When I reached Oslo, I decided that I would stay a couple of extra days and booked this AirBnb on line. My booking was accepted.
Then Julie and I had this rather unusual internet conversation - summarized by the fact that she was not in the city but was contacting a roommate who would be able to get me a key.
Aside from the internet at the friend's place where I was staying West of city centre, I had no contact. I managed to persuade my friend, Marney to use her phone.
According to Julie, I could pick up the key that evening - I suggested between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00 not knowing the centre of the city very well - I thought that we were closer than we were. The Norwegian friend didn't want me to go alone so wouldn't let me leave our meal to go until we were all finished eating. It was almost 9:00 when we arrived to the address. My friend, Marney, texted the number given three times and called twice. The second call resulted in getting a message in Norwegian when she could not interpret.
In any case, we were getting cold, we already approached by two separate men who just offered us advice in keeping warm and noted the two women at the corner in provocative poses.
The next morning Marney had her hotel concierge dial the number given by Julie and the Norwegian message said that the phone was out of order. Her Norwegian friend, a lawyer with the Red Cross, told her that the area was the "Red Light" district.
Here is a copy of the conversation between Julie and myself:
Dale: I am already in Oslo but need to move for the last two nights of this week. I can arrive any time during the day of Wednesday. My flight out is at 10:45 on Friday
11 Dec 2017
Dale: I seem to be doing a lot of walking around the centre of Oslo - could I have specific direction to this site?
11 Dec 2017
Julie: Hello Dale, I am out travelling but you are
very welcome to stay here. My roomie could
let you in. Do you use WhatsApp?
12 Dec 2017
Dale: I would need to get in sometime tomorrow preferably in the morning.
> no Julie, I don’t have What’ A App. My phone >is misbehaving so I barely have email. Dale
12 Dec 2017
Dale: I don’t have what’s app. My cell works badly as a source of email.
12 Dec 2017
Julie: Ok no problem. I will talk to my roomie. He could give you the key tonight if you are avaiable? And you could check yourself in tomorrow
12 Dec 2017
Dale: That would be awesome as I am downtown now.
12 Dec 2017
Julie: Ok perfect. The adresse is Rxxxxxxxx, Oslo. Right next to Dxxxxxx. Please text me here or my roomie Erik at the number put into the profile xxxxxxxxxxxx when you are nearby and he will come down to meet you�
12 Dec 2017
Dale: We’ll try to get that done - I can’t use my phone which doesn’t recognize Telenor which it should but my friend can.
12 Dec 2017
Dale: Expect around 19:00 - 20:00.
12 Dec 2017
Dale (at 20:30): haven’t left dinner yet
12 Dec 2017
Julie: Are you serious? This is a home and N O T a hotel. You tell me between 19 - 20 and dont even bother sending me a message until way past arrival. How rude! You really expect people to drop everything and sit and wait hours for you while you are having dinner?
12 Dec 2017
Julie (After we tried to contact her roomie at the number given, gave up and went "home" - besides, I would not have received it because I didn't have email until I was home): Hello,
It is 22.00 and I still have not heard anything from you?
12 Dec 2017
Dale: I'm very sorry but I did not have control over my travels or my dining. I don't know the city well - I was further from 28 Rachusgata than I thought. And I had to find internet to communicate with you. So, yes,
it was rude.
In retrospect, I should not have offered a pick up this evening because we would not have been able to get there even directly. By the time we reached your place it was almost 21:00 and my friend (whose phone I was
using) was very cold.
Is there any way this can still work out? (I am in an apartment out in the West of Oslo and can't get downtown until around 11:00 am.)
12 Dec 2017
Dale: We went to 28 Rachlusgata and texted twice and phoned once. I am back out West.
12 Dec 2017
Julie: Hello again, sorry but I can not host you after this. I refunded you 727 NOK that you have to accept if you want them. Julie
12 Dec 2017
Dale: I don't quite understand that the reservation still seems to stand for tomorrow night? Is that the way of saying 50 percent?
12 Dec 2017
Julie: No. You got like 85% from me. Is because I couldnt cancel. I will try to call airbnb to make them fix it
The end result is that I found another place to bunk, am out some money and have had a bad experience with AirBnB; I have had other good experiences but my friend will probably never try.
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