CouchSurfing.org

Finally got a chance to couch SURF, and as expected great experience. Well, other than the 3 minutes that the guy was beating his dog for barking. That was kind of unnerving... but minus that, we stayed 2 nights in his apartment, went out to eat at Malaysian, Indian, and Chinese restaurants. He was even sweet enough to take us out for some pig's intestine. He was smart enough to wait til after to tell us what we were eating. For anyone asking and scratching their head, saying, "couch surfing.. what?"

Couch surfing is exactly what it sounds like. An online network  made for

people in our current situation, and for people who love meeting others from different cultures. It's all about cultural exchange. We get on the website (www.couchsurfing.org) find someone in the city we are headed to, send them a message and if its cool, we turn up at their house for however long & explore the city-- free of charge. There is a rating system on everyone's profile where you can rate past people you've stayed with, add friends, and get recommendations on being a good or poor guest/host. It's amazing. It allows the traveler to get a real feel, and idea for the local culture and lifestyle. To see a place for what it really is, taste it, smell it, hear about daily life, and get an entirely different perspective then the one I find in hostels with other smelly backpackers.