A HI Connect Experience in Spain

After arriving at the airport, I didn’t have any problems getting from there to the hostel, since Maria Eugenia, the hostel’s manager, was very kind to explain everything to me in great detail beforehand. The traffic in the city was also very organised, which made my first day there as well as all the rest incredibly simple.

I was kindly welcomed in La Florida and they gave me a room with a bathroom in the part of the hostel intended for students; the latter represent a considerable part of all the guests.

As a token of gratitude for my work at the hostel, I could stay there for free and I also got three free meals per day. I should also mention that everything the kitchen staff prepared was delicious and we could all hardly wait for lunch and dinner. My work included helping at the reception desk where I was accompanied by an employee most of the time, usually by Diana. Right after my arrival, Maria Eugenia pointed out to me that what they desperately needed was help with communicating with guests, since English wasn’t a requirement for the job listing. What was required, though, was Spanish, along with Valencian. That’s because Alicante is located in the autonomous community of Valencia. Since I’m fluent in Spanish, my stay there consisted of constant interpreting of conversations from one language into another. It was at that moment that I realised that interpreting isn’t as easy as it might look.

I used my free time, which was plentiful despite all the work, exploring the city and its surroundings. The temperatures were just right for a visit to the beach, which most often happened to be the Playa del Postiguet, located right next to the city centre. The St. Barbara hill rises above the beach and there’s a castle on top. It’s one of the numerous sights and a point of interest, which offers a wonderful view over the city. Alicante is a very green city despite its arid climate with the lack of rainfall. It has many parks and a lot of green spaces in general. Parks are especially important because they provide shade in the hot summer days when temperatures reach up to 40 degrees. In my opinion, El Palmeral is one of the most beautiful parks. It’s a remnant of an old palm tree forest and has quite a few bodies of water, small waterfalls and also includes a covered area where various events take place. It is located directly by the sea on the outskirts of Alicante.

The city boasts numerous museums, many of which either have free admission or a small entrance fee. They’re financed by the municipality, which aims to promote tourism in the entire region. Despite all this, I was surprised to learn that the city doesn’t receive as many visitors as is usually the case in other tourist spots in large cities.

One of my favourite museums was the Museo de Hogueras, which has a collection of art from Las Hogueras de San Juan holiday throughout different years. Alicante’s Las Hogueras de San Juan is the most typical one, even though it’s celebrated in various other cities in Spain. The celebrations take place around St. John’s Day (24 June) and last from 20 to 24 June each year. It’s famous for its bonfire making tradition and folklore parades. The preparations last all year and reach a climax in June.

One of the must-see sights when visiting the region is definitely Isla de Tabarca. It’s a small island located just a few kilometres off the coast, which is visited by many tourist boats and ships, which sail out from mainland each day. It’s considered a protected area with beautiful beaches and is perfect for all kinds of water sports, especially scuba diving.

The most famous city in the whole Costa Blanca, though, is undoubtedly Benidorm, a city of mass tourism. Once a small village, it has now become an enormous resort that is crowded by British tourists. Even during my trip there the city was crowded, but according to the locals, whose numbers are slowly dwindling, it was just the start of a long and strong tourist season. You can clearly notice the attitude of tourists who come to Spain mostly because of low prices and pay no respect whatsoever to the environment, the well-being of the region or its development.

Despite the fact that this wasn’t my first visit to Spain, I was surprised by the openness of the locals, their laid-back attitude and the hospitality, which they extend to tourists if they only show some effort to try to understand their language and culture. By the way, the latter isn’t as different as it seems at first.

I earned excellent experience working at the hostel and it enabled me to get to know many people. Mostly tourists, of course. Those who don’t speak Spanish and who are happy to see someone coming to their aid and helping them communicate with the locals. The hostel hosted many groups of young people during my stay. It has a lot of common spaces and also a few classrooms and rooms for activities, lectures or simply social events. When I was working at the hostel, other employees were extremely helpful and they warmly welcomed every guest, and, thanks to them, time went by even more quickly.

Sometimes you just have to set your second thoughts and minor fears aside, step out of your comfort zone and venture out into the complete unknown. When you end up in a foreign land all by yourself you get to know yourself better and get a greater understanding of your own skills and abilities. The new experience helps you gain greater independence and more confidence, and you start trusting yourself more.

I would like to thank Hostelling International Slovenia for this unforgettable experience.

Simona Petrič