A Free Ride to Travel

Travel Blogger 1 Comment May 27, 2008

Couch Surfing is just the ticket for any avid traveler who is low on cash. It’s free. And not only does it provide economic liberation but also an unforgettable cultural immersion. Find a couch anywhere around the world, and make a lifelong friend. Read more below about Dominic DeGrazier’s experience from his article, CouchSurfing.com: Finding Friendship and Hospitality Around the World.

Cuban Dominoes and Fried Grasshoppers

The anxiety that rushed through me in waiting helplessly (or so it could be construed for a story) for my Couch Surfing friend was nothing compared to the extremity of emotion I felt the following five days.

I was introduced to a Mexico City that only residents know. I learned how to play Cuban dominoes. I ate and drank at some of the favorite restaurants and local venues of the town.

I consumed fried grasshoppers in a tasty taco. I learned to sip tequila rather than shoot it down quickly. I was talked into going to a beach for the weekend where we feasted with the locals for 15 dollars a day.

Ultimately, a group of Mexican friends had completely accepted me as one of their own.
CouchSurfing.com allowed me to step into the real culture of Mexico City, and to a small hidden beach town on the Pacific.

It didn’t take me months of travel and chance encounters to meet these wonderful people, but merely a few minutes searching a website and sending out a few short emails.
I now have real (read: not virtual) friendships in Mexico City, and I look forward to returning their kindness in the future.

It was truly a blessed experience and I thank my new friends, along with the deftly designed CouchSurfing.com. If you are looking to find a true glimpse of a town and meet locals, there is no better way to do it than with CouchSurfing.com.

Check out GoNOMAD!