This is a thrilling swashbuckling tale of friendships, tomfoolery and merriment, forged in the strangest of places: a quirky hostel, tucked away in the dusty, winding Neapolitan streets.
Well, actually, it’s just me recounting 5 days spent in Napoli, with some wonderful humans: fuelled by enough pizza and cocktails to sink the Titanic.
My trip is not off to the ideal start, as I arrive in what can only be described as a questionable back-end street.
Thankfully, I am neither raped, plundered nor murdered in the fifteen or so minutes I spend outside the hostel gate, buzzing the intercom in the sticky heat. This is before a delightfully passive aggressive email somehow finds its way to the hostel’s email inbox.
As if by magic, the main door gate buzzes open with a satisfying click – by which time there are probably several new legions of bacteria thriving in my back sweat: having evolved in the tropical ‘furnaces of hell’ in the spaces between backpack, t-shirt and skin.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the hostel was a complete sh*thole upon first glance, however, after ascending the million or so steep steps to the second floor, I’m treated to some absolutely beautiful murals, adorning the walls of the common areas and kitchen.
‘Bohemian Neapolitan chic’ comes to mind, as I find my way to the kitchen and whack the percolator onto the hob, selecting one of the mismatching mugs from the side, to flood some much-needed caffeine into my system.
It’s not long before I’ve made a merry clan of international hostel buddies: British Will, Aussie Will, Alma and Mic from Canada, Nico from Italy and Max and Lilly from the US.
Within a few hours of knowing each other, we have forged our own dysfunctional little family unit, built on ‘in’ jokes and barrels o’ laugher - accelerated no doubt by my token oversharing and the breaking of bread (and several glasses of cheap plonk).
The world is put to rights whilst munching on snacks, imparting travel tales and bonding over our third-degree burns (trying to light the gas burners with a lighter).
Let us not forget mocking the kitchen wall mural (spookily resembling Michael Jackson being told off by a teacher for hiding a sweet in class).
I don’t even bat an eyelid, as I recall leaving the kitchen at one point during my stay, to discover Alma and Mic choreographing and practising a line dance in the common area. ‘It’s a vibe’ as Mic would say.
On one of the mornings during my stay, the hostel owner, angrily bursts into the communal area with a face like thunder - “Were you guys drinking wine late last night?’. I avoid eye contact and plead the fifth. Apparently, the locals aren’t too keen on clinking of wine glass and echoes of laughter, echoing out into the Neapolitan skyline.
One of the many wonders of travel, is the absolute certainty of forming lifelong friendships. I love the way ‘us strays’ flock together – we always find our tribe.
I’m not exactly sure how, in an alien place, where no-one knows you – you can be fully cherished as your wonderful weird self…even celebrated for that matter.
I’m also never surprised by how small the world is, as I bump into Vinny in the communal area (who I met in Malaga last month) he is also staying here!
I’ll look back at my 5 days spent in Napoli, mainly through the lens of my heart, liver and stomach: no doubt the best pizza in the world, far too many spritzes consumed and a wonderful warm and fuzzy feeling of friendship.
The one thing I know to be true (despite it being a massive cliché) is that anywhere you lay your head you can make your home – coming from a man who ‘borrowed’ two fans and directed them onto his hostel bed.
I can’t help but smile to myself at some of the fun and laughter we all shared at 1am, outside the grumpy Italian guys newsagent/ bar, round the corner from the hostel, as he begrudgingly pours out our 1.5 EUR limoncello and aperol spritzers.
Mic was right – it’s a vibe.
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I’d love for you to check out some of Max’s amazing art – I’ve put a link to his work here.
Instagram:
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📸 'My hostel family'
📸 Out For Dinner with my new buddies
📸 Is this Michael Jackson being told off by a teacher for eating a sweet in class?
📸 Drinks at our fave Newsagent/ Bar and spitzers for 1.5. EUR!
📸 British Will
I love your adventures!
I love this! Beautifully written