Backpackers' inns are perfect for a traveler like me, so sleepovers at the YIA are something I try to avoid like the plague. Hanging out with a bunch of co-ed's traveling on Dad's dime doesn't appeal to me. Plus, the YIA hostels are always so sterile and just not a great experience.
YIA in Belfast came close to *almost* changing my opinion about YIA. It's a good location for most major tourist attractions in town, plus the staff is great at helping get you to where you need to go. They have an organized walking tour we went on and enjoyed, and the cafe (when it's open) has some mean soda bread.
Our private room was adequate and came with a sink- always a treat when staying in a hostel. Still, the hostel was just okay. I can't really say more than that. It was big, had hint of character despite its sterility, but it was noisy, and just... okay.
One thing that happened here (whether it's good just for the novelty factor of it or not, I'm unsure of) was an interaction with a middle aged Iraqi man. BF and I were playing War with a deck of Terrorist Most Wanted cards (the irony of what we were playing just hit me, ha). We noticed a Middle Eastern man huffing and puffing next to us as we played, but ignored him. Once he heard my American accent, the huffing turned to yelling.
I had a very hard time convincing this man that as a 21 year old girl I had nothing to do with the war and had no pull with the politicians back home. I couldn't even vote when Bush was elected, mind you. Diplomacy can only go so far- I finally snapped at him that we were both clearly on a holiday and if he had nothing nice to say, he should say nothing to me at all. Or something to that effect... ahem.... BF and I ended up leaving ourselves, though, because I didn't want to offend the guy anymore.
When recounting this story to some Australians in the morning, all of us giggling, the man walked in, shot daggers at me and huffed out. read more