One day I woke up on the Californian coastline, not far from where Jim Morrison meet with Ray Manzarek on the wide sandy beach and The Doors was born in 1965. I got out of my bed and walked over to open the window to observe the bohemian spirit of Venice buzzing beach and witness the hustling on the boardwalk from my hostel room. I was young and ready to explore the world at 22. I had been living in Bakersfield (2 hours north from L.A.) and took some time off work as I was heavily involved in the extreme sports lifestyle and touring for my sponsors for In-Line skating. After seven weeks of working, touring, filming and drowning my soul with American shitty watery booze, it came to a point, that I needed a break due to my body was bashed up & bruised out from all the falls & injuries from skating. I did not just come to Untied States of America to skate and do what I enjoy with a passion, but as a young athlete and living in the moment of my prime within the In-line world. I was ready to experience a new adventure of my own, away from what I knew.
The word, 'Hostel' was new to me at 22 years old. When I was touring Los Angeles to San Diego, heading out to a few skate spots to get some footage of shredding rails, leaping over huge gaps and what not possible to do with our feet connected to soul plates for extreme creativity. A buddy from the UK told me about a hostel on Venice Beach. He stayed there on his first few nights in California. He gave out good recommendation and suggested to anyone who wanted to stay by the beach a few days and also informs us that the hostel has a bar inside on the 2nd floor and 70% chance to meet girls. An image came to my mind - Beach, Babes and Beer. Not only that, but a chance to go somewhere solo and not related to my sport whatsoever. A month later I booked an reservations at for ten days hoping my mate meant his word on his rewiew.
When I first arrived. I had no expectation only the fact that the dorms will be messy with 7 other travelers in the same room and it was that. I made some friends from my room. Beside my bed, I proudly lay up one of my stickers from my sponsors on the wall. (In fact, two years later, a skater from Australia stayed in the same room at the same hostel. He had sent me an photo via Myspace and the sticker was still on the wall after all thoses years!) For a few days I took it easy by the beach and didnt drink too much. I just wanted to heal my body from the injuries. By the forth day I was back into "let's rock this town" attitude.
I went out one day with a mixed group of travellers that I had hang out with from the Hostel Bar and we decided to tour the city together. Mixed cultures from Australia, few Irish girls, Pommy lads from Manchester, a guy from Brazil who I'd had befriended very fast with and two girls from Switzerland, from the ages 21 to 28. There was a record store in Santa Monica and I went in spending a fair amount of time, I came to discover the MC5 live bootleg anthology. This album was a music collectors must have. A fucking rare CD with limited copies and impossible to find. For those who are unfamiliar of the band, the MC5's leftist political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk movement in the United States. This was before the The Clash, Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls. MC5 was very loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock and roll included elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. The MC5 are the godfathers of punk music. Iggy Pop and The Stooges were their side band back in 1967 before Iggy Pop was famous. The MC5 was a band who happen to be way ahead of their time. They gave birth to the real fuck you attitude back in the hippy peace loving heydays. There was no question in my mind refused to buy this album over The White Stripes Under Blackpool Lights DVD, there was simply no question about it. I felt so overwhelmed and walked out the store like I just won the jackpot in a Casino. This put me in a good mood for the next few days and didn't listen to it til a month later because I was too nervous. That very same night the group from daytour headed out bar hopping on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Then again, young and just over the legal age to drink in United States and just enjoying my company of new friends who where not related to my extreme sports lifestyle. My buddy from Brazil, Pedro, had hit it off with one of the girls from Switzerland, and I manage to hit it off with her friend. Pedro's girl was a hottie, she was blonde with great breast and physically in good shape. Her friend, Swissy was a real nice well mannered girl, very cute with brown hair. Cute smile and 23 years old.
When we got back to Venice that same night, all four of us went to the beach, Swissy & I went to the kids playground area at the beach, while Pedro and his girl went else where. I ended up having sex with Swissy in the playground, it was my very first outdoor sexual experience in and I was loving the excitement although was feeling a bit weird out at first but once I began to let go of my worries. The shipped sailed smoothly. (Outdoor Sex = Awesome!.) An hour or so later, We both looking out to the dark Pacific ocean, we're smoking a Marlboro with small talks of travel related subjects, then the other two returned with a sign of disappointment on their faces. I remember the conversation and here is an sample of it -
Swissy - "What's wrong ?" (In english)
Pedro - "It's ok, we enjoying the moment, enjoy the moment, we had fun. It's ok." (Says it with a bit of frustration)
Me - "What the fuck is going on here ?" (I asked with confusion)
Hot Swiss Friend - "We both have boyfriends back home and live with them" (Tone was calm with guilt to it while Swissy looks at me with embarrassment)
Me - "It is all good, enjoy the moment, they won't know, different area code, so don't worry about it" (I cheerfully say)
After that drama, we all headed back to the Hostel and Pedro heads back into his dorm, pissed off as he told me he was not happy with the sex and didn't finish. I was laughing inside but actually felt bad for the guy at the same time. Me & Swissy chilled out and sitting in the hallway because the bar/lounge room was closed. We ended getting more phyical in the shower and the next day before she went to the airport. I can never remember her name but I do remember what she looks like to this day. She will always be my first hostel girl. I sound like an asshole right? Don't matter she had a boyfriend back in Switzerland waiting for her. I wonder what ever happened to her. By all means, I do hope all is well.
Towards the end of my stay in Venice Beach, on another night I was out in a bar in Venice, with a guy from Germany and two guys from Dublin that I met early at the hostel and had some pre-drinks. We entered into a bar across the road from the hostel and this place was really cool with an underground area with live performances. You could see the photos of famous rock stars who have destroyed their livers at the bars or performed an epic show. It was a real CBGB feel to it (CBGB was a famous Punk bar in New York City from the 70's til early 2000's)
Our mate, Germany is more handsome, tall and fit compared to me and the Irish. He just sat down drinking his coke as he doesn't drink alcohol or smoke. I stranger asked him if he was selling any drugs, he freaks out and tell him to walk away. Then, Germany meets a girl with a friend while me and the two Irish lads are happy drunk with full of confidence. I walked over to Germany and ruined his conversation with the girl who matched his height as I wanted him to introduce me the two girls who where slightly older than me. After he did, all six of us do shots and enjoy the rest of the performance from the band until closing.
The two girls dragged Germany and myself into the taxi after the bar, to go to one of the girl's house. After the short cab ride and progressing my chances to sleep with shorter one, I am very keen to see her naked and make my country proud. She was house-sitting her parents house while they were away on vacations. Germany and I came to discover a spa at the backyard. Two bottles of wine and we all got naked and jumped in. In the warm bubbling water with my radar having only one girl on it's mind. I made finally get with the short girl and Germany wonders off with his lady companion into the house.
Spending the night with miss California was ok and I do recall that the sex did not last a very long. She just laid there like a tree and I did all the work. I was expecting a little more education from her since she was older with more experience. We passed out after that. The next day Germany had already gone by the time I got up and I was concerned at first until I saw his new girlfriend who got mad, ending up punching me once in the shoulder because she got a parking fine and Germany was suppose to wake her up so she could move her car in the morning. I guess they must have had an agreement before making love and Germany fled out in the morning to not go through their deal. She was pissed off, chain smoking while drinking her Starbucks coffee. The short girl didn't remember very much of the night before and asked if we had performed protected sex and I confirmed that we did. She was relieved. She tells me how drunk she was and maybe it explains why it was missionary all the way from start to finish. After recap, she kindly directed me how to walk back to the hostel. I was hang over, felt like I had been walking in the desert for days with hunger and had a fucking disturbing headache. It was a dreadful hour of walk, back to Venice beach under the hot California sun.
On my way back to Venice Beach along the boardwalk, dehydrated at 22 years old, I convinced myself that hostels were one of the best ways to meet new people if you are traveling alone. Walking into an international dorm with a variety of different characters and cultures to the unknown zone is where you'll meet strangers and new boundaries on the horizon to go and explore the unexpected that awaits for you.