"Gringo" hostels and snobbery

Often maligned so called "gringo" hostels seem to come in for some stick from a certain section of traveller. While it’s always nice to meet some locals and get to know there culture the fact is that a large majority of travellers love to socialize with people from their own cultures or even countries. It is nearly always far easier to bond make friends and have a laugh if people speak the same languages. Sometimes differences in culture and humour are just too great even when the locals speak English or vice versa, so often we all too often head to the so called gringo hostels to meet people and party, and why the hell not? Some so called hippy travellers will try to dismiss these hostels as uncultured etc but those know that it is just all about fun times and making friends. 

The misconception that people who go to gringo hostels like The Point, Loki, Wild Rover is that they are uncultured and or only interested in getting drunk. Indeed partying is a big part of the experience, however, many of the people who stay in these hostels have juts as much interest in cultural activities and experiencing local life as any other traveller.  Or perhaps one sometimes goes off and stays in small hospedajes or B and Bs while exploring places off the gringo trail and so it’s always nice when coming back to a big city or traveller hot spot to have some unashamed fun in a gringo hostel. This hostel snobbery that some people seem to have is completely arrogant and unjust in its routes, and really has no place in my travel world.

Karl Sheedy