the travellers

Amin Mehanna

Age: 34

Journey: Roadtrip from Germany to Benin, Western Africa

Job: Freelance worker in booth construction

Nationality: Half German, half Egyptian

Religion: Non practicing muslim

Member of Hospitality networks since: 2009

Couchsurfers visited on this journey: 14

Couchsurfers hosted in his own home: 0

Carrie McIlwain

Age: 24

Amandine Aman

Age: 23

Journey: Hitchhiking trip across the USA

Job: Glas Artist, student of marketing

Nationality: American, French

Religion: Agnostic

Members of hospitality networks since: 2009, 2010

Couchsurfers visited on this journey: 6

Couchsurfers hosted in their own homes: 3

Kirin Singh

Age: 43

Journey: Roadtrip from Khorog Tajikistan to Almaty, Kazakhstan

Job: Commercial Lawyer

Nationality: New Zealander with Indian roots

Religion: Sikh

Member of hospitality networks since: 2008

Couchsurfers visited on this journey: 9

Couchsurfers hosted in his own home: 52

Camillo Micelli

Age: 28

Journey: Roundtrip across Brazil from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Luis

Job: Art historian and language teacher

Nationality: Italian

Religion: Agnostic

Member of hospitality networks since: 2007

Couchsurfers visited on his journey: 8

Couchsurfers hosted in his own home: 3

Jieun Lee

Age: 23

Fouzia Mághraoui

Age: 24

Journey: Roundtrip from Mumbai through Goa back to Mumbai

Job: Student of economics
Alumnus of business and finance

Nationality: South Korean
French with Algerian roots

Religion: Straight Catholic
Muslim

Members of hospitality networks since: 2009

Couchsurfers visited on his journey: 6

Couchsurfers hosted in their own homes: 0

the journeys

Berlin - Benin by car

The first couchsurfing journey took me by car from Berlin, Germany to Cotonou, Benin following half Egyptian, half German Amin on his trip through foreign living rooms. From Germany to Morocco Amins female, German friends Mareike and Ines were sharing car and couches with us. Across the distance of about 12.000 Km driven in five weeks we crossed the borders of Germany, France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina-Faso and Benin. On this trip we visited 14 regular members of hospitality networks. At least one in every country we crossed.

Hitchhiking across the USA

In the USA I followed the hitchhiking couchsurfers Amandine from France and her friend Carrie from California. We met in New York City to cross the Country by extended thumbs all the way to Los Angeles, California. In New York we had company of Amandines French friend Laetitia. Across the distance of about 7.000 Km we visited 6 members of hospitality networks in New York City, Washington D.C. , Chicago, Memphis, Elgin near Austin / Texas, El Morro / New Mexico and Los Angeles.

Marshrutka riding in Central Asia

Kirin, a Sikh with Indian roots from New Zealand helped me to find my way to the mostly invisible bus stops of the more or less informal system of private owned public transportation called “Marshrutkas” in Central Asia. With this shared taxi like mini busses we started in the really high Pamir mountains in Tajikistan, to cross Kyrgyzstan for ending up in southern Kazakhstan. In 5 weeks and across the distance of about 3.000 Km we stayed with 9 full members of hospitality networks. In Tajikistan we enjoyed the company of Ben and Tom from England.

Crossing Brazil by Bus and Plane

Through the enormous country of Brazil I spend plenty of time sitting in Bus chairs next to my couchsurfing navigator Camillo from Italy. On this classical Backpacking trip across the distance of about 12.000 Km in around 4 weeks we stopped over in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Sao Sebastiao, Blumenau, Cuiabá, Goianía, Pirinopolis, Brasilia and Sao Luiz. In total we stayed with 8 hosts we have never heard about before.

Trainhopping in India

No worries, Jieun from Korea, Algerian Fouzia from France and me respected the crazy Indian bureaucracy and bought our train tickets legally, waiting for it in incredible cues. We didn’t have to spend too much on them anyways, because our trip was only about 2.000 Km long. We started it in Mumbai, continued to Pune, Hampi, Sirsi / Karnataka, Calangute and Patnem / Goa. Because we where in no hurry and we only had 4 weeks to go we only saw a very tiny part of incredible India guided by 6 strangers that rapidly turned into new friends.