So this post has really no value other than strange experiences I've had with people that are entertaining to me. Hostels are interesting places and I bet my parents would like to hear more about my living situations. And this is a good way to pass time on travel days when my nook won't load my book :( (don't worry I fixed it)
The hostel in Dublin, Abrahams Place, was a very nice place. The beds weren't very comfortable but I had what I needed and everyone was nice to me. Probably three hours after I had landed in Dublin I met this kid named Josh who was staying in the same ten person bedroom as me. I learned that Josh was going on the same fourteen hour tour of the Cliffs of Moher the next day and was leaving the hostel the same day I was. Josh is now part of this experience. It was a long day and I think he was disappointed and not impressed (as people should be) with how good I am at sleeping. I don't want to talk to you Josh. So whenever I saw him positioning himself to talk I closed my eyes and fell asleep on command. My superpower.
He was just strange. I don't mind people who have piercing but I'm going to describe this one because its important. It was a giant tongue piercing and everytime he stuck it out (often) I wanted to gag. Awesome. It wasn't a bad day by any means but just not my type of stranger I want to hang out with all day. I noticed he drank a monster energy drink (this is important later)
Early on he expressed a desire to go on the Jameson Distillery tour and didn't really want to go alone, which is very fair. So two of us went with him and it was nice. Whiskey tastes day. After we went to the Guinness factory. Josh hates beer. THEN WHY DID YOU COME JOSH? Whatever, your life, your choice. So at the bar at the top of the Guinness factory it is just a glass circular room where you can see Dublin, very cool. We were talking casually, since I also had to drink Josh's free beer (not complaining though) and Josh decided to have this conversation.
*Normal conversation was along the lines of times we have driven people to the emergency room*
Josh cuts in: I've never driven anyone to the emergency room, but I've been there four times
*I respond with an okay and some silence, not really wanting to know but leaving a safe space if he wanted share...he did
Josh: yeah, i've had four heart attacks
*let's keep in mind Josh is definitely less than 25 years old or he's one of those weird ghost people that live forever, like Kenneth from 30 Rock*
*Now a followup question is asked, not by me, but I have to listen*
Josh: yeah, the first time I drank fifteen energy drinks that day and that was alsso my fifth day without sleep
I respond with a, I'm sorry that happened to you, but that sounds like a resonable consequence
Josh: the next time was two weeks later. I only had twelve energy drinks and was up four days
*Wow your tolerance is really going down! I now realize that I am dealing with a new kind of idiot.
He did other weird things, like snore and choke on his saliva in his sleep...and I think he stole my razors. But that story wins.
Josh is Canadian.
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In London I checked in to a "party hostel," I was a little nervous but also kind of excited to meet travelers that weren't Josh. Overall this hostel, even though it wants to be a "party hostel" was very chill. Except for the people at the front desk...they really wanted a party, they wore hats and luoh lays. Fun.
My first night there consisted of some number of very loud persons in the room, I wasn't sure how many or if they were a group or strangers. I wake up the next morning to six of the eleven other people in the room packing up to check out. One girl was packing, but was just in her underwear. I didn't know where to look because she was chatting and walking around the whole floor. I'm not that comfortable with strangers, but she can do what she wants.
The last one to leave explains to the rest of the people in the room that the six of them are from northern Britain and are training to be bartenders at a cocktail bar. This bar includes six weeks of training in London and so the six of them have been traveling together for the past six weeks in different hostels.
So underwear woman was walking around in her underwear with her co-workers. I don't want to work at this bar.
Luckily they left on that first day and I'm happy to say that London was some smooth sailing after that in terms of bedrooms.
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Raphael's apartment was adorable...just what you would think of when you thought of a quaint Parisian apartment. I would have taken a million pictures and posted them all but I thought that would make me the weird one here
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I loved the hostel I stayed in in Valencia, Feetup Home Backpackers Hostel, kind of a weird name but it really was a great hostel. So many friendly people. I stayed in an all girls room which was great. No one farts in all girls rooms. It was a little hot but I'm over it.
And besides one girl telling me about her allergy to sunscreen but her need to be in the sun and now her bad sun burn that she had to go to the hospital for but it was actually a weird reaction to a bug bite everyone was super normal and nice.
On the last day though I was sitting in my room catching up with a friend on Facetime when a dove flew threw the open window but got stuck in between the window and the window shade? So it was in the room but really confused about it. I screamed freaked out, tried to run out of the room, but the bird figured it out until I left. Phew, made it.
But then.
Later I walked out of the room in search of dinner and made it five steps into the hallway when probably the same dove dive bombed me and chased me down the hall! HOW DID YOU GET THERE BIRD? You were far away from a window. So I've decided that it was obviously the Holy Spirit and I probably should have embraced the bird a little more.
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Man its been awhile since I updated this and I can't decide if thats a good thing or a bad thing! My hostel in Barcelona, Equity Point Centric, was probably the best one I can think of. I was right next to the University, pretty centrally located and enough food and things going on that it was effortless. The rooms were the most uninteresting part, people were just there to sleep and being in an all girls room was another god send.
Did meet some strange characters on the rooftop we all became friends as we all went up there at night and it was great. I did watch one guy cut his hand on a butter knife and I'm pretty sure it was intentional, but I can't control grown men, nor do I want to, so go find your own band aid.
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Pella Inn was another great hostel and it was great because since I was there during the week (hostels fill up on weekends, which makes sense). I hardley had a full room. There was one night where I was the only person in the room until like 2am (bummer). It had a hotel feeling to it...but with bunkbeds and strangers.
I didn't realize there was AC in the room until more people came into the room and they were like "huh, its hot in here!" *turns on AC immediately* --camera pans to me, dying of heat stroke, looking at the very obvious AC meter on the wall across from me.
I made friends with the two austrialian guys and they let me go to dinner with them (thank god, human interaction!) that night we got back to the hostel and there was an older man moving in. I realized that this was the first time I was in a mixed dorm and the only girl... --Note: it didn't feel sketchy at all (dad) I still felt safe and fine (dad).--...it was just the worst because I've found that guys in hostel rooms literally never stop farting. I really just don't get it...
Anyways back to this guy. He is clearly in some kind of military. Like, yes, def army guy. So we make casual hostel room small talk "hi/how was your trip in....where are you from" he was from Israel. So good, we have an Israeli militant in the room...the one time being an American abroad isn't the worst. He asks if we are here for work or travel...he is here for work. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!
So, yup, he falls asleep pretty fast and its fine. Clearly no one in this room is trying to kill me. I go to bed. *time passes* I hear an alarm go off and I know it's kind of early so I just go back to sleep. About 3 minutes later my bed and I (as the only person on the bunk bed) are thrown across the room. So this is it, this is the end. I wonder what military secrets he thinks I know. Why?!?
...nope the army man, who was in the top bunk, fell out of bed and brought his bunk bed down with him while hitting the back of my bed. So I am still awake and alive. I should have probably helped pick up the bed and/or asked if he was okay? I hid under my blanket.
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I didn't sleep in Macedonia, but if I did it would have been in Ana's bed still decorated from when she was a tween and it was adorable. #kellyclarksonforever
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In Budapest I stayed in Adagio Hostel. It was nice, small, good atmosphere, I stayed in a 12 person room with no problem, there was plenty of space and locker room. Would recommend....especially since every other hostel in Budapest is notorious for being completely insane (if you are looking for insane, probably go to Retox hostel, I have heard from so many travelers that I should stay there...tempting but also terrifying and not why I'm here).
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And here we are in Berlin, at the Check !n Hostel. Ugh. It is a very nice, clean hostel. I was in an 8 person room but they switched me to a 6 person with a bathroom in it, I'll take it.
The bad thing is that there is really no common space or even stupid hostel events or anything. So it's really not the best for solo travelers. No one wants to talk to me :( I talked to a few people in my room but theres not much there besides small talk :(
Berlin as hot as shit right now too and this room does NOT have AC (I checked) which is pretty fine. Except that one girl in this room keeps closing the windows when she goes to bed and so by morning it is dealth in here, not to mention she pulls the curtains just so that the morning sun shines directly on my top bunk...which is fine becasue I can sleep in any kind of light but 1. already very hot 2. i have a sunburn 3. i'm going to get more sunburnt laying in bed 4. it is 8am just go back to bed please
So yeah, she's the worst, but she keeps going becauase every morning she stands at the table in front of the windows so no one can access them AND SHE IRONS. Where did you come from? You are wearing khaki cargo pants, why do these need to be ironed? Why did you bring an iron? Just fold your damn clothes. So many questions that will never have answers as I lay in a pool of sweat on my bed at a very early hour of the morning.
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