Happy Holidays!

Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays!

 

Ozell and I are spending our Xmas waiting at the hostel for our overnight bus to Porto Alegre, Brazil.  We leave at 9:50pm tonight and should arrive somewhere around 8am tomorrow morning.  We couldn't find any hostels in Porto Alegre so we are staying in a hotel tomorrow night.  It wasn't that all of the hostels were fully booked.  There just don't seem to be any hostels in PA which is quite strange since the city has 1.6 million people.  It isn't a big tourist destination, but it is the largest city in southern Brazil.  We will be staying with a couch surfer on Saturday and Sunday night.  It will be only our second stay with a couch surfer since we started this trip.

 

Someone asked me recently why we haven't stayed with more couch surfers so far.  There are a few reasons... sometimes we think the social atmosphere of a hostel is nice, sometimes we want to have our own room (which is not guaranteed with a couch surfer, if fact it is relatively rare), we almost always want to be within walking distance of the center city, main attractions, and the nightlife, and we are openly queer.  The combination of all those factors sometimes makes the pool of potential couch surfers a little small.  We do hope to do it a little more often when we can because it does save a chunk of money.

 

Staying here in Punta del Este for a couple extra days turned out to be fine.  It was nothing but sunshine yesterday so we spent a great Christmas Eve afternoon on the beach!  Even in San Diego, it is too chilly to layout on the beach this time of year- at least usually.  I'm trying to get some more sun before spending the majority of the next two months along the Brazilian coast.  The hostel was full yesterday and is again today.  There was a group dinner last night.  Unfortunately, Ozell and I didn't eat very much because we were trying to be polite and make sure everyone got something to eat.  We didn't drink the provided liquor either.  Then, we find out that the dinner cost $12!  so we should have eaten much more than we got.  I thought the hostel workers were just putting together a nice Christmas Eve dinner for the guests.  We didn't hear anything about money until it was all done.  Lol

 

This hostel is a little bit unique.  I have stayed in one or two which have a similar feel, but that is it.  It is owned and operated by a couple of young surfers.  I think they just wanted to live close to the ocean and surf so they use their house as a hostel.  And it is just that...  a residential house.  It is a little cramped but homey and welcoming.  It is what you would think a young, male surfer's house would be like.  Maybe we should take some pics before we leave.

 

Well, I want to take a walk and see if I can find some food even though I suspect everything is closed today.

 

Chat more later...

 

Sean