Dork Reports

I’ve already lost track but I’m pretty sure this is my fourth week of traveling through South America. After staying at a smattering of places here and there ranging from my own room to a 12-person dorm to a crammed ferry that included stinky cows, horses, and what we thought was rank feet but was really a rabbit, I can obviously say that having a private room is pretty nice no matter how basic it might be. The hostel thing definitely gets old, but it’s the best way to meet people along the way. I don’t mind staying in them (for the most part, and I tend to avoid the cheapest places available to weed out the riff raff) but in the few cases where either a bed wasn’t available or I just really couldn’t be bothered to save a few bucks and sacrifice some privacy, I’ve pretty much realized that every once in a while you just have to “treat” yourself.

Things that are greatly appreciated that one doesn’t realize until on the road, and this goes for hostels and other budget accommodation: 1) soap in the bathrooms – even if it’s the crap kind that sucks out the moisture from your skin because it sucks not feeling clean or not realizing there’s no soap until after you’ve already packed up and locked up your bags. 2) Towels – I have a pack towel but am constantly thinking about what dirty surfaces I’m putting my pack towel on to dry, and moving from one place to the other and having to think about when to shower so the towel will dry in time before embarking on an overnight bus ride sucks. Plus when there are towels that means I get to wash my pack towel for the next place that sucks and probably has no bathroom soap either. 3) Radiators or room fans – these become your best friend when you’ve done laundry in your sink even despite signs that plead for you not to do laundry in the sink. My theory is, if the sign is in Spanish, I can pretend not to understand and if it’s in English, I can also pretend not to understand, especially if it’s fobby. But anything to help dry clothes quicker before the employees yell at you for breaking their rules, or getting clothes dry before moving on so as not to have to wear damp clothes (curse you, dank fanless, radiator-less Curitiba hostel) to avoid your clothes smelling like dirty rags is great.

Anyway, because consumerism tells me I should celebrate Christmas but mostly because I’m self-indulgent and I don’t like public bathrooms, I decided to treat myself after my four night ferry ride and spend a whopping $35 US a night for my own room with private bath. This place has 1) soap, 2) towels, and 3) the freedom to hang my drying laundry wherever I please without fearing that some disrespectful hosteler is going to step on my clean underwear or knock my towel into a puddle on the ground. I’d say this was a pretty good chunk of money spent, even if I’m putting myself at risk of dying in a fire caused by wet clothes on the radiator.