I have stayed in a hostel when traveling and I have been the housemother/chaperone another time. Despite the name the hostels I have stayed in were never just for youths.

The last one I stayed in was a major surprise for me, though.

I had been assigned a bed; I hadn't unpacked but I had a bathrobe on the chosen bunk and my bag was in the closet. There were three other bunks in the room, all vacant.

I had a fun, interesting evening downstairs talking with young people who were a mix of mountain climbers and long-distance bikers. Finally I excused myself and went upstairs for bed.

I opened the bedroom door- and the first thing I saw was a large, bare, hairy, unmistakably male leg attached to a sleeping form sprawled across a bed.


The first time I had been faced with a gender-free hostel.