Over the past 3 weeks, I have met over 50 different travelers from at least 20 different countries. The majority of the guests have been extremely open, friendly and respectful of others. It makes me realize that traveling really is a form of international diplomacy, where hostels can be a melting pot for individuals from different cultures and life experiences to come together and discuss a plethora of topics. As my friend Kjetil (pronounced “SHI-TELL”) from Norway calls them, these “Mini UN congregations” are one of the greatest parts of traveling, as individuals can return to their respective home countries with a more positive and open view of the other cultures and peoples that inhabit our world. Interestingly, Kjetil also remarked that this phenomena is true in Norway, where Norwegians who live closer to the border of Sweden are much less likely to be xenophobic than those who are isolated in the western and northern regions of the country.
• Kjetil and friends. Photo courtesy of the author.•
Miles and Elizabeth just came back yesterday, and we have been putting our minds together to get as much work done before I leave on Thursday. We still have to get murals of Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines painted in the Peru Room, and also add decorations, a sound system and lighting to the bar. Once these finishing touches are done, we will hold our “Wandering Paisa inauguration party” and invite everyone who has helped us thus far. Its unbelievable how fast time has flown the past three weeks, and I am saddened but also somewhat relieved to be leaving so soon. I am very lucky and thankful that Miles and Elizabeth will be here to continue working on this project while I am finishing graduate school in Monterey for the next 5 months. Its great that we have such a amazing team helping us realize our dream. Until next time,
Brent
That sounds like a really interesting experience. Having traveled a bit myself, I have met many people from around the world, but never as concentrated as in your past few weeks at the hostel. Do you have game rooms or multilingual dictionaries that people who don’t speak the same languages can use to communicate in some way? I like the visual of the ‘mini-UN’ meetings in the hammocks with people telling stories about their lives and their countries. Do many of them intend to keep in touch after they leave The Wandering Paisa?