When singer Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses sang the song "welcome to the jungle" he was talking about Los Angeles. Once you get there, you'll understand why.
OK let's start with the requests to couchsurf in L.A. In New York you get a lot of rejections, but people will answer your requests. They will tell you that they are busy that day or that they have another couchsurfer staying there. A lot of couchsurfers in Los Angeles will not even reply to your requests, and it's actually most of them. They don't even bother. Try it right now. I sent more than one hundred requests and out of all those you know how many people were willing to host me? ONE. That's it. The other ones did not even reply. Yes I know I had told you before that couchsurfing in New York would be tough. Well, a lot of people don't know this, but Los Angeles is a tougher city than New York. That's because a lot of southern Californians just let life pass them by...they really don't give a fuck. In California, people are perfectly willing to wait for a traffic light to change so they can cross the street...as a pedestrian,even if there are no cars visible. New York has no tolerance for bullshit like this.
OK one thing you will want in Los Angeles once you arrive is for your host to pick you up, DO NOT use public transportation in Los Angeles. Yes, they do have it,but driving in Los Angeles is a nightmare, it takes a long time to get anywhere, and if you take the bus it gets even worse. Yes I took the bus in Los Angeles and it was the longest bus ride ever. It takes hours. I'm not kidding. There is a subway but it won't really take you where you need to go, it's not nearly as efficient as New York's subway system.A taxi..well..did I mention it takes a long time to get anywhere...riding in a taxi must cost a fortune.If you are not driving,you want to stay with a host who will pick you up and drive you around, seriously.
You want to have money if you go to Los Angeles, if your host kicks you out or backs up at the last moment, and you don't have several hundred dollars or the option to leave Los Angeles right then and there, you are in trouble, big trouble. The last place you want to end up on the streets is southern California,and especially Los Angeles, the homeless capital of the United States. Homeless shelters are not really an option. They are crowded and the conditions are not fit for a human being.
So you need a car or someone to drive you around while you are there.You need to take some money for back up. Do this and you will be OK and you will most likely enjoy the experience: Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach (my favorite) and lots of other places to see. All the couchsurfing requests and plans should be done before you get to Los Angeles. Everything should be well planned.
If you do happen to end up on the streets or you get stranded, try to immediately take a bus to Santa Monica, it's very close. They will help you. They will even buy you a ticket back home. Do not seek help in Los Angeles. If you are ever on the streets in Los Angeles, no one cares.
But if you prepared well, and you find a good compatible host, enjoy Los Angeles.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Seattle,Washington: A Couch Surfer's Utopia
If you are considering couch surfing in Seattle, then you've probably already done your homework.It's a beautiful,clean city where you can have tons of fun,especially in the summer. That's when I was in Seattle.
Now that I'm done with my couch surfing. I enjoy telling all. Although a lot of the experiences were highly enjoyable, the likelihood that I would couch surf again are slim to none. I met a lot of amazing people but I really don't want to spend any night wondering where I will sleep next and if they are going to make my experience enjoyable or not. Besides, over the last couple of years I have been doing very well financially, so it's most likely the case that if I travel I will pay for the place I stay at. I would consider,however, hosting, and I think I'd be one of the hosts that I was happier with during my travels. I would also feel it's a way to give back.Couch surfers have ways of finding out about each other, outside the website. I mean a lot of them go to couch surfing meetings and host plenty of people, or stay with a lot of different hosts, word gets around. I would not be surprised in the least if more than a couple of couch surfers I've actually met have read this blog and know exactly who I am. Some couch surfers I don't have nice things to say about, some I do. The ones I don't say nice things about will be upset and tell other couch surfers that I am a bad guest.Good. Frankly, I don't give a fuck, I don't intend to couch surf as a guest again.
I stayed with three hosts in Seattle. I don't give any names, but if they were reading this, they would know exactly who they are. The first was a woman in her 30's, the second was a woman in her 20's with two roommates, and the third was a woman in her 20's living alone.
All my hostesses in Seattle were really kind. The first woman I stayed with had a great sense of humor. When I first got to her place she asked me if I minded if she smoked pot because she was a pothead. I thought to myself " wow a couch surfer is a pothead, how unusual" of course I am being sarcastic. She was attractive, in her 30's like I mentioned, and she asked me if I wanted to smoke some pot. I said yes I will smoke some pot with her. I smoke some pot and we talked and she was so nice. I mean she laughed at every bad joke I told her, and she did not take things too seriously. She was a happy person who liked to have fun. I stayed with her for three or four nights, we watched movies, drank alcohol, and smoked weed while joking around. No nothing else happened, she was not attracted to me, she was honest with me and told me she prayed on young boys, younger than her. Maybe 18 to 26. I'm not that young anymore. It was a pleasure and she even asked me if I was going to stay another night but I told her I had already made a commitment to another hostess.
Second hostess was not home much, but when she was home she was very polite and she also had a great sense of humor. She let me have lots of personal space.She had two roommates. I remember one her roommates was an artist who always seemed to be high. He was pleasant though, but I wonder what he was on because sometimes he was way too pleasant and his voice sounded too weird, maybe ecstasy,I suspect.I never really asked him because I thought it would be rude.
Third hostess was a lovely person, with very pretty green eyes. She lived in the basement of a house, and the first night I stayed there, we went out and bought some food and wine.I bought one bottle of wine and she bought another one. Once we got back to her place, we started drinking and at one point she told me her shoulders hurt, I asked her if she needed a massage and she said yes, which led to kissing,which led to sex. I stayed at her place for six days.
Seattle is good to couch surfers.
Seattle is just a good place,even to homeless people. One of the first things you will see when you get to Seattle is homeless people. Sure, you will see a lot of nice things to, but there are lots of homeless people, because Seattle is good to them, and Seattle is expensive so it's not to difficult for someone to lose their apartment and end up on the streets, but there are still plenty of services and places to stay for the homeless.
It's not a huge city, but there are a lot of things to do and it's beautiful. Even the library was the nicest library I have ever seen. Not as big as the one in Los Angeles or New York, but more aesthetically pleasing.
So if you want to couch surf in Seattle, go without fear...
Now that I'm done with my couch surfing. I enjoy telling all. Although a lot of the experiences were highly enjoyable, the likelihood that I would couch surf again are slim to none. I met a lot of amazing people but I really don't want to spend any night wondering where I will sleep next and if they are going to make my experience enjoyable or not. Besides, over the last couple of years I have been doing very well financially, so it's most likely the case that if I travel I will pay for the place I stay at. I would consider,however, hosting, and I think I'd be one of the hosts that I was happier with during my travels. I would also feel it's a way to give back.Couch surfers have ways of finding out about each other, outside the website. I mean a lot of them go to couch surfing meetings and host plenty of people, or stay with a lot of different hosts, word gets around. I would not be surprised in the least if more than a couple of couch surfers I've actually met have read this blog and know exactly who I am. Some couch surfers I don't have nice things to say about, some I do. The ones I don't say nice things about will be upset and tell other couch surfers that I am a bad guest.Good. Frankly, I don't give a fuck, I don't intend to couch surf as a guest again.
I stayed with three hosts in Seattle. I don't give any names, but if they were reading this, they would know exactly who they are. The first was a woman in her 30's, the second was a woman in her 20's with two roommates, and the third was a woman in her 20's living alone.
All my hostesses in Seattle were really kind. The first woman I stayed with had a great sense of humor. When I first got to her place she asked me if I minded if she smoked pot because she was a pothead. I thought to myself " wow a couch surfer is a pothead, how unusual" of course I am being sarcastic. She was attractive, in her 30's like I mentioned, and she asked me if I wanted to smoke some pot. I said yes I will smoke some pot with her. I smoke some pot and we talked and she was so nice. I mean she laughed at every bad joke I told her, and she did not take things too seriously. She was a happy person who liked to have fun. I stayed with her for three or four nights, we watched movies, drank alcohol, and smoked weed while joking around. No nothing else happened, she was not attracted to me, she was honest with me and told me she prayed on young boys, younger than her. Maybe 18 to 26. I'm not that young anymore. It was a pleasure and she even asked me if I was going to stay another night but I told her I had already made a commitment to another hostess.
Second hostess was not home much, but when she was home she was very polite and she also had a great sense of humor. She let me have lots of personal space.She had two roommates. I remember one her roommates was an artist who always seemed to be high. He was pleasant though, but I wonder what he was on because sometimes he was way too pleasant and his voice sounded too weird, maybe ecstasy,I suspect.I never really asked him because I thought it would be rude.
Third hostess was a lovely person, with very pretty green eyes. She lived in the basement of a house, and the first night I stayed there, we went out and bought some food and wine.I bought one bottle of wine and she bought another one. Once we got back to her place, we started drinking and at one point she told me her shoulders hurt, I asked her if she needed a massage and she said yes, which led to kissing,which led to sex. I stayed at her place for six days.
Seattle is good to couch surfers.
Seattle is just a good place,even to homeless people. One of the first things you will see when you get to Seattle is homeless people. Sure, you will see a lot of nice things to, but there are lots of homeless people, because Seattle is good to them, and Seattle is expensive so it's not to difficult for someone to lose their apartment and end up on the streets, but there are still plenty of services and places to stay for the homeless.
It's not a huge city, but there are a lot of things to do and it's beautiful. Even the library was the nicest library I have ever seen. Not as big as the one in Los Angeles or New York, but more aesthetically pleasing.
So if you want to couch surf in Seattle, go without fear...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)