A Hostel Experience

How to spot someone who is hostelling:
1. Shoes | The person is usually sporting sturdy hiking boots/shoes or sandals with Velcro straps
2. Hair | It’s usually disheveled (like they got lucky) and hastily pulled back – female or covered with a hat – male. Reason: no time to shower b/c line too long, no hot water, or you’re surrounded by crazy people and want to GTFO.
3. Backpack | Ranges in size from carrying everything they own to just enough for a few essentials.

That’s how I spot Elizabeth.

We are riding on CalTrans ($2/1 hour) into the city and she looks back and smiles. I take the opportunity to ask if she’s hostelling because of her attire. And she reluctantly says yes.

She admits that her assistant has given her grief about what she wears when she’s exploring.

Elizabeth is from London, is tall, blonde, in my age check box and speaks with a sophisticated accent. Her plan is to spend a month in Buenos Aires but right now, she is on her way to tranquility in Mendocino.

She tells me that she had a bad night in a hostel and proceeds to tell me the story. A girl in her dorm wakes up in the middle of the night completely restless. Elizabeth looks up to see the girl sitting at the edge of her own bed staring into space with a dead look on her face.

Queue the haunting music.

The girl walks out then back in to sit on the edge of her own bed again and stares into space. Elizabeth finally asks her if she plans on just sitting there like that. The girl bluntly replies yes and Elizabeth grabs her things and leaves.

The first thought I have is that the girl was going to hurt herself of someone else and Elizabeth concurs that the look on her face was unsettling.

I share that I’m on my way to stay in a hostel for the first time and that she’s now completely freaked me out about the random people who hostel. While I did check out the property before I committed, you never know.

I arrive and it’s a ghost town so I go explore the posh neighborhood around North Beach. I’m starving and eventually I find a little pho restaurant.

I read about the  How Weird Street Festival and can’t resist checking it out.

Let your freak flag fly!

Back at the hostel it’s still pretty quiet. About 30 minutes before quiet time, the common room fills up and the noise level increases.

I have two roommates in a 5-bed share ($29.99/night) and we all fall asleep by 23:30.

San Francisco: House Hunting

On my way to SFO to catch a bus into the city, I meet Charmaine. Correction, Charmaine introduces herself and engages me in conversation. I say this because… she’s not shy, at all.

She is tall with beautiful skin and long hair. She’s been a corrections officer for years and tells me that her job is really stressful despite the excellent pay. She wants to quit and explore.

The first thing I ask is if she’s saved money. With her personality, I think she can take a huge leap into a new culture and be completely fine.

We don’t have time to keep chatting. We arrive at the airport and she leaves to catch a flight. I hope to hear from her again soon to find out her dream and help her accomplish it.

While waiting for SamTans ($2 and 1 hr to get to the city), I meet Francisco. He laughs at me because I don’t have correct change so I decide to run up three flights of escalators then wait for change before running back before the bus comes.

He’s impressed with my ability to make it back in time. Francisco is retired, visiting his brother and contemplating whether or not to check out LA before heading back to Guatemala.

We sit next to each other on the bus and talk about Guatemala for a bit then I get back to my delayed task of plotting apartment leads on a city map.

My minimal criteria:
• Bright
• Near public transit
• Privacy
• Furnished
• Month-to-month or short-term sublet

At this point I have two appointments and 6 leads for short-term rentals within my budget (under $800/mo all-inclusive).

One of my leads is an appointment with a lady I emailed while in Guatemala. Anne has a small studio in Paris and plans to stay there for 7 months. She is very interested in renting her apartment to me after getting to know me via my blog.

Anne lives in Inner Richmond, which has a suburban feel and is very quiet. The area is located between the beautiful Golden Gate Park and bustling downtown.

On my way over to Anne’s by bus, I have enough time for a quick slice of pizza at Post Pizza ($2.31 huge slice of cheese). The smell lures me in and I find the slice to be really cheesy and flavorful with a cracker thin crust.

Local Transportation Fun Fact: In San Francisco on the Muni line, you can dial 511, say “departure times”, enter or say the stop ID number and an automated recording will tell you which busses are going to pass and approximately when. Brilliant.

Anne is amazing. We chat for hours. She even drives me around the neighborhood and points out her favorite places, grocery stores and other places I should check out.

Her apartment is a tiny studio with amenities like Internet and cable. I sign a lease but it starts mid-June and ends mid-January so I leave to find a room to live in until then.

I check out two short-term rooms in the heart of downtown. Both border the Tenderloin district, which can be a little sketchy at times so if you’re out after the streetlights come on, take a cab ride home. I’ve stayed in this area more than once so I’m use to it… I think.

I fill out a rental application for one of the places but there’s no way I’ll be approved to stay by tomorrow because paperwork can’t be processed until Monday. This is what the landlord tells me after asking why I waited until the last-minute to search. I tell her I’ve been traveling and she immediately replies with the travel adventures she’s experienced.

Shawn is a dyed redhead with silver natural roots. She is tough but empathetic with an infinite amount of patience. I know because it took me forever to find this place and I had to call her several times.

The room is underground but has a window. It’s really large with a desk, side tables, generously sized closet and, by Monday, it will have a brand new bed. There are shared bathrooms however the common areas are clean.

Knowing I have at least one day to wait for my paperwork to clear, I decide to check out a hostel on the beach.

The hostel</a is like camp for adults. It’s surrounded by trees, bright, and squeaky clean with ocean breezes, free breakfast, Internet and more. I’m actually looking forward to trying the shared-room hostel experience here.

I return to my hotel near the airport (SanTrans $4, 2 free hotel nights at the nicest La Quinta ever). I can’t wait to try sushi at the restaurant next to the hotel. Henry, the new owner, becomes my friend and takes me on a culinary adventure.

Day 31: How to Say Goodbye in Guatemalan

After a few minutes of yelling at each other over the loud noise from the street, Ms. Robinson shoos a sales girl away to make room for me to sit next to her. This doesn’t detour the sales girl who starts showing me her stash while I sip coffee at a café in the middle of Panajachel (Q7/$0.90 for a small amazing cup of joe and Q15/$2.00 for the hand-woven scarf for my mom/aunt/grandma that Ms. Robinson approves as a bargain.)

Ms. Robinson is an 86-year-young woman from New England who knows everything about everybody. We get into discussions about what I’ve observed and what she knows (or presumes). She points to people and labels them “retired and married to a local,” “sells drugs,” and “begs people for money but lives in a house nicer than the one she’s renting.”

We talk about everything from local politics to her life after the military. She is a firecracker who speaks fast and covers everything (and everybody) relating to Guatemala.

Every goodbye results in a new conversation about the “narco” buildings in Guatemala City to the photos of drug dealers in the newspaper. I have to run to meet my crowded shuttle.

Three hours later, we arrive in Central Park in La Antigua and I walk around to find a room for rent (Hostel Antigua, private room with bath discounted price Q128/$16 – Although not the cheapest room it’s extremely quiet and well-kept.)

I return to the Black Cat as promised and am immediately confronted by my entry Fun Friends. Most are rave reviews but a certain someone cannot get over being called “young at heart.” 😉

I grab dinner to go from Las Palmas (hamburger and fries Q58/$7.25 to go with my liter of Cabro Q28/$3.50). It’s mediocre at best and I swear it came with the “free” termite that is struggling to free itself from the caramelized onions.

The night drags on at first but then the music gets louder and so do we. There’s a new group of people and we all take time to get to know each other and make suggestions about places to visit.

My lovely friend Belgium challenges me to try a “crack whore”. It involves two glasses, a shot of Sambuca, a lighter, a straw and a prayer.

A couple of people are in a corner playing a Pictionary type game where they come up with a scenario and then judge who depicts it the best. I take a seat after finishing my first liter and my life story becomes the lightning round.

As much as we’ve had to drink, I’m completely impressed with all of them but I choose the winner for his organization and accurate retelling of the highlights of my life up to my next adventure… San Francisco. It’s the city that started my love for travel and my strength to do it alone.

Later… drunker… Rhode Island shows me to her favorite bar where the drinks are poured strong. The guys here are ready to mingle and it takes no time until they are buying us drinks and asking us to salsa.

I would share more if I could but there’s so little I remember.

Rhode Island drops me off at my hotel and I pass out with only three hours to sleep.

Check for photos tomorrow!

Day 28: Meet the Cast

Antigua looks like a ghost town the day after Easter. It’s clear that the celebration is over and life has resumed… immediately.

It’s tranquil for the first time and I kind of like it. That is until I realize that my favorite little ice cream shop is closed (Exotic Helados 1 pint Q20/$2.5, closed Monday).

I decide to have a drink but the cute little wine shop under the Arc is under construction so I head over to Reilly’s Irish Pub.

It’s dead there. The bartender is hung over but he tries his best to entertain me. His name is Greg and he’s from Cleveland, Ohio. He recommends I try a Cabro Extra (made in Guatemala). It’s fantastic. I’m not sure why Gallo is so popular.

He tells me about a place next door called Black Cat.

Upon entering, there are several tables and a small bar. Through an opening beside the bar is a cute courtyard surrounded by several rooms (shares Q65/$8.20, private Q165/$20.75).

The drink specials are ridiculous (Victoria or Brahva Extra Q10/$1.25, happy hour features Q25/$3.20 liters).

Meet The Cast:

Germany is a cute girl traveling through South America on her own pace. She balances her sweet smile with a nose ring and platinum blonde streaks that frame her heart-shaped face. Her next destination is Tikal followed by Belize.

Belgium is the bartender who recently relocated to La Antigua. He’s young at heart and displays that with his tame Mohawk. He gets me to try a shot of the local hooch (Quezalteca Especial) and is surprised when I tell him I don’t think it’s that strong.

Philippines by way of San Francisco is as randy as they come. His Spanish is limited to every bad, disgusting or foul word in the dictionary. Today is the first day of a month-long stent and (after a couple of beers) he’s training to bartend.

New Zealand is nice but a little awkward. He’s seems uncomfortable as he sits rather quietly and sips his beer. He’s tall with a long slender face and likely the youngest next to Germany.

Australia (or at least she sounds Australian) is young, pretty, and slender but curvy where it counts. She sports a form-fitting top and all eyes are on her.

Toledo Ohio is as sweet as they come… typical mid-westerner. He’s studying Spanish with Australia and accompanies her likely to make sure that no one takes her. He shares his life story and travel experiences with me and manages to hold my complete attention even after three drinks and a shot.

Rhode Island is the assistant manager who keeps everyone under a very gentle thumb. She has no problems letting her hair down and having fun and expects everyone to do the same. She works with children and is returning home to work for a bit to earn money before she goes back to school to get her Masters.

We are all around the same age. We have all experienced the same drama of trying to find work after experiencing hardship and we are all trying to decide what to do next. However here it’s easy to laugh, smile and enjoy life.