我的airbnb經驗談（上）/My airbnb experience (Part I)

開始接觸airbnb大約是兩年前的事吧。如何得知airbnb這個網站，我已經記不起來了。但它已成為我和馬克出去旅遊，最主要的住宿方式！

我原本就是習慣住青年旅館的遊客，airbnb對我來說，是青年旅舍的升級版，又像是我一直沒有機會嘗試的沙發衝浪，使用這樣的服務對我而言是很自然的。但馬克以前旅遊的經驗都是住旅館，對於青年旅舍他總有一種不安全感—會擔心人太雜東西被偷走等等。要他和陌生人同住一房間，是相當彆扭的一件事。從開始交往以來，我一直希望他能嘗試不同的住宿經驗。剛好我們接下來的旅遊規劃是到紐約跨年。紐約旅館本來就貴，我們應是負擔不起；下定決心出遊的時間也晚，青年旅館大概都客滿了，加上這次是要開車去紐約的，所以還有停車的問題。考量現實狀況，馬克便同意嘗試airbnb的住宿方式。

這一趟紐約跨年行，我們先在費城待一晚，這也是在airbnb找了住宿的地方，反正也只有一晚，算是試探一下airbnb的服務。由於馬克之前曾在費城附近工作三年，對當地很熟，所以他挑了比較熟悉安全的區域。屋主是一對年輕情侶，他們之前旅遊時曾使用airbnb，所以後來也興起了招待旅客的念頭。房間整理得非常乾淨（其實整個屋子都很乾淨，加上又養了一隻貓，乾淨整齊的程度其實遠超過我的期待），實景也和網站照片非常一致，讓我們兩人對接下來的紐約住宿放心了不少。

紐約的住宿地點在布魯克林，事先查了地圖，也和屋主詢問過，只要搭兩站地鐵就可以進入曼哈頓島，地鐵站也不遠（不過我們一開始迷路還是多花了時間才找到地鐵站），走路五到七分鐘可以抵達。更棒著是，屋主告訴我們跨年期間布魯克林街上很好停車，而且免費！我們的車子就這麼停在公寓面前三天，一毛錢也沒花！屋主是服裝設計師，她的服飾店就在公寓附近約過兩個馬路就到了。由於見面取鑰匙的時間總是喬不好，她讓我們直接到店裡拿鑰匙，自行進入公寓。公寓其實看得出來年代久遠，樓梯地板感覺得出來是傾斜的，走起路來還有喀吱喀吱的聲音。不過該有的設備傢俱都有。屋主對於鑰匙和薇多利雅風格有著特別喜好，房間裡用了許多鑰匙裝飾，牆上還有一隻裝飾鹿頭，非常有特色。公寓還有其他兩三個房間，是有著房客生活的痕跡，不過我們在那兒待了三天，一個人都沒見到（馬克是有短短瞄到一位房客，但我真是啥人都沒看到）！整個公寓只有我們兩人的氣息，真是太妙了！最後我們要離開，屋主也只請我們留鑰匙在房間裡，跟屋主還是無緣碰上一面啊！

不過這次的住宿，讓我們愛上了布魯克林。公寓所在的區域非常熱鬧，地鐵出來回公寓的路上有書店、餐廳、咖啡店，路上也有小攤販，公寓樓下也有幾家小酒吧。Egg是我們在這裡發現的一家很棒的餐廳，我在那兒地一次嘗試了焦糖葡萄柚（超好吃）！還發現了新的羽衣甘藍的煮法（從此以後我都這樣煮）！在書店裡買了很喜歡的明信片；跨年當晚也在公寓附近氣氛輕鬆愉快的小酒吧喝到很好喝的調酒（雖然我已想不起點了啥）；我不小心把心愛的圍巾忘在那兒，隔天回去還順利找著了，非常開心！這趟旅行，除了造訪著名觀光景點外，還探索發現了這個充滿活力的小小公寓生活圈，讓我倆至今念念不忘！

It is about two years ago that I started using airbnb.  I can't recall how I got to know this website. definitely not recommended by friends.  But now it is the major accommodation method when Mark and I travel.

Prior to this, hostels have been my primary method.  To me, aribnb is like the upgrade version of hostels, or the paid version of couch surfing which I haven't had the chance to try.  Using airbnb is very natural to me.  Mark, on the other hand, has very different travel experience.  He is more used to staying in a hotel with his own room.  Sharing a room with strangers makes him uncomfortable.  I always wanted he to try different accommodation and travel experience since we started seeing each other.  Our next trip was to new york to celebrate the new year.  The cost of accommodation in New York is expensive and beyond our affordability.  The hostels were all booked since we decided our trip quite late.  In addition, parking would also be a problem for us.  Considering all the factors, Mark agreed to try airbnb.

We stayed one night at Philidelphia one our way to New York.  The accommondation was also booked through airbnb.  Mark worked near Philidelphia for three years and knew this city quiet well, so he picked a safe and fun neighborhood.  The hosts were a young couple.  Their good experience with airbnb made them started hosting guests.  The room was true to the photos on the website and was very clean and neat, even with a cat in this house.  This made us feel more confident with the following three nights in New York.

We chose to stay in Brooklyn as our accommodation in New York.  We looked up the map, and also confirmed with the host about the location.  It was only two stops away from Manhatton.  The station was about 5- to 7-minute walk.  More importantly, the host told us that the street was quite empty during new year holidays hence it was easy to park on the street, for FREE.  We just parked our car in from of the apartment for three days without paying anything.  The host was a fashion designer, and her store was just blocks away from the apartment.  Since we couldn't schedule an appropriate time to meet, she asked us to pick up the key in the store.  The apartment was old, the staircases and the floor were tilted, but it was equipped with everything we need.  The room was Victorian style and was decorated with lots of keys.  We certainly could feel the love for keys and the unique personal style of the host.  There were some other rooms in this apartment.  We could tell that the rooms were all rented, but we hardly saw anyone during our stay (Mark had a glance of a resident, but I met no one at all).  The host just asked us to leave the key in the room when we checked out.  So we never had the chance to see the host by the time we left.

However, the accommodation gave us the chance to experience the neighborhood and fell in love with Brooklyn.  On the way back to the apartment from the subway station, there were lots of clothing stores, restaurants, coffee house and bookstores.  Also some small booths selling all sorts of stuff.  There were also so bars near the apartment.  Egg is a fantastic restaurant that we found in the neighborhood.  I had my first caramelized grapefruit experience(so delicious!) and learned a new way to cook kale (it became my standard way to cook kale ever since).  We bought some lovely postcards from a bookstore and had some great cocktails in a cozy bar nearby on new year's eve.  We went back the next day to get back my scarf that forgot to go home with me.  Not only we visited some tourist places during this trip, we also discovered and explored the cute and lively neighborhood.  This brought  us some pleasant surprises and made this trip more unforgettable!