Hostels

I have to write about hostels. All through Central and South America, all through Southeast Asia, India and Nepal I never stayed in a hostel. The places were so inexpensive I could always have a room to my own. The same goes for Spain, Portugal and Turkey but those came later when I had more money and could afford a room with a view, my own bathroom and breakfast.

In Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia I started to stay in hostels but only occasionally to meet young people and save on expenses so I could eat well. I would rather stay in some flee bag place as long as I can eat at some fabulous restaurant. Great food after hiking, biking or swimming comes next. I will go off topic here because eating well is very important to me. I would rather be hungry than go to some inferior place. I love food and I will read about, hunt down, observe and then check out even more places before I settle on the restaurant I feel worthy of my taste buds. One of my brothers, the one of two who are chefs can attest to that.

Warren and I were in northern Spain during a one day workers' strike. After literally trampsing around for two hours my brother says, "Should we eat here?" Here was a place where it looked like students were eating 'Spagetti - O's'. No way! An half hour later I had found the place. I have the place and our meal written down somewhere, but without those notes I still remember the cigar prawns and neither will my brother.

New Zealand has been the most expensive place I've been. The most expensive place I've had to pay for myself without friends, relatives or boyfriends to count on. Since food is so important I had to stay in youth hostels so I could afford the best.

I felt out of place when I stayed (and only once) at a youth hostel in Turkey. One young girl asked me what I was doing here. "Aren't you kind of old?" But in Eastern Europe and the Balkin States when I did stay at a hostel the young people seemed to think of me as some sort of sage. It just took a few years to go from weirdo to guru.

The first thing about hostels, which is on everyones' mind whose shares the multi bed room: Does anyone snore? Yes I have snored before but it is always because of a heavy night of drinking or I have a cold. In New Zealand I trekked so much the drinking was at a minimal. I pointedly asked my roommates at the hostels and they said they didn't hear anything from me.

I found this out in Solvenia. I arrived with no sleep in the middle of the afternoon. I took a nap and when I awoke a guy, who had just arrived, was putting his sheets on a mattress next to me (in Eastern Europe you sleep on mattresses on the floor like in a homeless shelter) He asks me if I snore. Some girls said, "No she's been sleeping and we didn't hear anything." That night he snored like a banchee and since he was in arms length of me I shoved him. I didn't want anyone to think it was me!

As I said this hostel was in Solvenia. It was a former prison. Now that I'm older and want a little more security I book the first night to my arrival. Everything else was up for grabs except for here in NZ but I'll get to that later. So I book my first night at this hostel and pay with my credit card. After everything goes through the hostel says that dorms are reserved for people under 25yrs. Hey I already gave you my CC # I think to myself. I email the hostel and tell them I'm an underpaid school teacher. The next day at school I check my messages while my second grade students are doing their "Do Now" an assignment they do every morning to basically keep them busy while I catch up do whatever. I have a message from the former prison and now hostel telling me I'm welcome to stay there. "Yeah! I blurt out, I get to stay in a prison. I get to stay in a prison! I get to stayyy." I stop. My second grade kids' mouths are all open. Most of their fathers are in prison. I had to explain.

As I said before I went from being weird to a sage. Youth hostels are for kids in their early 20's. Kids in their early 20's with raging hormones. Kids away from their parents. Here's what you can expect: I'm laying on my bunk bed. This particular bunk has a nice added touch - a little shelf where you can lay your book, your glasses, or an alarm clock. Since I'm laying down I can see under the shelf. Under the shelf is written: 'I had a quicky on this bunk and everybody heard.' This means the five other people who share the room with this person.

Besides the cost and meeting other young people I like that youth hostels usually have free videos to watch. The main thing that I like are the young people or people in general who are like you and love to travel. I always have much in common with them. We exchange views and travel tips. If you meet someone older I can guarantee that person will be hip. Of course that person could be me!