Denver International Youth Hostel

My friend and I had stopped by here back in July 2005. I had planned to stay at least 2 nights, but ended up staying only one. The place isn't in the best part of town, but we knew that going in (my buddy made the mistake of bumming a cig to a burnout in the nearby park and was instantly mobbed by 4 more with one even offering him a shiney dime for a smoke).

You ever seen the movie Sling Blade with Billy Bob Thornton? Remember how his character would say "mmm hmmm" in a creepy kinda way after every sentence? The front desk clerk did exactly the same thing! I didn't know whether to burst out laughing or be scared he was going to bludgeon me while sleeping.

The fully booked dorm room my friend and I stayed in housed at least 4 people, perminently; they're belongings laid out on the floor around their bunk along with coat racks filled with shirts, pants, and socks. They seemed like nice people though. One had been kicked out by his wife 3 months earlier and was always drunk, but he had an ear for funk music, so I let him borrow one of my funk CD's for a day. When I came back it was coated with dried soda and unplayable. That was fine, it was a burned copy, but have some respect for others property!

This small "family" of perminent tenents obviously didn't clean their bathroom, as the shower floor was completly black with mildew and dirt. I guess the operators of the hostel didn't bother to check on the rooms. The back of the building was lined with catwalks and fire escapes and was the place to hang out and scope out drug deals in the back alley.

You gotta keep in mind that it was only 10 dollars a night though. So I guess I got what I paid for; a bed to pass out in after going out to a jazz bar, a shower (however nasty it was), and a cheap stay. At least it gave me a few good storys to tell my friends back home.