Yesterday was a host of first-world troubles. Yes I am travelling for pleasure for a long time and can afford to do it. But sometimes little annoyances come up along the way. The hostel I am in was shown as having lockers on Hotel.com. There are lockers-but just like the Titanic, not enough for everyone. So the staff agreed to let me keep my camera, computer and passport in hostel management's own locker, after I was assured the front desk would be manned 24 hours a day, where I assumed I would have access to those things when I wanted it.
The front desk is manned 24 hours a day, but late night it was a guy who speaks very little English, (only Spanish-I am not sure about French and Dutch-the main languages in Belgium)). Although I was able to communicate with him, he didn't have the combination to the locker-so until 9 am I was without my camera and computer-(I get up early). I was frustrated. But I took a long walk in a nearby park and it worked out.
After getting my camera and computer, I went to an art museum, and checked out the work of Rene Magritte, which was intersting. He is into surrealism. weird stuff, like a naked woman who is painted blue from the torso up, and clouds with mean faces on them. At the end of the exhibit, a screening room showed a film on his life, in which I took a nap. I then looked at other exhibits in the Brussels royal art musuem, mainly by more traditional painters. One painting which was sort of haunting displayed class distinction in Europe. Some obviously monied people we're leaving a club early in the morning, and poor people who we're going to work we're shown looking on. Throughout the museum, staff we'e following me around because I had my backpack on, which had my laptop computer, and asking me to put it in a locker, which of course I did. Because the museum was actually comprised of three different museums. I did this multiple times.
I then had an overpriced buffet lunch in an Indian Resturant. Then went to by sneakers, a tee shirt and shorts so I could start exercising in the morning again. I went to a store called Primark. Primark is a chain headquartered in the UK, I believe, that specialises in cheap stuff. I first encountered them way back in the UK. I bought a pair of shoes in a Marks and Spencer outlet, and figured I would check out Primark so I could feel good about the great price I got-only to find they we're much cheaper at Primark.
Anyway, Primark is enourmasly popular here in Brussles. The store has been open over a year and there is still a line to get in, and a long line to buy something. After waiting, and finding sneakers, a tee shirt and shorts (actually a bathing suit) for around 23 pounds ($26 if I had to guess), I waited at the register to pay for it, only to discover credit cards from the US don't work. Which is surprising because I have used it at one-off stores, resturants, etc, and it has worked fine. So i ended up not buying that stuff, even though I wanted to exercise, since I didn't have the cash on me, and I wasn't going to go to an ATM, wait on line to get in the store, find the stuff, wait in line to pay again, etc (maybe today I will).
