Bunk

By Eric Tiettmeyer

This is a new column about experiences in sleep. Each issue, find the best ways and places to rest your head for the night.

It is said that Hong Kong is the gateway to Asia. If this is the case, Ma Wui Hall hostel, located in the hills above the main city, must be the shoestring traveler's key to that gateway.

Ma Wui Hall hostel is the kind of place that one should either start or end a journey, preferably.

One reason is its location. Perched near the top of the Victoria Peak, adjacent to the tourist lookout point around the corner, the hostel has one of the best views in the city. During the day, one can see the fleets of merchant ships and ferries criss crossing the harbor. At night, the harbor lights up like a Christmas tree, with views of the city stretching for miles.

The second reason is the network of people who converge at this hostel. It is a unique array of travelers just beginning an Asian excursion, those that are midpoint on travels to Thailand or China, and those that are finishing extended trips – some having been around the world. Because the hostel is only accessible by a privately-ownded shuttle and closes its gates at 11 p.m., at night all the groups sit at the wooden benches or around firepits that overlook the harbor. Most talk about places to see and things to do. Few mention going home.

During my three-day stint at the hostel, I met all types. Rick, a Connecticut native, was finishing up a year-long journey with an Australian friend Damien, that he had met in Bali. Three British girls were completing a two-month stint around Southeast Asia, with a collage of stories about jumping around the Thai islands, bogus "brilliant light shows" in Malaysia that turned out to be a bunch of bulbs blinking, and riding motorcyles throughout Vietnam.

The hostel itself is very simple. Two buildings separate the men from the women, both squeezing in 111 visitors. The restroom facilities are also plain, with no hot water. There is a kitchen facility, a small dining room, all which are widely used. There are laundry facilities and lockers. Lastly, hostel staff requires that hostelers help clean up, in tradition with a hostel's way to keep prices low. Upon leaving, you are asked to sweep, take out the garbage, or do other small tasks to better the place.

The hostel shuttle picks up two times a day near the bus stops, across from the ferry landing. Rides cost about $1 US. The hostel costs about $10 for Hostelling International members and $15 for non members. Hostellers can book future accommodations through the International Booking Network at the check in desk. There is a lock-out period in the early afternoon. For more information on Ma Wui Hall hostel call (852) 2817-5715 or go to www.hiayh.org