The HI Fishermans Wharf hostel is pretty good. The place is generally clean. The staff are friendly. There is a cafe in the premises where you can get meals throughout the day. There are computers. It is right round the corner from where I am doing my course. By hostel standards it is very good. However, specific to this hostel are the communal showers (don't drop the soap). Also it is in a kind of park, Fort Mason, where there are skunks. One of the guys from the course is staying at the hostel and he warned me about them, we have run into a few already.
The problem with any hostel is that you don't really have any personal space or privacy, plus your ability to get sleep is dependent on other people. My first two nights here were perfectly fine, apart from the normal disturbance when someone comes home. However, last night two Australian boys joined our room at 3am. They brought a young lady home with them. One of the Australian boys decided it would be nice if he got to know her a bit better. I was sleeping through all this until one of the guys in the room told the Australian to get rid of the girl. A general argument ensued and I chucked my two pennies worth in. The problem was resolved and I went back to sleep. At 4am I woke again to here the Australian chatting to the girl at which point she left and I went back to sleep. I was then woken again at 5am by the sound of a pneumatic drill, the Australian was snoring. I have never heard snoring like it. I did everything to cover my ears to no avail. I went to the reception and asked what I was allowed to do to snorers. I was told nothing, but they supplied me with ear plugs. The ear plugs failed to stem the noise. After an hour the snoring subdued only to be combined with talking in his sleep (how I realised he was Australian).
