24 hour Internet Booths

2 a.m. in Osaka: I found myself wandering the streets with a bunch of my mates, with no place to sleep. We tried a couple of Love hotels…but there was literally no room at the inn for us weary travelers…so as a last resort we ended up checking into an Internet Booth for the night…for about $20 we got a private booth, with a lazy boy like seat (although it didn’t fold out to a bed) unlimited access to the internet, a TV, free soft drinks, and unlimited amounts of reading material (everything from fashion/sport magazines to porn)…I just told myself that it was way more comfortable and warmer than sleeping in an alleyway on the street…but that really was all it had going for it. The place smelled like stale smoke, and somebody’s cell phone alarm went off every half hour, starting at 5 am. I guess it really is the little things that one has to be grateful for: heating, protection from the elements, and a lock on the door. Next time, I will probably just use my credit card to get a room at Swisshotel or something equally as un-dodgy.