Christian Perez's Travel Journal

Hostel life -- watch out for the bananas!, Thu Apr 27, 2006

I've been staying in hostels over here for weeks, but realized I haven't said much of anything about what life is like for backpackers living in them. Yes, living in them. Some stay for weeks while they work and try to find a flat (apartment). Can you imagine sharing a room with 3 other people for weeks on end? You have no privacy to change your clothes, scratch your butt, or even fart without someone else noticing. I never realized how nice it was to rip one without looking over my shoulder to see who might be listening.

But overall its pretty fun. You get to meet travellers from all over the world and hear stories about getting arrested in Cambodia and bargaining with the police over their bribe for NOT throwing you in jail. If you're lucky (or good-looking, not like me), you find someone to travel with for a while. This is not only cheaper, but something about having at least a temporary partner in a foreign land eases the psyche, though I've been largely on my own.

This is definitely a hedonistic, non-productive lifestyle: backpackers who stay for months to work in one place spend every extra cent on travel and alcohol. But I guess you are only young once, right?

And where else would crazy things like this happen... I was making breakfast and talking with and Irish girl and a Dutch guy that I had met when I checked in. We all had a good time the night before just goofing around in the kitchen after they had gotten off work. So I just made eggs, and I grab a banana. Alice is wearing this really funny brown furry boots which are nicknamed Alf. I thought Alf looked hungry, so I tried feeding him a banana, but Alice quickly pulled her feet away from me.

I thought it was a little strange, but Ray thought it was hilarious. He's practically rolling around on the ground and Alice looks sick. I'm confused but find it funny anyway. Once Ray picks himself off the floor, he explains that Alice is deathly afraid of bananas!! I guess there was some incident involving a banana and an out of control elephant when she was younger. I kid you not; I'm not making this up!

But she's really shaken up now, and leaves as soon as Ray finishes explaining. I think its really bizarre, but I feel bad, because I know she's totally embarrassed about her phobia, on top of feeling terrible after having almost touched a banana. So now I have to find a flower store and get her something. I hope she's not afraid of carnations.