CURRENT MISSION

Do we really need this?

ABOUT ME
I have left Romania and its traveling again on my bike, direction east. I am sorry for not being able to host anyone there.

Above was four years ago when i started my current trip. This time headed east from europe on the silkroad to china and the filippines and then from northern canada all the way down south. Just now i am in bolivia heading towards the salares and the atacama desert.
And this used to be my introduction before rumania, essentially the time i joined couchsurfing and was hit by the cycling travel bug!
After working nearly 4 years in Australia I decided to go home. Since I don't really know where that would be I went on my bike to search for it. In the end it was 4 years and I suppose I found it: the world! Started in New Zealand, and went Australia, PNG, Indonesia and for 2 years criss-crossing SE- and E-Asia. After 9 exciting months in hilly Nepal, wonderful Bangladesh and ... India and I decided to give the subcontinent a break. Things turned out a bit sour so I took the escape exit to Turkey. In the end I fell in love with Romania and lived as a largely self-sufficient farmer in Transylvania for 4 years. But once you have the travelbug its hard to keep still for long...
In spring 2015 I grabbed the bicycle again and went off once more, in eastern direction. Passing south of the alps, the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean, I went through turkey and the Caucasus, central Asia and china from west to east. The winter caught up with me in Shanghai so I am off to the Philippines for the winter. Had a short brake in Taiwan (best place of the far east) and now I am heading to Canada next. Its down the Americas next.

I try to cycle as much as possible since it gets you really close to everything, good and bad.
But I realize this doesn't actually say a lot about me... but who likes to describe him/her self? And who would believe it anyway?
I don't smoke and drink only socially. I get lot of enjoyment from small things, like pitching the tent in impossible places (and getting wet in my crap tent for days), or living for months on the cheapest item available in a country (like Tofu in Japan or Olives in Turkey).
Getting my wheels smashed by old Japanese Ladies who don't know the road rules... (said by me!) can only turn out positive in that country.
Traveling can be so much fun!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
Just now I can offer a very simple cottage with fire heating and water from a bucket well (just as life is around here). In summer the place is rented for tourists but off season couchsurfers may stay. There is always something to help or do so one can experience this isolated area hands on.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

After replying all the NO-Reply mails directly from my mailbox I only later realized why no one ever answered my reply letters!
Its been a long way since and I have had many couch-crashes so far. Its amazing; they all have been wonderful. I was sceptic at first. Who would let total strangers into their house? Where was the catch? The thing is that there are people who are not afraid to be good and actually enjoy to give and also the company of others. Its a bit of Karma, and perhaps the small thing which can have a global impact. I am very impressed about this entire project and see that simple ideas will contribute to cultural understanding and perhaps to a better world. Otherwise I am usually not this cheezy. Its all just great stuff really and yes, traveling has a downside: one can not host while traveling. I sometimes wonder if that isn't a reason to stop at once?

Interests

This place is to small for that.

• traveling
• cycling
• thinking

Music, Movies, and Books

"Little Big man" with a not yet Dusty Hoffman
"Ethernal Sunshine on a spottless mind" is a great film!
I was shocked about "into the Wild" (book and film) for I saw myself in a sad mirror.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Pfff....

What I Can Share with Hosts

Experience very basic life. Here one can realize how little is really needed in life.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Romania

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