Couch Surfing

For anyone traveling around, Couch Surfing has to be a fantastic resource. Gone are the boring nights in a hotel room staring at the one eyed bug in the corner. Gone are the lonely meals for one in a bland, lifeless restaurant, and gone are the lonely times wishing others were there.

Yes, with Couch Surfing it is a case of hello to a truly global hospitality network. Hello to staying with people, hello to evenings of interesting discussion and relaxation with others, hello to interesting stories, being woken up by the family dog, children, hamster or some other. This is looking like one of the coolest ways to get around, used increasingly by those for whom a large part of travel is meeting other people. Local people. Real people, and not just all the others looking to booze up in a common bar.

Are there risks? Aren't there always, but the site takes it's community and hospitality functions very seriously. People leave reviews about each other, so you can select who to stay with. What is also amazing is this is a not-for-profit company, staffed mostly by volunteers who are interested in helping people explore and connect.

So, yes, I have joined Couch Surfing. This would get my vote for one of the most useful and beneficial uses of the internet today, and is going to make future travel so much more fun.

In the Beginning..

...there was a wedding in Australia, followed by an invitation, and then the realisation that it really was not that much more expensive to continue round the world from there, especially as I wanted to go to New Zealand anyway. Thus the trip was born. This is going to be an effort to keep family and friends updated on the progress on the way round. Hopefully without creating too much jealousy on the way!

So, one week to go, and first stop is Hong Kong for a few days followed by Sydney and the wedding. After that is a month round Australia visiting old friends and then on to New Zealand for more of the same.

Beyond NZ will be island hopping through Fiji and Hawaii to get to US mainland, and then to explore the east and west coast, with hopefully a side trip up to Vancouver Island to see family before heading back to the UK. Just in time for summer....