good time, and depsite taking an initial wrong turn ( and anyone who knows me will not find that in the least surprising, ha ha ) I still reached the hostel before a couple of other guests did who arrived on the same flight and waited to catch a taxi from the coach station.

 

When I reached the hostel, going past many clubs, cafes and restaurants, I was glad to see that it was a large place with a 24 hour reception and all lit up and inviting.

 

I wasn't so thrilled to learn that nowhere accepts or exchanges euro's ( except back at the main bus station ), that I had to rent the hostel linen sheets or that the lockers did not actually come with locks. But exhaustion got the better of me, so after making my bed, I placed my valuables in the bed with me and hoped that they were all still there in the morning when I woke up. And they were.

 

Note for future to all travellers ... remember to find the best airport for your trip, not always the cheapest ( as that often means yet more hours of travelling to reach your destination AND hours extra to get home again ) , print off and study route to get to hotel / hostel from airport / drop off point and carry along a couple of spare mini padlocks just in case.

 

The room was a mixed 6 person dorm, with the basics and I was temporarily sharing it with a couple of women and a couple of guys.  I guess that it was a pretty popular place as their was a sign selotaped to the door saying that it was full up that day, only the sign and the selotape showed signs of age - so again I'm guessing that its been booked almost solid for so long that they dont even bother to take it down when a bunk becomes available.

 

In the morning I set off around 10am in search of exchanging some euros for kronas as well as to scope out the city and maybe even buy a mini padlock !!!