Couchsurfing
As some of you may know I am on a traveling website called couchsurfing. Most people don’t really know what it is and a lot who do think it is weird! Couchsurfing is basically a network of people (mostly travelers) looking to meet new people from all over the world and experience other cultures. Many of the people on the site allow people to stay in their homes free of charge. The free accommodation is definitely sweet but that isn’t what it is about. Couchsurfing allows you to arrive in a new city or country and stay with a local giving you an inside look into the culture and a more authentic experience. They can help you out by telling you where to go and places to eat. It gives a far different experience than staying in hotels and just going to touristy places. They will often make you dinner or when they have the time they will hang out with you, go to a bar, introduce you to their friends etc. It is an overall great experience and the best way to appreciate and take in the culture
Every experience is different and a lot depends on your host. While I was in London I had two different hosts. The first was an Indian who is very active in CS (couchsurfing). When I arrived he served me dinner and then he set me up with an oyster travel card to make my bus and train trips cheaper in London. We went out to Central London for the night and met up with a few other couchsurfers at a bar. Then the next day he showed me around the city and took me to Buckingham Palace and other places in the area. He had to go that evening but gave me directions on how to get to my next hosts house and a nice path to walk along the river.
I arrived at my next hosts house at around 10pm and he made me tea. He was busy and had work the next day but was kind enough to give me a place to stay for the night. In the little time we had we talked about his travels and my plans for my trip. He gave me a map of London to take with me and gave me a route to walk going to the main sites I didn’t see the previous day. In the morning we ate cereal and he gave me a ride to the train station.
In Istanbul I have had two hosts as well. The first was very very kind and gave me pasta when I arrived. However, he was extremely busy and I had to leave his house at 5:30 in the morning the next day. He did not return until 10pm and then told me he had to leave town the next day and could not host me the following night. I was supposed to stay with him one more night but ended up getting a hotel. It was not a negative experience, he was very kind, just too busy–though leaving at 5:30 am was not fun. My 2nd host is actually a German staying in Istanbul for a few months to work on a project for Mercedes. The first thing he did was give me a key to his flat. He lives in a ridiculously central location with hundreds of bars, cafes and clubs in the area. He likes to go out for a couple beers every night. I was supposed to be here for three nights but I have already been here for 4 and I am staying 4 more for logistical purposes. I need to stay in Istanbul until Saturday and he is kind enough to host me until Friday–so I will either need to find another host for Friday night or get a hotel for one night.
In return for their hospitality you do not give your hosts money though you could throw in on something like food. But maybe you will buy them dinner or drinks at the bar as a thank you or cook dinner one night (maybe a traditional dish from your country;hotdogs and beans for me woot). My current host loves Starbucks so I will probably buy him a 25 dollar gift card to Starbucks or something like that before I leave
All the hosts are different and a lot depends on how busy they are. However, there is another really cool aspect to couchsurfing. That is the events. Any member of the site can set up an event at any time and people can sign up if they would like to attend whether it be people who live in the area or travelers in town. While in Los Angeles I tried to attend a weekly Sunday bar hop at least twice a month. But now while traveling I can look at the events going on where I am and I have a place to go meet people. In London I went to a picnic in a park where about 30 people attended; a mix of travelers and Londoners. I also went to a picnic in a park in Istanbul where a similar number attended with a similar mix. On Wednesday I went to a bar hop in Istanbul where CS had the whole top floor of a bar (most the bars/clubs here have multiple levels) and well over 50 people came. Especially in a place like Istanbul it is really cool to attend the meetings because it puts you in a place where almost everybody there speaks English and they are full of interesting people.
Istanbul is a very very active city. I was scheduled to leave to Izmir by bus (about 12 hours away) yesterday but I asked my host if I could stay for one more night because I was supposed to go to an island for the day with some other travelers I met at the meetings. However, I got waaay too drunk last night and did not make it lol. Anyway, there is another event starting on Saturday where people are going camping for a few nights about three hours away from Istanbul. It sounds like a lot of fun and I want to go, but if I went to Izmir I wouldn’t be back in time–So that is why I am going to stay in Istanbul for the rest of the week, so I can go camping on Saturday. So far there is about 20 people signed up for the event and they have done the same trip the past two years. Should be a lot of fun and I’ll meet some fellow travelers, people from Turkey who may either host me or meet me for drinks when I arrive to their town later in my trip or just make new friends and enjoy the experience of bringing so many cultures together–which is really what couchsurfing is all about
This poker article was (re)published on JackTenOffsuit.com and the original author(s) retain all rights.
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