A Last Hurrah in Xela

To reconnect with friends, speak some more Spanish, and visit a familiar place, I headed to Xela for the week. Wow, the machismo is intense here! It's amazing what a two week break will let you forget. After the guy running the lavandaria where I head my clothes washed tried to kiss me on the mouth to wish me luck with my travels, a man tried to kiss my arm as he crept by on his bike, and a minibus tried to convince me to get in with the two guys manning the rig. They said they would take me anywhere for free. No thanks!

So, I leave Xela and my mixed ability to speak Spanish with sorrow and relief.

But, I can say with assurance, that my hostel was, without a doubt, the best, hippest place in Xela: Los Chocoyos. It's a hostel, a cultural center, an artisan shop. It has a bar, hosts events, and has a shared kitchen where pretty much anything goes. Some places have weird rules about shared kitchens...this one is straight forward.

So, here was were I've lived for the last week: Los Chocoyos.

Los Chocoyos is only a couple of blocks from downtown, so it's possible to have an early night if you wish. It's also across the street from Blue Angel Video Cafe, where you can watch a movie any time of the day and has some of the cheapest, healthiest food in town. El Ifinito, a super hip vegetarian cafe and coffee/Internet bar is the next door over.

The entrance is captivating and welcoming.

Art gallery, wi-fi bar, restaurant, drinks, and lots of natural light (which sometimes acts like a greenhouse and gets unbearably hot).

Murals fill the place, along with art exhibits that change every month.

A Salsa company practices on the dance floor most mornings. OK, yes, the 7am practice with blaring salsa music was a bit much!

Each room has four beds in it...one downstairs in the cool (literally cooler as it was build of rock), and three upstairs in a loft area. The bathrooms had hot water, so clean I could eat off the floor, towels, soap, shampoo,...

I chose the middle bed. I liked the brown bed throw and somehow being in the middle seemed just right. Comfy beds, free bottled water...a great place to stay.