3 True Scary Hostel Stories that will Ruin Traveling Alone
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Unbeknownst to her, a solo traveler spent a night in a Tangier hostel dorm with a murdered occupant, initially mistaking the covered body for a sleeping person.
- ❖A British student's curiosity in a 1996 Myanmar hostel led him to an underground Russian roulette game, where he witnessed a participant's death and won a bet.
- ❖A traveler in Sri Lanka was violently attacked and nearly choked by an aggressive Russian dormmate on a beach, highlighting the risks of misjudging strangers.
Insights
1The Unseen Horror: Sleeping Beside a Murder Victim
An Irish woman traveling solo in Tangier, Morocco, in 1971, unknowingly spent a night and morning in a hostel dorm with a murdered French girl. She initially dismissed the covered body as a dormmate sleeping off a hangover, only realizing the truth when police arrived and questioned her about the death. The experience left her with profound guilt and a lasting lesson on the hidden dangers of travel.
The narrator described finding a dormmate 'passed out under a blue sheet' (), later realizing 'no one could pass out under a sheet in the Moroccan heat for 9 hours without once getting up to pee or even get a drink of water. Not unless they were dead' (). She was questioned by police as a potential suspect ().
2Underground Russian Roulette in 1996 Myanmar
A British gap-year student, Joel, in Yangon, Myanmar, became curious about his hostel owner, Min, who regularly escorted people into a mysterious concrete shed. Joel discovered it was an entrance to a large, underground Russian roulette gambling den. He witnessed a game where one contestant was killed, winning money on a bet placed on the survivor, and was subsequently threatened by Min to maintain silence.
Joel observed Min leading people into a 'small storage shed' from which 'no one ever came out again' (). After confronting Min, he was led down into a 'secondary school gymnasium' sized basement () where 'more than a hundred people' () surrounded a 'dog fighting ring' (), which turned out to be for 'Russian roulette' (). He witnessed a man's 'skull all but disintegrated' ().
3Near-Fatal Assault by a Dormmate in Sri Lanka
Devon, an American traveler in Sri Lanka, encountered a large, aggressive, and often silent Russian dormmate. After a night out, Devon attempted to help the blackout-drunk Russian leave a bar, but the Russian unexpectedly attacked him on the beach, putting him in a headlock and then choking him. Devon was moments from death before three Australian men intervened, saving his life.
The Russian dormmate was described as 'huge fat as hell red-headed dude' () who gave 'blank stares' (). After attempting to lead him back to the hostel, the Russian 'quickly overpowers me, puts me in a headlock, and then starts smashing the top of my skull with his fist' (), then 'was on top of me with his hands around my neck' (). He was saved when a 'human missile flies in on the Russian and knocks him square off me' ().
Lessons
- Prioritize situational awareness in hostels and shared accommodations; unusual silence or behavior from others might indicate a serious problem.
- Exercise extreme caution when interacting with strangers, especially those under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as their behavior can quickly turn violent and unpredictable.
- Trust your instincts and be prepared to change travel plans or accommodations if a situation feels unsafe or a fellow traveler exhibits aggressive tendencies.
Notable Moments
The Irish narrator's chilling realization that she had slept feet away from a murdered dormmate, mistaking the covered body for someone sleeping off a hangover.
This moment underscores the vulnerability of travelers in shared spaces and how easily one can overlook extreme danger due to social norms or assumptions.
Joel's descent into the underground Russian roulette arena, where he witnessed a man's skull 'disintegrated' by a gunshot, a stark contrast to his initial expectation of a simple gambling den.
This highlights the profound cultural and ethical shock that can occur when encountering extreme, hidden practices in foreign lands, challenging one's perception of reality.
Devon's near-death experience on a Sri Lankan beach, being choked by a drunken dormmate, and the sudden, life-saving intervention of three Australian strangers.
This emphasizes the fragility of life while traveling and the critical role of unexpected help in moments of extreme peril, reinforcing the need for vigilance even in seemingly benign interactions.
Quotes
"I've been so programmed for privacy that I didn't see the lump under the blue sheet for what it was. How no one could pass out under a sheet in the Moroccan heat for 9 hours without once getting up to pee or even get a drink of water. Not unless they were dead."
"It might sound mental to anyone older than 25, because it most certainly sounds mental to 47-year-old me these days, but I just had to know what was behind that door. I mean, what was really behind that door."
"I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of terror for as long as I live. The one I felt when I realized that this wasn't some drunken scuffle anymore and that if I didn't get his hands off me, I was probably going to die."
Q&A
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