Me, myself and I
So I did something I have been dreaming of doing for quite some time: I booked a room in a hotel in the city.
The plan was to get away somewhere nicer in the country such as our coast or Sine Saloum. But such trip involves a car. And since I do not have any, I gave up on that idea. And I am not willing to get on a bus with other people for long hours during this pandemic. I also had the opportunity to book a trip via agencies but they were either out of my budget or never at the right time for me. So after searching for weeks, I just booked a room at the Savana Hotel in the city.
Savana hotel is a very old hotel in Dakar probably older than me. I used it last year to celebrate my youngest's birthday with the entire family. This time I booked a room for one night because I found a good deal on the internet. With the recession caused by the coronavirus, a lot of hotels in the country have been forced to reduce their prices or offer limited time deals. Prices are often slashed in half, so it would be stupid to not use this opportunity.
As for me, I just wanted to go somewhere where I could be alone. One thing this coronavirus has taught me is that I am not a very social person. As you know I live home with my parents and brother. I love them all but spending hours with them day in and day out can be exhausting. Before I used to go to work every day so I did not spend that much time with them. On top of that, our house is not huge so there is nowhere to go to be completely isolated even to work. Last week for example, I had a conference call. I went in the living room, I had my computer and my headphones on but my father still managed to come in and start a conversation with me. I did not have the heart to tell him that I was in a conf call.
For my peace of mind, I got away. And it was what the doctor ordered and more. I got at the hotel on Sunday afternoon. Check in was fast and I was taken to my room. As I said earlier the hotel is quite old so I was not expected luxury. But the room was spacious enough for a single person. And I had a sea view room with a bathtub as I had requested. The decor is very 70's but I did not mind. I took some pics then I lie down in the bed and watch Netflix all afternoon and night. I also undid my old braids.
I initially wanted to go to the pool but I had seen some people down there and decided to stay put. I watched Lucifer season 5 plus some crap on TV. But what I liked the most was the uninterrupted silence. I put my phone on silent mode, turned off WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter, and was away from the world for the rest of that Sunday. No news, no politics, no soccer. Absolutely nothing. It was like I was cut from the rest of the world. At 8:30 PM, I was feeling hungry so I ordered room service. The phone in my room was down so I used my cell phone to call the hotel. They delivered 15 minutes later: two beef sliders with french fried and coleslaw and coke. The food was quite expensive, but I would have paid that much if I tried to go out. The hotel is so isolated that taking a taxi is the only option if you do not have a car. Yet, the food was quite good. I actually did not expect it to be that good.
After eating, I took a relaxing bath and went back to my show. I fell asleep around 2 AM. I could not quite fall asleep. Truth be told. I was a bit anxious due to security issues. My room was locked but my mind was working against me with the "what if": what if someone tries to break in? What if someone forces the door open and rapes me? You know every question a woman travelling alone would ask herself.
I woke up quite early for someone who went to bed late. By 7 AM I was up. The morning view from my balcony was so gorgeous and soothing. I went down to see the beach. I was alone in the entire world and it felt so good. I took some pictures as a true blogger of course. Who could resist?
After a brief stroll I went for breakfast. I was served pastries, coffee and orange juice. It was basic, simple and good. I ate half of my pastries and kept the rest.
My trip was relaxing, actually so relaxing I am thinking of making this a thing. This idea is not quite new to me. I love hotels so for years I had dreamed of doing this, but it was always to be with my partner or the kids. I never thought I should do it alone. I was always stopped by the "what would people think?". Renting a hotel room in a city where you live is something most people would never do let alone, understand. "Why pay all this money for a room when you already have a house?" they might ask. Some would even question if you plan on meeting men and have a private time with them if you know what I mean. For these reasons, I did not even tell my own parents that I booked that room by myself. I told them that I had won this offer on the Internet. I am grown woman, still I have to lie to my parents just because I fear what they might say or think. Ironically I went away to be away from everyone, and that includes men, and everything. But try explaining that to most people.
When will be my next "solo time" in a hotel? God only knows. But next time I want to go somewhere fancier. I guess I just need to save more for that.
What about you? Have you ever done anything like this before?
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