Hostel Life - Pun Intended

I thought I would devote a separate post to the phenomenon that is staying in a hostel. For the budget traveler, it's the way to go. It often costs half as much as a hotel and you get to meet all types of interesting people. I personally love it. Some hostels have the option of obtaining a single or a double with a shower, but most involve you sleeping in a room of at least 4 people and using a community bathroom. They cater to many different travelers. I'd like to summarize some of the groups I have come in contact with.

The traditional undergrad study abroaders:
These people are usually around the age of 21. They have just received their first real taste of foreign travel and feel they have everything figured out and are experts. I can say this in confidence, because I was once that person. You come to figure out though that there is a lot of world to see, and that the life you have been living abroad is not necessarily a normal life.

Anyways, they generally focus on the party scene as opposed to the historical scene, and have been known to wander into the hostel in the wee hours waking up everyone else in the room. They usually travel in groups of four and the women in the group can be reeeeaaally loud. They tend to dominate common areas, and often the other patrons look forward to them leaving.

Hippy traveler:
These people are a little older, and often travel alone. They are on a current world tour that doesn't have a solid end in sight. They may be college educated, but they are definitely in no hurry to venture into the working world. They work odd jobs in exotic cities, and talk to every single person they come in close proximity to.

For example, during my recent stay in Budapest, there was an American in his mid to later 20's working at the hostel. He was currently living in Prague, but decided just to come stay in Budapest for the month. The hostel let him stay there for free, as long as he agreed to work the overnight shift, which involved him dealing with the above mentioned study abroaders and sleeping on a loveseat.

Very nice guy, but I'm not sure he was necessarily the head of the class. He enforced the stereotype and spoke like a California "dude". I overheard him talking to another traveler about American politics and economics. I couldn't help but cringe a little. Regardless, he was very pleasant, and I found out he grew up playing hockey in CA, and attended a few camps in MN, so he was alright with me.

Wandering souls:
I would like to think that this is the category I fit into the most. This group usually consists of 1-2 travelers, who have a definite plan of attack for each city they visit. They have a set amount of time they will be traveling, and are more into experiencing the local sights and history. They try to accommodate to local customs, and are more understanding when people don't always accommodate to them.

Now you are probably saying that Nick is trying to make himself sound like the perfect traveler. I am not, but most of the places I travel to are for educational and historical purposes. I have never traveled anywhere just to sit on the beach. Although, I will tell you there is a strong possibility that could happen by the end of this trip.

Wandering souls are my favorite people to meet. For example, in 2002 I met an Australian guy at a hostel in Rome. He had worked for a while, saved up enough money, quit his job, and was going to travel around Europe for one year. He had a specific plan of where he wanted to go, and what he wanted to see. He spoke really well, and seemed sensitive to each culture he came in contact with.

I went to dinner with him and the two other girls that were staying in our hostel room at the time. They too just so happened to be from Australia, and also spoke intelligently, and had a wealth of experience traveling. Since this was months after 9/11, much of the conversation revolved around that. I also asked them about Australia though, and their other experiences traveling abroad. It was a very memorable experience.

Another example was my recent trip to Krakow. There was a Canadian couple in their early 30's staying in my room. They had spent a year planning and saving for a 4 month tour of Europe. They both took LOA's from work. Like the previous experience, I had the pleasure of sight seeing and having dinner with them. Another memorable experience. I couldn't help but ask them though what they did when they got sick of each other. I figured no matter how much you love someone, there are always those days when you need a breather from each other. They just simply said that they agreed to do their own thing that day and meet back up at a certain time again. I thought that was cool.

Hostel life is not always sunshine though, don't let my post fool you. I have shared a room with up 7 people before, and you often have no privacy. In a room that big, there is always someone coming in late, and someone leaving early. Of course you have the one person that snores heavily and wakes up the entire room. I've been told I snore at times, so maybe I sought my revenge.

You can't change clothes unless you just don't care if strangers see you in your skivvies. You have to lug your stuff down the hall to the community bathroom, change, and then come back. You have to constantly be on guard with your possessions, and keep them locked away. That leads to the point that you are generally living out of a bag / back pack / suitcase, which gets annoying after a while.

The bathroom is constantly being used, so it is never pleasant to walk into. There is always water all over the floor and sink area. Also, many showers require you to wear flip flops to avoid any foot disease that another traveler may have left behind. Sometimes only one person at a time can use the bathroom, so it is not uncommon to stand outside and wait.

It's hard to find a quiet place to decompress and maybe read a book. Most common areas are always crazy, and it's just too hard to sit on your bed and do it. Besides, there is always someone that wants to chat with you, which isn't a bad thing. It's just sometimes you need a little alone time.

The beds sometimes don't necessarily qualify as beds. They usually just resemble what looks like a bed. My latest experience resulted in me having to sleep on the top bunk. After two days, I had a head cold, and itchy red bumps on my skin. Yuck. That was a first though in all my hostel experiences, and I don't think I will be visiting that particular place again.

So there you have it. A hostel is just that, hostile. Negatives aside, they are the best way to travel when you are on a budget. The staff is always helpful and friendly. They generally have free maps, and a wealth of knowledge. You also get to meet and talk to many interesting people from many different places. In a way, hostels increase the experience you take away from the city you are visiting.