Reflecting About the Stay at Backpackers Hostel

The assumingly gay young Brazilian male person of color said that at one of the hostels he stayed in years ago, as he has been hostelling every summer since a teenager, he could not believe it when, while sleeping at a hostel once, there was a young man and woman together making out under their covers. He said that a friend of his, aware of this happening, said that he was going to go over to the couple, to see if he could take part in this ‘make-out’ session. To his surprise the friend actually did go over and got into the bed with this couple. He said that he thought that there surely would be a problem, but it was a smooth transaction.

This is interesting because I have stayed in this mixed hostel room at the Backpacker Hostel for the last two days and I have not seen anything at all like that, but I can see where it could be comfortably possible.

 

 

 

Entering the Mixed Hostel Room

Initially, at my first stay in a mixed hostel room, I was a bit uncomfortable as follows …

 

Entering the Mixed Room at Backpackers hostel

When I initially walked into this mixed room, the Brazilian young man seemingly the age of nineteen or twenty was there and I was blatantly startled. I had never walked into a hostel room and there was a man there. Usually when I walk into a hostel room if I see someone then it is going to be a woman. An example might be; walking into the bathroom of your gender and seeing the opposite gender there. You might be initially, a little taken aback.

After collecting myself, I walked into the hostel mixed room further, and I then said to this young man, who was busy getting his bags intact, “This is the first time that I have slept in a mixed room, is it safe?” He smiled assuredly while shaking his head as if he was saying; of course you are safe sleeping in this mixed hostel room and it is weird to think that you would not be safe sleeping in a mixed room.

He went on to say; “People are just renting a bed, the mixed room is the same set-up as the all female or the all male room”.

I felt much better hearing this  and chalked it up as another experience that I will have, and then lightheartedly I began unpacking my things and preparing my bed for sleeping with the sleeping device.

Now I need to find a circuit outlet that will fit as well as be in close enough proximity to the electrical cord. I was really looking forward to sleeping in one of the seemingly fun top bunks, which interestingly in this hostel, are stacked up, as far as you can see, in three’s. It appears that sleeping on the top bunk would provide more privacy as from the floor you cannot see actually if someone is in the top bunk. The bunk-beds in backpackers might be comparable to city sky scrapers you might find in New York City, except within the context of … instead of buildings … we are talking about bunk beds. I have never seen bunk beds stacked so high.

So the top bunks offer more privacy as well as quiet in relation to travelers checking into the hostel in the middle of the night and noisily preparing their beds for sleeping. Some of these travelers are respectfully quiet, but some of these travelers are not so quiet in respect to others sleeping. It is just nice to have the top bunk for these reason, though taking the top bunk does require a bit of upper body muscle as you are … indeed … climbing up into a standard bunk bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                       Still Reflecting

The Irish Woman at Back-Packers 

I am noticing on my second night sleeping in this mixed room that this mixed room has thirteen bunk beds. As I previously stated; Beds are stacked up so high that you cannot see what or who is on the actual top bunk. What an experience, as I came into this mixed room one afternoon assuming I was alone, when suddenly … within the quiet … I heard something … I looked up, and there was a woman, on the top bunk. The Irish woman was seemingly over forty years of age, possibly around my age, and a lawyer.

The previous night a US European American woman was here in this mixed room, at Backpackers, from California, seemingly  around my age as well, maybe a little older. Interestingly, when I mentioned my taking a look at the Astor Hostel, in a factitious manner, to she and the Brazilian young man, the Brazilian man and I laughed simultaneously, while this US American woman took on a serious stance in relation to defending the Astor Hostel; evidently, she likes the Astor hostel; … “Go figure”… smile.

 

Women Solo Travelers

I was surprised to find a number of women around my age traveling like this and sharing the mixed rooms as well. This gave me a bit of comfort that the mixed rooms are all right. The Irish woman said that she was a bit uncomfortable with the mixed room also as this was her first time staying in a mixed room.

 

Weary Travelers  

At Back-packers hostel you find a mixed array of travelers. You especially find the seemingly real back-packers; the hippie style dressed back-packers who appear to be living off the grid though are probably extremely wealthy. These real hippie type back-packers usually check into the hostels in the middle of the night, and they sleep throughout the following day as though they are exhausted.

So if you find yourself sleeping in a mixed room of for instance, three people, you may find more people have checked in throughout the night and into the morning while you were sleeping. You might wake up to double or triple the number of people sleeping in your mixed hostel room. Also, if you do not get addresses or phone number of someone you might want to connect with in the future, in the morning you may find that you missed the opportunity, as hostellers leave in the morning, quietly, and swiftly.

 

Slumber Party

Interestingly, we all, male and female talked a lot in this mixed room, in the dark, while resting in our bunk beds. Some of us walked and talked, while some of us simply talked while unpacking among a small flashlight for light, in which to not disturb those sleeping or preparing to sleep. The setting could be comparable to a campfire gathering excluding the fire and friends placed within a circular format.

The conversation was quite interesting. The main conversationalist included; the Irish woman, the young Brazilian man, a young man from Russia, and later into the early morning, entered a very young US European American male, the youngest of us all. Though there was no formal exchange of names, still only respectful voices entered and dominated the quiet space. We had quite a conversation; it was just plain interesting fun!

The Irish woman, from her top towering bunk, mentioned that the Irish still have hang- ups with the British. This is when the young Russian guy started to speak. The Russian guy said that he went to Ireland and had only British pounds on him as currency, and he tried to pay with these British pounds, and the Irish cashier gave him a difficult time with accepting his British pounds as payment. The Irish woman, overhead, then responded by saying that; even though she understands this “Russian guy’s” situation and intentions, though she being a very kind person, would have also given him a difficult time. The Irish woman said that the Irish, cannot help but be offended by anyone wanting to use the British pound in Ireland, as it is sort of like; “how dare he visit Ireland, bringing only British pounds as currency, into their Ireland!” The Irish woman concluded by saying that; “The Irish are still angry with the British”.

I notice this pride of the Irish first when traveling in Tokyo Japan and asking a traveler if he was from Britain as I thought that his accent sounded British. This young man informed me that he was not British as he went on to kindly inform me that he was Irish and that the Irish are not so cool with the British. My thoughts then swiftly traveled to a book that I enjoyed learning from in Graduate school titled; “How the Irish Became White”, as well as the film, “Angela’s Ashes”, and “Brooklyn”. I have always concluded that the Irish are a very proud people, with reason to be proud.

The Irish have a historical plight in Ireland, quite similar to the plight of African Americans in the United States. I find the Irish fascinating!

 

The Young US European American Man Speaks out!

The young European US American guy, who arrived to the hostel room in the early morning appeared a little tipsy, in a low shout says; “My friends are all working seven dollar an hour jobs”. This young US European American man said that he chooses to travel, and just rack up the student loan debt. The young European American guy then mentions something like; “his friends at home, a midst their ignorance, ignorance is bliss as they don’t realize the benefits of travel, with their crappy lives,” then he laughed aloud, actually we all simultaneously laughed along with him in fond understanding. As this young US American man was the youngest of us, and not appearing to be very formally educated, he certainly made a point that all of us travelers could agree on, though of course we would never … ever … state this understanding in such a manner as this young man did as … interestingly, this laughter, out of context, could be easily … misunderstood.

This young US man, on the lowest bunk on the right of the room, continued  to talk … with fewer … and then fewer … of us still awake … until I, on the lowest bunk, on the left side of the room  … and the Irish woman on her top bunk over-head … were still awake. The last conversation I remember them having, before I dosed off to sleep was in relation to, this young man saying that he had been turned out at a young age by a few women at a job that he worked at. He was saying that as a result of the actions of these women … he has difficulty seeing women in relation to relationships as he had decided that he would possibly consider marriage … and this is when I began dozing off when I heard the Irish woman speaking to him, much like an auntie to her nephew … the manner in which he should view life in relation to … women … relationships …

So there you have it … strangers …who are not strangers, though travelers with many tales to tell … and so … so much to learn from each other …

 

 

Reflecting …

Travelers/Round Robin at Backpackers Hostel    

I remember that the Brazilian guy, sleeping on the top bunk within the far right end corner, said, before being the first to doze off, that he finds it interesting, while he is traveling alone via hostels, to notice people, engaged within their lives; enjoying friends, and stationary in their lives. Then he looks at himself, traveling with no stationed place, no friends nor family nearby. Then the Irish woman said; “Yeah, like lonely’, Then I said; “But do we mean lonely, or simply being alone with oneself, the two are different”, “Feeling lonely is different from being alone with one’s own company”. We all agreed with the Brazilian guy that we do see ourselves as feeling a bit strange and alone sometimes (while traveling abroad alone), when we notice others enjoying the company of their friends and families.

Then the Brazilian guy left his top bunk, to reorganize his clothes in his suitcase. This is when we noticed how organized his clothes were in his suit-case. The Irish woman said that his things were packed so well. He said that his mother had packed his things for him. This Brazilian guy told us that he use to travel with the back-packs on his shoulder until he began to notice that a traveler is more respected when traveling with suit-cases, so now he travels with suit-cases.