The Hostel Blues

Everybody who has ever traveled on a budget or enjoys the atmosphere of the 'backpacker's life' knows them: the hostels. This cheaper version of a hotel comes in all sizes and shapes, from blatantly gross to extremely tidy, from an anything goes ambiance to ridiculously regulated with curfew. Not knowing what to expect makes this way of traveling all the more exciting. Besides that, they're the ideal way to meet travel companions, like-minded allies, fellow barflies or the occasional temporary bed partner. And if all else fails, they'll always provide the necessary anecdotes to spice up your travel stories.

Besides the snoring roommate, there are plenty of traps you can run into as a newcomer to the whole hostel scene. What follows is a shortlist of true stories, mostly (but not only) based on my own past experiences.

The first night.

It often happens that you spend all day on a long and hot bus journey, only to arrive in a complete unknown village or city after sunset. As your guidebook isn't always up-to-date, the place you chose to spend your first night at seems to have moved, changed phone number or simply ceased to exist. Tired of carrying your overweight backpack around, you decide to go with the very first place that has a vacancy. Everybody knows it makes more sense to wait for the next day to look for a more appropriate spot as daylight can be helpful.

After a refreshing shower, it suddenly seems like a good idea to check out that new funky little tequila bar everybody keeps talking about. A few hours later, you realize that the cab driver dropped you right in front of the bar, but you've got no clue what the name or address of your hostel is. Aimlessly wandering around in a dark and unknown city is always fun in the middle of the night, especially in a South-American capitol with a less than average reputation.

So whatever you do, before you leave your hostel, make sure you've got a business card, address or at least a phone number of the place you're staying at.

Showers.