That day...

So the "hiccup" in Paris I alluded to set off a chain of events simply known to Sarah and I as "that day". Below is a time line of the events of "that day":

3:30am- A drunk man climbs into the room of our hostel... on the second floor. He putters around the room saying "I'm leaving, I'm leaving". Which he does. Back out the window. Did I mention we were on the second story?

3:30-7:45am- We lie awake, unable to get back to sleep, still wondering how the hell he got up here.

8:00am- Sarah sneezes at the breakfast table and her contacts go flying out of her eyes. We should have taken this as a sign.

10:15am- Took the train from Paris to Rotterdam. There, the train we were supposed to be on to Amsterdam does not show up. They send a tiny, older train. It takes on too many sweaty, local Euro-trash people.

10:45am- Overcrowded train arrives in Roosendaal (aka The Pit of the World). There, an even larger crowd of people wait for an even smaller, dirtier train.

11:20am- Sarah and I, and all our luggage are crowded into a 2nd class train car without seats. There are screaming children. Gum is sat on.

11:50pm- I decide I hate the Dutch.

2:20pm- Arrive in Amsterdam and search out hostel.

3pm- Are issued keys for room "H", bed 9 and 10.

3:05- We walk up 5 flights of stairs. These rooms end at "E".

3:10- Walk up different 5 flights of stairs. Find room "H". Key works to entryway for rooms "H" and "G". We walk into entryway. Discover key does not work for room "H". A nice person in the room lets us in.

3:12- Someone's stuff is all over Sarah's assigned bed. Other girls in the room say that said person is probably just sleeping there because they do not want the top bunk, go ahead and move her stuff.

3:15-3:30- We unpack all of our stuff. It is all over the hostel room. Sarah has claimed her bed. I walk down the 5 flights of stairs to go complain about our key not working.

3:35- I force a nice Dutch man to remake our keys. Meanwhile, Sarah has a problem with her locker and decides to come down to inquire.

3:40- We pass each other in the stairwell. I get back to the room. They key still does not work. The nice girl lets me in again.

3:45- Sarah returns to room. Informs me that we are in the wrong room. I look around. We have beds 9 and 10. I ask the other girls in the room what room this is. This is room "G". Sarah and I exchange looks of mortification.

3:50-4:25- Sarah and I move all of our crap to the other room. She goes back down the 5 flights of stairs to get new sheets as she put hers on another girls bed. I finish unpacking and go to put my backpack in the locker. Someone has usurped my locker.

4:30- Sarah and I pass each other on the stairwell. I am going to figure out what I can do with my stuff without a locker. Looks of mortification are again exchanged.

5pm- We are settled into the Hostel. We debate the merits of exploring Amsterdam with the luck we've had today.

5:15- We decide to brave it, but not before I make a deal with the local Gods. I promise to be on my best behavior in Amsterdam and not say anything bad about it in my blog if it will please, please cut us a break.

5:30-8pm- The local Amsterdam deities keep their end of the bargain. The rest of the day is uneventful and Amsterdam is a charming city.

8:00-10:30- We shower and crawl into bed. I cry myself to sleep. Partly in lament for our bad day, partly in sweet relief that it's over.