subject: Beware Of The Noisy Guest House Syndrome - Protect Your Ears [print this page] Beware Of The Noisy Guest House Syndrome - Protect Your Ears
This morning, even before first light, I was awoken at least 3 times by bags being dragged across floors, people talking and all sorts of irritating echoing sounds that resonate throughout old guest houses with wooden floors and walls that feel like they are made of thin paper.
Granted, when you book to stay in an old guest house, a brutal reality must be faced - people will come and go ALL hours of the day and night. (The 5am bus seems to be the most popular around here!) You might think however that the average backpacker would prepare their bags the night before. (Or maybe not - but I hope YOU do!)
The truth is that people make HUGE amounts of noise in the early hours of the morning. They drop things, zip up their cases, tromp around their rooms. And in doing so, jarringly jolt awake every person sleeping peacefully in nearby rooms. This is the reality. The question is, what do YOU do about it?
In my scenario, I keep things simple. A good quality pair of soft rubber earplugs (they come in a glowing bright orange colour) does the trick perfectly. Slide those in and you won't hear any more noisy neighbours! They block out something like 85% of the crunching early morning sounds that are inevitable in almost every guesthouse. (Drop something heavy on a wooden floor to see what I mean).
Oh, and by the way, it's not just the preparing for a 3am ferry or bus noises that you might want to block out. Guest houses can also be the perfect place for romantic liaisons so those earplugs will come in handy for those sorts of enthusiastic sounds too!
The best thing of all though is that these little earplugs are the easiest things in the world to carry. Take about 3 pairs with you. Earplugs are also ideal for reducing 'aeroplane noise' if that irritates you as much as it does me!
So that's what I do. No need to put the plugs in ALL night because they can feel a little uncomfortable if you do. Just keep them handy beside your bed for any early morning 'we've got to catch the bus RIGHT now' adventures in nearby rooms. That will take care of the noisy guest house syndrome, I'm sure of it!
