I've Arrived!!!

MP3 Track of the day: Song for Life by Leftfield

Hello from Brussels; currently I'm sat in the front hall of the Youth Hostel (There are others here with laptops so the connection must be good).

Anyway what a day...

Well the day started well with me waking up early and managing to watch a replay of Top Gear (the one with the BMW M5 24hr race at Silverstone ... classic). Straight after this I went out to catch my first bus. Once in town I decided not to catch another bus but walk (yes walk) to the train station. I decided it would be a good 'tester' to see if I could carry the huge bag on my back. 20 mins later, and without breaking a sweat, I arrived at the train station 1hr 30mins early ... all going well so far.

You would of thought 90mins of sitting around doing nothing would bore me to death ... it did not. In the middle of receiving hundreds of texts (thank you to all the well wishers) I read my guide book to Brussels. I was feeling okay ... until I read that my hostels reception closed at 4pm! Surely this was a mistake ... a reception closing at 4pm. I searched my bag for the paper work for my hostel only to find I'd only printed the first page (and to quote it finished at "...the reception is open from 7am until ...". Now it was time to use my new global SIM but alas, no answer as it was lunch time ... odear odear.

Well to cut a long story short (too late) I did manage to get in contact on the train and it's all okay ... few!

Once in London I went straight to the Euro Star departure gate. I put both bags through the metal detector only to hear the words we all dread "... Did you pack your bag yourself sir?..." Well after taking everything out, and then back in again (I had a penknife which I was told was fine to travel with and they just needed to make sure of the size) I awaited the Brussels train.

On the Euro star I sat next to a French mother and, I think, her daughter ... oh and a few rows down was some noisy Brit girl on her phone (everyone in the carriage could hear her call). As I was on the Euro Star I decided to look at where I was heading next ... Berlin. I decided to book my train tickets when I arrived at Brussels Midi because, if not, it would of meant me having to re-visit tomorrow. In the ticket office at Brussels Midi it was a bit of a 'free for all' leaving me, and an American woman, a little confused ... so we had a chat as we waiting in the, err queue. She's been traveling for 3 months around Europe and only has two weeks left before going home.
Once I've visited what seemed like 6 ticket desks I finally got my tickets to Berlin (departing Brussels on the 17th). I then set about getting a taxi to my hostel.

Well that was an interesting trip as the taxi driver had as much idea as I did on where the hostel was. After many circles and sat nav changes, I finally arrived ... €11.30! Still he was a nice guy and I was too tired to argue.

When I arrived at the hostel who would be infront of me at the check in desk ... the American woman I met in the ticket office. She had walked here (doh!) as she had stayed there 3 nights previously. She wanted to get a train to Amsterdam tonight but there were none, so she was staying Brussels for the night ... also even more bad news for her was that the hostel was full ... luckily I had reserved my two nights so I was okay. So we parted company again (but I wondered where else we might meet up?).

I went into my dorm and meet the others ... not exactly talkative and what a mess! Still they must think I'm abit weird, all my stuff is on my bunk pad locked and 'pack safed'.

Finally I went to the reception desk to get some info for tomorrow ... A visit to Waterloo. I've got the times of the trains, and a map of where the station is so I'm good to go ... but will the weather be? If not I shall spend the day in the city centre of Brussels.

Anyway I'm off to bed, still have a few admin things to do and to explore the hostel.

Toodle Pip!