Hell Hotel

We roll into La Paz in the late afternoon. We’re not sure how the ferry is going to be tomorrow. Seats? A place to sleep? Can we get food on-board? So, we decide to get a hotel room and try to get some good rest in.

Bode and I go into the room first and he says “I don’t like this place.” Why not? “It doesn’t have anything and it isn’t fun.” Well, that’s true, but I’m already looking forward to sleeping… there’s 2 beds!

We set Bode up to play some video games in the room and Jason goes out to the courtyard we he can get a wi-fi signal. After a while, I can’t stay in the room any longer and determine it is time to get out and walk the town, find some food and kill some time.

Bode won’t have it. The fit begins, he won’t put on his shoes and he throws his sweatshirt at me. The little demon has been unleashed. We’re all exhausted and this is just a result. There are times like these when I miss the house. There’s no way to send him to his room, there isn’t the option to just eat at home or for me to get some space. It’s a “Calgon take me away” moment, but there’s no bathtub, no Calgon, and no towels (?!)

It’s getting ugly in the room, so I go out for reinforcement – Jason. He goes in and deals with the beast while I walk out to the street and wait for him. Things get better, but we walk and walk and can’t find a restaurant.

Finally, after some food we come back to the room. There’s a bedtime struggle, but we all finally crash out around 9:30. I am dead to the world when a lover’s argument starts near our room. With my eyes closed, I think, where are we camped? Who are these people? But then I open my eyes to look at my watch (11:30) and realize where we are. The fight continues for another hour – apparently Roy spent their last $5. And, well, it seems he never listens. “It’s over this time,” she says again and again. “Say it, it’s over!”

Then, not to let any silence linger, another nearby room starts playing Pink Floyd and chain smoking (I can only smell this.)

Once I’m awake, I have a hard time falling asleep. I heard everyone else come in for the night. Every toilet flush. Every coughing fit. Three hours later, I doze off and am then awakened by a woman yelling “Chris!” It was the kind of yell that made think someone was coming into the room, but it turns out he was just snoring. I was still awake 30 minutes later when she did it again. The snoring didn’t bother me nearly as much as her shrieking.

Awake for so long, I realize my poor parenting earlier this evening was probably heard by everyone as well. I just want to get out of here. Well, I just want to see if they have more towels in the morning, take a shower and then get out of here.

I finally fall asleep again when Bode wakes with an itching fit. 30 minutes later, he’s back asleep.

Morning comes early. There’s someone vomiting. There are tourists up and leaving at 6am with their wheeled suitcases grating down the chipped cement floor outside our room.

I’m in the courtyard because I can’t even try to sleep anymore and I’m tired of laying in the bed. There is someone doing cement work outside our room. There are people singing and whistling. Jason says it isn’t the place, but the people. They are attracted to this cheap hotel, though. This place had a bad vibe the minute we walked in.

I tried again to get towels this morning, but the manager goes to the laundry line and hands me 2 wet hand towels. It doesn’t matter because there’s no hot water.

The best part of our stay? We got to park right in front.

I guess I’m a bit worried about what to expect on our upcoming overnight ferry ride, and a bit unprepared for mainland Mexico. I haven’t even cracked the books on it. Sleep, shower and a coffee are all I care about right now.