From Bellingham to Seattle to Portland, this 8hr broken journey landed me at the door of what may well be my least favourite CouchSurfing experience thus far...
...Whilst there was nothing tragic about the experience, it was still one I would rather forget and for that reason I won’t say much more than the house was a dump and my hosts were not (in my eyes at least) fit for hosting...
So I always tell myself that at the
most basic level I should not expect more than somewhere to sleep and whilst
that was technically the case here in Portland, throwing a mattress on the floor of a
filth-laden lounge did not for me at least quite tick the box.
This all being said, I was
fortunate enough not to share in this alone, for arriving shortly after me I was
joined by two other couchsurfers, Abe and Kate. From somewhere up near New York
(Philadelphia I think) the pair were holidaying in the company of Abe’s dog Hansel
and from the moment they arrived I could see very clearly they felt like I.
But as grim as my initial prospects seemed, the evening that ensued did not end up
all too shabby, for escaping out to a restaurant we shared in a few drinks and
delighted in one another’s company. And you know, whilst I did not spend a great deal of time with Abe and Kate, they were both clearly very kind, genuine and entertaining and would perhaps very much like to see them again one day in the future.
Back “home” though and it was off to bed and as Kate favoured the car to the filth-sodden mattress, Abe and I were left to try and make the best of a bad situation
The following morning and at first
light, Abe and Kate made their escape and whilst initially tempted to hide in the boot of their car
and hitch a ride south to California they ended up leaving me behind to face a
final 24hrs in this pit of misery and contempt.
"The highlight of my day?" I hear you ask... Well that's an easy one... Returning back from a walk downtown I discovered the house completely locked up and in desperation to use the bathroom I had no choice but to climb through the bathroom window. Made all the more better was that the window would only open a fraction wider than I am and with only a little lee-way either side and a toilet floor still dripping in God knows what, I landed on the floor in what may well be my most glamorous of entrances yet.