Mega-bus recap

I made it back to New York Penn Station to catch the Mega-bus for the final leg of my South America trip. Initially, I wasn't sure where to find the bus, since they don't pick up passengers at the same place they drop off. I wandered around Penn Station and had seen the Bolt buses on my trip to New York. I walked down to the drop off point, and still couldn't find where they picked up. Walking back, I saw a Mega-bus drive by and finally found a bunch of people waiting by a Mega-bus outside Madison Square gardens. The place was a circus, and not just because a bunch of people were getting out of the Wringling Brothers show inside the gardens. There were lines for a number of buses going up and down the East coast, and I bought a gyro while waiting for mine. After a 20 minute wait, I was on my way to Boston.

While waiting I overheard a conversation between two girls who preferred the Greyhound service from the Port Authority. While Greyhound charges $20 o/w, you can wait inside, and it is a much less hectic environment. I think for a few extra bucks I can agree.

Hostel Review: Buffalo HI Hostel

I flew into Buffalo on my way to the Toronto Film Festival. At that time it was cheaper to fly to Buffalo and catch a bus to Toronto, than it was to fly to Canada directly. From the Buffalo airport you can catch a bus downtown that connects with the local light-rail that runs through the city. The Buffalo HI hostel was a nice, friendly hostel conveniently located at one of the light-rail stops. Everything was going good at this hostel when I arrived. I went over to the Anchor Bar to sample the "Original" Buffalo wings, and I gave my extra wings to a guy that showed up after the kitchen closed. He was pretty friendly, and offered me some pot when the bar closed up. The area didn't seem all that safe, so I headed back to the hostel as quickly as possible. It wasn't until the next morning that I found out that the train outside would honk it's horn every time it passed the hostel. This was due to the train coming out a tunnel less than a block away. I had a bunk in the front room, and I couldn't sleep through that so I fell asleep in a bean bag chair in the basement of the hostel. I couldn't wait to get out of that hostel, and I caught a bus upto Toronto the following day.

The Buffalo HI Hostel was my first hostelling experience, and I haven't looked back ever since. The staff was very friendly, and I learned a valuable lesson about always bringing ear-plugs on my travels.

Note: I stayed in this hostel in Sept. 2002