Hostel life: the good, the bad and the ugly
We usually call it โstaff dormโ because even if youโre just a volunteer, you will be placed in a fuzzy hole that rooms all the staff of the place youโre volunteering in.
Itโs always a different experience, you know. In Colombia, I had the coziest bed like I was back home; in Ecuador, more or less good because there were only three of us in a room, and in Peru โ filthy, shitty but the best people are in it.
When youโre traveling, you canโt always choose where to sleep. Sometimes, you arrive last and all the bottom bunks are occupied but after a while, when youโve stayed long enough and someone leaves, you are not considered the newbie anymore and you can always say โIโm taking that bed.โ
A year of volunteering (almost) will make you respect peopleโs differences and learn to live the life given to you without asking โIs this alright with you?โ
Of course, they donโt ask that. They just say โthis is your room. Welcome.โ and youโll just find your way how to fit in those beds that make your spinal column hurt for three days, learn to like the people you are going to volunteer with for a long time and just TRY TO FIT.
For starters, I didnโt have problems getting along with people. Growing up, my mother always told me to respect peopleโs differences, not identify humans with their skin color and if you donโt like someone, walk away and donโt pick a fight.
Iโve applied that here, really. My life in the Philippines was spent around people talking about other peopleโs lives and for a year now, not once did I do that here.
I mean, come on, โmind your own businessโ is really applicable. Stress-free, happy, who wouldnโt like that?
In this post, I will be talking about all the staff dorm secrets that Iโve experienced and learned by just being here. 100% good, little bad things along the way and some are really ugly.
Brace yourselves. You are about to enter the world of bunk beds.
The Good: people = Friends
Iโve met real people who are just comfortable with their skin and do not need to pretend who they are. โWhat you see is what you get.โ
How they are traveling, how they got here with little money in their pockets, and best of all, how many doesnโt matter. Well, we donโt have it really but it just doesnโt affect how everyone is trying to live their life โ TO THE FULLEST.
You all come from different countries, different family backgrounds and somehow, youโll learn a lot from these people.
Staff Room Parties
โฆ always the best. After a long night of working at the bar, we donโt even stay there. Everyone knows where to go when itโs โclosing timeโ.
We all just come to a consensus of storming the doors of โour roomโ with bottles on our hands, cigarette packs, and figuring out how to keep quiet because the bossโs room is just next to us.
Still, no matter how you want to keep quiet, I believe this is something that no one can control. Every hour, someone will try to knock on the door to say โguys, keep it down.โ
Of course, we will for a minute or two until the one who always knocks eventually gives up. Win-win. He gets to sleep and we get to continue the party.
The Job is Always Fulfilling
Volunteering made me the person I am now โ a person of culture, of diversity, a person who is hungry to learn more.
Never in my life have I felt so happy with bartending or cooking in the kitchen because back home, if you donโt have a high-end job, people will look at you differently.
But these jobs I had, theyโre just amazing. I wouldnโt do it any other way because I learned how to speak fluent Spanish, made friends all over the world, knew how to eat (eating is an art, you know) just by volunteering.
The Bad: Youโre Not Always On The Mood
From partying and drinking every night, there are just days that you want peace. Iโve had times when I just want to meditate thinking itโs possible but itโs not.
Youโre in a small room with 12 beds and thereโs not really much space for peace. Of course, you can always go out but what if you want to sleep and the others are just in a mood for partying?
Luckily, I am planning to write about โHow To Live (aka Survive) in Staff Dormsโ too so keep it here!
There will be one volunteer whoโs never in the mood
More often than not, there will be an odd one out who will eventually complain if heโs had enough. The bad thing is that he wouldnโt even talk to you about it but will go straight to the manager.
Oopppsss, weโre in trouble. He would probably make things worst to force the management to have โstaff dorm rules.โ
โOh, theyโre taking drugs.โ
โI canโt sleep because theyโre smoking marijuanaโ and all those kinds of exaggerations.
There are some people who are not on the same wavelength as you are. Iโve had rough days too but as the saying goes, โmajority wins.โ
If itโs only me complaining and all the rest are enjoying it, I could definitely adjust. Before I came to Peru to volunteer at a bar, I remember a story of someone storming out and quitting her volunteer job because he couldnโt take the smoke and the noise inside the room.
She actually gave me that volunteering spot because if she didnโt leave, they wouldnโt accept me.
Hostel life: the ugly
Filthy Toilet, Dirty Floor, and Rotten Food
After the night of the party, no one remembers to clean. In the morning, everyone just walks around and takes a shower ignoring all the trash from last night.
As for me, I couldnโt stand it. I always clean. I mean come on! The staff room is the size of a childโs nursery and itโs not that hard to just pick up stuff, put the plates in the kitchen, broom, and wipe the floor.
Iโm not being a doormat by cleaning. I just grew up with the fear of rats and I would never ever want a rat crawling my bed while I sleep.
No. Never. Please. No. Staff dorm parties wonโt make me quit my volunteering job but the rats will.
Staff Room Sex
The ugliest but somehow, I learned to deal with. Letโs talk like adults here and you know I would always speak the truth. The party doesnโt stop with drinking.
There are 12 of you in the room and there will always be two people who will eventually end up having sex. Imagine being really drunk, all you want to do is fall asleep and get ready for your shift the next day but these two people JUST.CANโT.HELP.IT.
If theyโre not on your bunk, hallelujah! But if they are on top of you (or even at the bottom), prepare for a night of head-spinning, hearing them do it and a bumpy sleep like you are being pushed in a hammock.
Uglier than that, really. Either way, youโre in the same room so youโll eventually hear something. Along with that, there will be other volunteers who are snoring. Double that pain.
Apart from that, there will always be that distinct smell that is parading around the room. It can be anything, really. Socks, food, people not showering, etc.
I do not regret anything though. Living in staff rooms has been the best ride of my life. I wouldnโt trade it for anything else.
Now that Iโve told you the good, the bad, and the ugly, do you still think you can volunteer?
i genuinely cant imagine spending an entire year in a dorm room. Good on you, I’d go spare! great post!
Well, there were really nice dorm rooms that I stayed in! ๐
hahaha. that’s awesome.
Nope nope nope! Haha, much respect that you can ‘go with the flow’ but this is exactly why I can’t stay in huge dorm rooms when I travel. Just not my style!
My first time was like a horror film. I actually thought it’s not my style too but as time goes, I finally adapted. It was really fun!
Can!!
hehe, I know this hostel.. I volunteered in the Cusco one ๐
Go for it, Cyril!
Sarah, when did you volunteer in Cusco? One of my mates here from Coventry also volunteered there for 3 months.
Michael right? I see him in the photo, haha yeah i worked with him!Really nice guy..
Yes!!! Johnson, the ukelele dude!!!
Actually, except for the trash-all-around-the-room part, all of these seem fun and exciting! Even the sex! We probably would end up farting trying to hold our guffaws in. We would happily take the chance to stay in a staff room. ๐