Leaving Columbus

I am at a coffee shop in Columbus, Ohio. My bus will be leaving for Indianapolis in a little more than an hour. I spent most of my time walking around Columbus yesterday. My sense of direction was off. My intuition led me off in a direction opposite from the hostel. This was not a displeasing experience. Columbus is a very attractive city with a gorgeous area in the southern part of the downtown. I walked down some residential streets which were practically out of a story book. It reminded me of Montreal, except everything was in red brick. The streets and sidewalks were constructed of cobblestone. Every house I passed was extremely charming. It was a beautiful walk. Eventually I found a McDonald's. Columbus does not seem to have as much commercial stuff in the immediate downtown vicinity. It is one city without a Starbucks on every corner. I have not seen a single Starbucks since I got here. There aren't a lot of stores on the streets. It is a bit challenging to find what you are looking for.

I assumed I could walk to the hostel. It began getting dark when I gave up. I had hoped to hail a cab. This isn't a city to do that in. I had to go in to a restaurant on High Street to ask them to call a cab for me. I was very frustrated at this point due to some mood issues. My nerves were shot. I had been shouting about my frustrations on some of the side streets. This is something I do often enough as I get agitated frequently. By the time the cab arrived my nerves were zipping along a mile a minute. I was full of the jitters as I rapidly spoke to the cab driver and tried to appear like a normal human being. My wallet was empty when it came time to pay. I had to get the cab driver to drive around in search of an ATM. These are not close to the hostel which is on Indiana Avenue. It cost me about $10 extra because of this.

I  spent very little time at the hostel. They have a hot tub in the backyard. I relaxed in it for 10 or 15 minutes. I didn't find the temperature particularly hot. I got cold and went back inside. The room was nice. There was only 1 bunk bed. I was sharing the room with a male. He went to bed around the same time as me. I had a lot of mood problems yesterday which disturbed me throughout the night. I had to keep getting up during the night to find ways to relax myself.

Leaving Buffalo

I am at the Buffalo bus terminal. My only night in this city for this trip is now finished. I am getting ready for the long bus trip to Columbus, Ohio. The bus will be pulling out of the station at 10:30AM. Arrival in Columbus, Ohio will occur around 5:30 PM. My time in Buffalo I have enjoyed immensely. I always stay at the same hostel whenever I am in this city. It is located 667 Main Street in an older style building. The interior has loft style ceilings. I enjoy the lounge area on the 2nd floor. This hostel is called Hostel Buffalo Niagara. It costs about $26 a night. I had to pay a percentage online when I booked through Hostelbookers. They don't take bank cards. I had no visa card available to me. The young lady at the hostel was very nice. She let me get settled in before I went off in search of an ATM. There are 2 nearby. The first one wouldn't let me withdraw from a Canadian account. The second one allowed me to do so, but charged a $3 fee.

After I paid for my room I went off in search of vegetables. There is a list of grocery stores in the lobby at the hostel. I was going to search for a Food Co-Operative, but rushed off without bringing the address. In my mind I knew exactly where it was. I was wrong. By the time I got to Elmwood I had forgotten where I was headed. I could not remember if the store I was looking for was on Elmwood or Ellicott. I decided to keep walking north along Elmwood.

Eventually I found a very large grocery store. It was near this co-operative I once visited when in the city last year to help out with Food Not Bombs. Whenever in Buffalo I typically help out with Food Not Bombs. They are a vegan organization which is pro-peace. They give out free food in Lafeyette Square on Saturdays and Mondays at 1PM. 

At the grocery store I bought some pumpkin seeds, garlic, broccoli, and carrots. I came back to the hostel and started doing a stir fry on the gas stove in the hostel kitchen. There were some people I chatted with while cooking. They were from Australia. This was the young woman's first time in the USA. They were heading off to Boston. I was complimented on the scent of my stir fry. I went to bed after cooking dinner.

Before checking at the hostel I rushed over to the local art supply store. I know somebody who works there. This is a store called Hyatt's All Things Creative which is located on Main Street just before Allen. It is only a few blocks north of the hostel. I rushed with my suitcase. I thought the store closed at 5PM. That is only on Saturdays. Monday to Friday they stay open until 6PM. 

My friend was working. He was  helping somebody with amputated arms when I entered the store. I was impressed to see an amputated person buying oil paint. It reminded me of a calendar my old psychiatrist gave me of the art work created by people who paint with their feet or mouth.

I needed to buy a new sketchbook while at the store. A value pack of 2 sketchbooks with grey toned paper for $14.95 was what I settled on. Recycled coffee bags were used to create this paper. A coupon for $5 in coffee included beneath the cellophane. I was told this coupon was for Spot Coffee. This morning I found out that it was not. It is for Starbucks. I need to send it to the art materials manufacturer and they send me an e-code. I also bought some multicultural colored oil pastels at Hyatt's. These are a variety of flesh tones meant to show diverse ethnic groups. These colors should be interesting on grey toned paper. I needed to spend $20 to get my rewards card punched. Hyatt's has a frequent shoppers card. After a number of $20 purchases you get $20 in free art supplies.

The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel

This month I will be taking a week long voyage to Indianapolis. There will be many stops along the way. One city I will be visiting is Columbus, Ohio. I don't know very much about Columbus other than it being the writer James Thurber's place of residence for most of his life. I will be staying in Columbus for only one evening before I go to Indianapolis. I will be coming back to Columbus for about 8 hours on my way back to Toronto.

The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel is where I will be staying while in Columbus. I have booked a bunk for less than $30 for 1 evening. This hostel is on a residential street in a former duplex. I have been exploring some of the websites to learn more about where I will be staying. This will help me know what to expect when I arrive in the city. I will be traveling by bus to get to Columbus from Buffalo, New York. When I get into the city I will need to take a bus to get to The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel. It is not within easy walking distance of the bus stop.

The hostel has many wonderful looking features which will enhance my visit. They offer the free use of bicycles so you can sight see in this manner. I am not sure if I will be doing this. It has been a while since I have rode a bike outdoors. I only use stationary bikes while I am at the gym. In Toronto we have a very congested city. Bicycling is something many people feel safe doing, but I am not one of them. It still seems like a fun idea for those accustomed to bike rides. When I was younger I used to enjoy packing up camping gear and cycling from village to village in the region I grew up in.

The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel seems like a great for a summer visit. It is an air conditioned facility. Frequently I read reviews of other hostels where people complain about the heat in the summer being an issue. There is a back patio and yard which can accommodate musical performances. There is a fire pit and BBQ which can be used. I might do this while I am there. Veggie dogs might make a wonderful dinner for the evening. There is also a hot tub in the backyard which can be used.

Breakfast is included in the reasonable price they charge. Hostel Reviews I have looked at say the breakfast is cereal, bagels, and cream cheese. As a vegan I imagine this will be adequate for me. I am a vegan and sometimes I need to omit many foods which are provided by different hostels. Cereal and bread products are usually okay for me. These products don't include butter as far as I know. Some hostels have croissants which are very delicious, but not good for a vegan. In the past the hostels I have attended have provided soy milk for cereal. It is not easy to predict what will be provided at a hostel before arriving. Within most hostels there is a kitchen where you can prepare your own food. This hostel includes this as well. It makes it great for travel where you are watching your money. 

There are towels included for free. Many hostels will charge you a couple of dollars for clean towels. There is also a washing machine for people on longer voyages. A book exchange is also onsite.