warsaw (unexpected)

Asked for a wake up call or should that be wake up knock on the door. My super-duper watch, which has a billion wonderful functions, ain't functioning. not digitally. Only the analogue works so it's impossible to set the alarm. It needs solar energy and there isn't a lot around at the moment. Anyway, 6.30am and I'm off. Get to the station at 6.50am. Where's the 7.20am train? I can't see it on the departure board! I ask a rozzer, she scratches her head, goes to a timetable board, scratches her chin. Sorry, I don't know. F*ck, running out of time. I try my best to figure out the names of the destinations but none correspond with the limited information on my ticket. I'm getting frustrated. Yesterday, I did as I always do, book my ticket and reinforce where I want to go by having researched the timetable on OBB (Austrian National Railways - excellent website) and transcribe the times neatly onto a piece of paper. I present it and seek confirmation that piece of paper and ticket agree. She (the b*tch who sold me the ticket) said it did. I trot down to a platform hoping that a platform departure notice would assist. I ask some bloke, he scrabbles off to the timetable notice. So helpful. Nice Polish man. He thinks it left at 7am. What?

So, upstairs again, go to the International Reservations counter. Queue.I explain the situation. Queue. Go to Counter no.1, I'm getting rightly p*ssed off now. Queue. At counter no.1, I'm told go to International Reservations. The train has definitely gone. I know! What about that c*nt yesterday? Sorry. Next train - tomorrow. F*cking hell. These emotions were going on within me as outwardly I was calm. I really wanted to freak out and start demanding satisfaction et al but this is Poland, not London. There isn't a 'how to make a complaint' leaflet! Besides the lady behind the glass had a motherly demeanor and looked like she felt sorry for me. Lips all downward and sad. Poor me.

So, another night. Different hostel. It's called 'Oki Doki'. Maybe that's what I should have thought when I realised my plan had collapsed this morning. But now that the storm has quelled, I'm back on track, so to speak, philosophically. A cup of tea always helps, and a load of smokes too. I'm back dorming but it's a cool dorm and my bed is perched up near the ceiling. Not a bunk bed, just a weird bed. No sign of other occupants either. Wonderful.