A Social Experiment

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There is no doubt about it. This definitely is a party hostel, meaning that all of the social scene revolves around this enclosed Irish pub. And it is going strong at all hours of the day, especially now that it is the weekend and there is sport on all day. It certainly is a younger crowd, but that doesn't bother me. I had big nights last night and Friday. Although, I have a feeling that the nights continue long after I fall asleep in my bunk.

What´s crazy about all this is that when you wake up to have breakfast it is held in the bar. And there having breakfast with you are all the faces from last night's crowd. It is all a little surreal, but there is a sense of camaraderie about it. I am just excited that they serve breakfast until noon!

The back courtyard where my room is located is quieter. There you can sit and talk to the other travelers around you while you move with the sunshine as the shadows encroach. It is the only way to stay warm. Once you are out of the sun's rays it is quite chilly. It reminds me of "spring" days in Sapporo. Here though it is the day of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

This weekend I have been spending most of my time in the hostel. It is also where I eat my meals. This means that I haven´t had to use Spanish at all. So besides for my long city walks I haven´t really tried Bolivia. The hostel is a fun diversion and an interesting social experiment, but it is not the country. I need to get more adventurous and travely. I am looking forward to getting off into the nature surrounding Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol. After reading Pico Iyer´s book about stillness I am anxious to put some of that into practice.

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