The Pink Palace

I have recently wrote a 2500 word short story for my Creative Writing class. I knew automatically what I wanted to write about, but was not too sure how to execute it. Over the summer of 2005 I was backpacking through Europe, I can honestly say that it was the most fun that I have ever had to date! There was one place in particular that I could never get out of my head.

This place is The Pink Palace. It is an enormous youth hostel located on the island of Corfu,Greece. We boarded a ferry in Bari, Italy and at 5am we docked at the port of Corfu. It is impossible to explain the scenery there, and how it makes you feel. The air is so fresh and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The people are what make this place, both the locals and the visitors. The locals are amazing, so friendly, happy and easy-going. The visitors (or working backpackers) are forever on an extended holiday. The island is a mixture of the old world (churches, monuments, etc), and the modern one (bars, restaurants, hotels).

The hostel itself is situated along a hillside. The view from our room in particular was spectacular; mountains, water, sky. If there is anywhere that you would want to go just to "get away from it all" this would be it. My travel partner and I often refered to it as "paradise". But this paradise is not for everyone. It is specially tailored to a certain kind of traveler. The traveler who enjoys a drink (or two, or three, or four), members of the opposite sex, loud music, sleeping in, and spending the entire day mulling around and sitting on the beach.

My friend and I spent an entire week doing just that. We also became friends with the "busboys" who were essentially just glorified eye candy. There main purpose, I believe, was to make sure the female travelers were having a good time. But besides that the bartenders loved us, the kitchen staff loved us and the DJ loved us, which worked out fabulously because we always got to hear our favourite music in the Palladium (on-site nightclub). I even met the owner and shook his hand while he gave me the "elevator glance".

Every summer I contemplate going back there. Maybe I would work there for a couple of months, maybe I would only stay for a week, but maybe I would stay there and never leave!

I am still deciding whether or not it would be a good idea. If I never go back than I have all these great memories of the place, and perfect vision in my head always. But if I do go back them maybe I will have an even more amazing time, but maybe I would hate it.

Either way, this was the most amazing place I have been in my life (and I've been to a lot of places) and I HIGHLY recommend you visit there before you die!

Go check out their website (it doesnt do the place justice though)

http://www.thepinkpalace.com/