Happy Hostelling

Part III - Ten Day Jaunt in Mexico

WHAT is that?! If you guessed "tool shed" or "storage room", I wouldn't blame you. I myself thought the same but in fact it is my private room (the only one!) at Hostal K'angi in Queretaro. Notice the number 6 above the door? Comes with its own toilet and shower facilities too, all for a nightly rate of roughly $17 - not a bad deal. Colorfully painted in a combination of blue and fuschia, Hostal K'angi is located in a nice, quiet, upscale part of town, and was recently opened in early 2006 by two young entrepreneur women (yes, I spent half my time in Queretaro flirting with them and didn't get to see much :-D). The faded "look" was not done on purpose but rather was caused by rains that washed away the improperly-mixed powdered paint, according to Ana.

So what was I doing staying in cheap hostels, in some cases sharing bathrooms down the hall with strangers? Well, the operative word here is "cheap", as in "cheap bastard". LOL. I figured that since I got a free flight, I'd take the cheapo-fest further and stay in hostels for the entire trip. Also, hostels are the best way to meet other travellers on the road. So all I was after were basic, clean, and safe rooms. Of course, sometimes you also get weird (I prefer the term "unique") room interiors like this Martian floating above my bed at Hostalito Guanajuato, painted on the flimsy room divider that doesn't do much to suppress the sounds emanating from the adjoining bedroom. Kinda creepy having someone (something?) peering down at you in your finest sleepwear.

In some cases, guests take matters into their own hands and express their artistic talents on the walls, like my room at Hostel Moneda in Mexico City. The Lonely Planet guidebook actually said that, although it didn't indicate if they were stoned as well. After staying at four different hostels, I can wholeheartedly recommend all of them, and not just as a form of self-inflicted torture for my enemies. True, a little sacrifice in comfort is necessary, but this is offset by the hostels' central location, value for money proposition, free high-speed Internet (!), and opportunities to interact with other travellers.

Nowadays, checking hostel facilities, amenities and rates, reviewing previous guests' feedback, and even making bunk/room reservations worldwide has become easy. (I pre-booked all my rooms). Some websites to consult are HostelWorld and Hostels.com. I wouldn't expect much info regarding interior decoration though.