Rome wasn't built in one day, but my hostel sure was

Yes indeed. I'm back with the internet and it feels fine. I won't beat around the bush so let's do this.

Over the last 6 days I traveled from Roma to Sienna to Pisa. I will get to all the details shortly but for now, you need to know what I dealt with.

Going into Roma, we had hostel reservations. We booked it two days before arrival and we were very lucky. Most of the hostels had no availability and if they did, they were quite expensive. This one was 17.50 Euro per night and was listed as a 51% approval rating from previous guests. We had no other choice but to book it. However, I would have prefered to sleep in the train station.

Upon arrival, we were asked to pay for the whole sum. The information/check in desk was located on the first floor. So we paid the man and proceeded to walk up 5 flights of stairs to our room. Why walk you might ask. Sure we were tired from taking a 5 hour train ride (which, mind you, was delayed by two and a half hours) but there was no other option. The elevator was broken and even if it wasn't, I still wouldn't have taken it. It no joke looked like the first elevator ever made.

It was out in the open in the sense that when you began going up or down you could see everything around you. It was like an elevator that is used to transport mining materials. Plus, it was beginign to rust and was covered in cobwebs.

When we found our room we were greeted by 4 Irishmen. Well, 3 women and 1 man. All were of the college age. We all went out for pizza and 5 minutes into the conversation I learned that 3 out of 4 were currently sick. Oh gosh. I was going to be sharing a grimey room with the sick people with nowhere to go and no circulating air? Get me out of here.

I noticed that there was only one power outlet and it was literally hanging by a cord. It was 95% out of the wall and was problem a hazzard to anyone who even looked at it.

When we all decided to go to sleep I knew I was entering a world of problems. First off, the sickest of the Irish girls was coughing and sneezing so much she might as well contracted that virus that Outbreak monkey had. I mean shit. Then, ontop of that, the room was no cooler than 91 degrees. No lie.

It was so hot in my room I got off my mattress and put my sleep sack on the floor to sleep. Of course I was not able to sleep because of a) this sick Irish woman, b) the heat and c) because the floor was so uncomfortable. I weighed my options of being uncomfortbale and slightly cooler or being slightly more comfortbale and hot. I chose the former.

And, on top of all that, the toilet at the end of the hall was apparently put on 'shuffle' or 'repeat' mode and was flushing on its own every 30 seconds. I do not know wheter this was done on purpose or not but either way it was horrible. I could hear it very clearly from my spot on the floor as we had kept the door open to try to catch a breeze.

When I awoke the next morning (after getting maybe 2 hours total of sleep) I wanted to leave immediately. Everything began to make me feel dirty. I tried to take a shower without touching anything. I used my pinky and thumb to turn the nozzles and tried to get as little water on my toothbrush while brushing my teeth. I know you feel me on this. Its like when there is no hot water but you have to take a shower. You just dance around as quickly and efficiently as possible and try to justify your current lack of hygine. Don't get it twisted, I bathed and brushed, but I did it with a grimace on my face and as much caution as possible.

I have two bits of advice for you and it is as follows:
-do not stay in the hostel called castel del monte. Take the approval rating into consideration. Plan ahead. Do not believe the pictures on their websites are accurate. Photographers can be like magicians. Just like the one girl who takes amazing pictures but you see here in person and its 'DAMNNNNNN!'
-Avoid sick Irish people