All about photography, travel in Nepal | Sangesh Shrestha

The exhaustion from the long flight from Delhi to California clung to me like a second skin. Stepping out of the airport, the dry California heat felt like a warm hug after the muggy Indian summer. Finally, I reached my hotel – a charming Victorian-style building in Santa Monica. Dreams of palm trees and ocean breezes danced in my head.

But as I flung open the door to my room, a wave of musty air hit me like a Delhi dust storm. Pushing aside the floral drapes, I gasped. Ugly black patches marred the pristine white ceiling – a telltale sign of unwelcome guests – mold. Disappointment sunk its teeth into me. This wasn’t the Californian dream I’d envisioned.

Jet-lagged and frustrated, I marched down to the reception. The friendly receptionist, a young woman named Emily, apologized profusely. It turned out recent coastal fog, a rarity in sunny California, had caused a leak, leading to the mold growth. Relief washed over me – at least they acknowledged the problem.

Emily assured me they wouldn’t leave me stranded in a moldy room. Instead of the usual housekeeping staff, a team of masked and suited individuals arrived, looking like a scene straight out of a Bollywood sci-fi movie. Apparently, they were calling in an expert – a Californian “mold buster” as Emily called him.

The “buster,” a cheerful man named Steve from APDR, inspected the room with a practiced eye. He explained the remediation process – containment, removal, and air purification. He assured me it would be swift and wouldn’t disrupt my vacation much. True to his word, the team worked efficiently, their movements muffled by their protective gear.

The next day, Steve presented me with a sparkling clean room. The musty odor was gone, replaced by the fresh scent of ocean breeze filtering through the window. As a token of apology, the hotel upgraded me to a room with a balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The view was breathtaking – a panoramic canvas of turquoise water and golden sand.

The mold mishap may have been a bump in the road, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It showcased the hotel’s commitment to guest well-being and introduced me to the fascinating world of Californian mold busters (who knew they existed?). Most importantly, the oceanfront upgrade provided a truly stunning Californian experience. From then on, the memory of the mold became a funny anecdote, a reminder that even vacations can have unexpected turns, but with a little help, even a Californian dream can have a happy ending, complete with a million-dollar view.