Well, I'm settling in. I love the place, both the hostel, itself, and the surrounding area. I spent a lot of time yesterday wandering around. I found a quality grocery store about 1.2 km south. About .3 km north is 'Old Town' where my wife and I honeymooned in 2002. It has gotten much, much more developed and is worth seeing if you are in Eastern Europe. I am on a street called Krakow Prospect. That is not the Polish spelling or pronunciation. But I just can't seem to easily retain all the extra letters.
'Old Town' is a central courtyard about three blocks by three blocks with two offshoot roads in each direction. One of them enters a large square with a large 'cultural museum'. It then turns into Krakow Prospect. There is no automobile traffic on it and it varies in width from about 50' to 150'. Immediately to the south of 'Old Town' is the Royal Palace. Then going south there is the Main Library, one of the grand churches of Warsaw, then the Presidential Palace. The other side of the street is restaurants and shops with hotels above, of which one of them is mine. Immediately to the south are two grand, five star hotels, Hotel Bristol and Raffles (yeah the same one). Farther south on both sides of the street is the Ministry of culture and something (not sure what). Another church. Then the Polish Academy of Sciences (huge building) and then the University of Warsaw.
Farther south Krakow Prospect turns into Nowy Swiat (new world) Road that is lined with high end shops and fancy restaurants, etc.
I have decided to stay in Dream Hostel until February 3. Then, I may stay in Warsaw, go back to Brest (if I have the visa), go to Vilnius or possibly Prague. To be honest, I could live in Dream Hostel quite easily. I have no real desire to leave. The room mates don't bother me and, well, the price is definitely right.
In Brest, my two bedroom apartment was $200 per month. I paid about $50 in utilities and my groceries were about $150 per month. So, my fixed costs were $400 per month and I spent about $100 discretionary for a total cost of $500 per month. Dream Hostel is $340, so it is $90 per month more. But, then, no place is cheaper than Belarus, except perhaps, Nepal and a few places in India.
I got some food and it is very cheap. I do not expect my grocery budget to be much more than Brest and maybe even less. I just came from there. I got a 500ml shower gel, 1.5# of chicken thighs, 7 polish sausages, 20 medium eggs, 2 different kinds of ramen, and 2 500 ml cans of beer. It came to a little over $8. So, I am lowering my daily food budget from $10 to $5. My single frustration is that, so far, I cannot find any sugar-free soda. Otherwise, 4 fried eggs and a kielbasa for breakfast, mushroom soup and ramen for lunch and chicken thighs for dinner.
I learn, think and write during the day and sight see, socialize and watch movies during the evening. If I socialize I can have a beer or two and at $.50 each not feel guilty. Nice life, I think. And, at $500 per month, very manageable for nearly anyone. Of course, U.S. Passport holders can only stay for 3 months out of 6. But I may try Odessa, which also allows 3 months out of 6. One could bounch back and forth indefinitely and with $40 train tickets, no transportation issues.
Oh, by the way, the bulletin board said that Friday and Saturday night are beer pong. But, last night anyway it didn't happen. The coffee shop was busy but subdued. I talked to one young man from Mainland China, a Greek, an Italian and the 'successful blogger' who is from Russia. All conversations were short and mostly I watched a Hallmark RomCom.
No comments:
Post a Comment