Oh man, that's the real secret right there. A lot of folks just pile on the charcoal and wood, but they forget about the airflow. You gotta manage the vents to steer that smoke all around the meat, not just past it. I always set up my coals on one side and make sure the top vent is directly over the meat on the other side. It pulls that smoke right across it for hours. It turns good barbecue into something special.

Hostels might be counting on the fact that once you're there, you're less likely to argue over a few extra bucks. I mean, it's like they bait you with the online price knowing most people will just pay up. I always try to message them before booking to ask for a full cost breakdown. Sometimes they'll be upfront if you press them, idk. Otherwise, you end up feeling nickel and dimed at every turn.

How do you handle people who skip the text evidence?

Who needs pre-printed layouts when my blank notebook became a beautiful chaos of my own making?