This is a Hostelling International Hostel in Arica.
I picked this hostel in a rush, feeling pressured by my taxi driver to come up with a destination and quick. My friend and I had been on the road since 5 a.m. (coming in from Arequipa, Peru). We were pooped. We settled. We promised to never settle again, regardless of how exhausted we were.
The hostel is out of town. Close to the bus station, but a collectivo ride away from downtown and the beaches.
The owner, Ricardo (I think), was very friendly. It was just such a delight to speak English to someone other than my friend. He said he had been napping (it was 5 p.m.). He smelt of alcohol. That should have been our first clue. He was also a big fan of the F. word.
The painting on the front gate is attractive. The tags on the inside, not so much.
We're offered the dorm room. We're to share with a guy (failed to mention our roommate was middle aged and a smoker). There are penises drawn around the room. One, on the... more