My misadventure in Dublin

It was my first official abroad trip and that too, to one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Ireland. Wooohoooo! What else can I ask for? The view from the flight was breathtaking and Dublin was covered with beautiful thick cotton blanket known as clouds. Even after my 13 hours flight, I was energetic and fresh. I was looking forward to land in Dublin.

The company had booked my accommodation opposite to a canal, The Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is a pair of canals that connects Dublin with River Shannon.

What is a canal? A man-made water channel.

Check-in process

The hotel reception staff were quick, kind and friendly. They gave me a swipe card and the direction for a service apartment (Yippee! My very own duplex service apartment). I had to walk across a corridor on level 0, take a lift to level -2, walk another long corridor, and then a lift to level -1 (they could have saved so much space and money with just one lift that goes to all floors, I thought, angrily pulling my heavy suitcase).

Hot water bath

It was 11 AM when I checked into my service apartment and I had the entire day to explore the canal opposite to my hotel. I decided to get ready with a hot water bath in the bath tub (a bit of pampering I thought to myself). I closed the valve in the tub and let the hot steaming water in (Yes, you heard it right, it was hot steaming water!).

My phone beeped, and it was a call from my mom. I answered the call, sitting on my big King size bed with lots of huge pillows.
‘This hotel is definitely haunted, Amma! It looks like an old English huge bungalows that are used in horror movies,’ I told her.
‘Oh dear! Are there many people in the hotel?‘ asked my mom.
Realizing I had not seen anyone in the hotel apart from my hotel reception staff and not wanting to think about it much, I deviated the topic to the beautiful Dublin.

My mis-adventure

After talking for 5 minutes, assuring my mom I would call her in the evening, I disconnected the call and stepped on the floor. My carpeted floor was burning hot. The water had overflown from the bathroom into bedroom.

‘Ouch, ouch and ouch!‘ screaming, running and burning my feet (all at the same time), I turned the water tap off.

‘Is this even possible? Or was I day dreaming? How can I flood my bedroom? All I wanted to do was to take a hot water bath!‘ I wondered staring at the water all around.

I examined my bathroom. ‘Are you kidding me? The bathroom does not have a water outlet on the floor. Really?‘ I got enlightened. And my intelligent conscious reminded me, ‘that’s why your bathroom is carpeted!‘

Crisis

Not knowing what to do, I called up the reception.
“What? But.. You just arrived!“, exclaimed the receptionist.
“I know! I am sorry, can anyone help me please?” I replied.
“I will send someone over immediately“, she said angrily and kept (almost banging) the receiver down (‘Whatever happened to the kindness!’).

Two hotel staff rushed to my apartment with lots and lots of huge towels (‘Why are you ladies carrying so many towels? Are you going to solve my flood problem with these towels?’ I thought to myself). The ladies meant business and without a word spread all the towels over the water on the floor (Ha! as-if the towels would magically soak the water). Of course, it didn’t (See, I was right!)

‘Can we have a look at the kitchen?‘ asked one of the bright staff. I quietly followed them as they walked down the basement of the apartment where the kitchen and the dining area were. ‘Oh-My-God!‘ The basement looked like a fountain with water dripping from the roof. The water had found its way through every electric wire it could. The staff informed me the intensity of the situation and that they had to talk to the hotel manager.

Outcome

Result of all the drama on my first day, I was relocated to a small room with only a shower cabinet. What happened to the service apartment? It was closed for repair and maintenance for 15 days. This was one of the most mis-adventurous things that has ever happened to me. And this makes it even more memorable because it was my first overseas solo travel ever.

Oh well, at least the bright positive side, I now know that some bathrooms in Dublin do not have water outlets on the floor!

For my other travel stories, refer section – My Travel Stories.