It is official. I detest the top bunk. And snoring dorm companions. And lack of air conditioning. Welcome to the world of youth hostel dormitories. After the luxury of being able to afford hotels and private hostel rooms in China, I was given a rude shock when I returned to the world of hostel dormitories on my recent trip.
Unnecessary and inconsiderate noise is not welcome in a hostel dormitory
Top bunks. Some have no ladder. Others, no safety railing. Some even require you to become a hunchback on your knees as you struggle to organise your bedding in a space with no head room. In the past three weeks, I have slept in them all. I seemed to have very little luck in securing a bottom bunk wherever I went.
My first night in New York was a night of insomnia thanks to my snoring room mates. Ear plugs and an eye mask did not work. Neither did a pillow over my head. The next night was slightly better when one of my dorm companions awoke the snoring culprit and told her (in a strong German accent), "You sound like a machine, be quiet!" Things got a lot better when I purchased some natural sleeping tablets. Problem solved for the rest of the trip.
You don't often get the luxury of air conditioning in a dorm room, which doesn't make for a comfortable night of sleeping when you are sharing and can't strip off!
Experiencing all these negatives sure does make one learn how to cope with them quickly. As my holiday progressed, I refined my hostelling habits and now have it down to a fine art. Here is what I learnt:
- Arrive early in the day. This way, you are more likely to secure a bottom bunk and can claim hanging space on the hooks as well as your choice of locker.
- Organise your clothes and showering things the night before. This way, you can sneak out quietly in the morning without becoming one of those annoying 'I'm so inconsiderate, I'm going to wake everyone up' kind of people. Likewise, if you're going to be out late at night, organise your 'going to bed' items so that you won't disturb others.
- Wear ear plugs, an eye mask and take a sleeping tablet (but make sure it is one that isn't going to knock you out too much .... you don't want to wake up and find that all your belongings are gone).
- Sleep with your money and cards in one of those comfortable (not) money belt/shoulder bag contraptions.
- If it is a hot night and there is no air conditioning, take a freezing cold shower before you go to bed. You're less likely to want to strip off in the middle of the night.
- If you are lucky enough to snare a bottom bunk, use the slates of the above bunk to tuck your wet (but not dripping - you don't want to sleep in a wet bed) laundry in so they can dry during the day. Try not to do this when the person above you is in the bed ... they might think you are a bit weird.
- Occasionally book a night in either a private room or a nice hotel (unfortunately, my splurge at Martha's Vineyard was rudely interrupted by the theft of my wallet). Sharing a bedroom and bathroom with 9 other girls is kind of like being back at university and not in a good way.
My next trip (in just over 2 weeks!) will be part hotel/part hostel. The hostels I found in Orlando are all priced between $10 and $20 a night .... but with less than favourable reviews (the price itself should be an indication, I guess), so I will be staying in the trusty Holiday Inn. Miami hostels are all party hostels (a positive review consists of describing how many times you vomited while partying there while the negative reviews describe various sexual acts taking place in dormitories), but I seem to have found a reasonable one for an old fogey like me who just wants to go to the beach and admire the architecture. The upside of hostelling is, of course, meeting lots of new people and forging friendships around the world.
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