Two recumbent bicycles, a tent, camp kitchen, no limits. After six years of sedentary life we start off towards the west, to see where Europe ends, and beyond...
This is the motto for our new expedition. The address of the blog is: www.nextstopwhere.com
12 June 2016
29 November 2010
21 May 2010
Video: Russia
We've done very few videos during the trip, but here they are. First one is in Russia, excluding the two weeks we spent in the villages. It is a long video (nine minutes) representing the long time it takes to cross and enjoy Russia.
17 April 2010
Small world - part 2
This weekend we decided to come to Austria to visit a friend we met in Russia last Summer. Was just 4-hour away from Munich were we are currently having shelter. We took the train and after failing the connection due some mechanical problem, in Bischofshofen (so you can imagine how small was the place) we heard a "Miguel" call from behind. Looked and it was an old university colleague (Jorge Tavares) which I did not see since I end university. He was there with his girlfriend on the way to her parents house.
We start telling the stories of our lifes and Jorge tells that for a year he worked at MIT, in the area of transports. A bell starts ringing in me (we were speaking Portuguese). He add that it was in the Civil Engineering department. The bell starts to be stronger. I ask "did you met Alda?". "Yes..." he answers. "We stayed at her place in Boston, last February!". I add, now in English "and did you met Vladmir, from Sao Paulo?, we also stayed at his place in Sao Paulo". He also knew him.
And we kept talking amazed by this coincidences in a small train station in middle of Austria, while waiting for our connection. Alda was our last minute Couchsurfing host in Massachussets (Boston) for two nights. Vladimir was her friend there, but had returned to Sao Paulo couple weeks before. Alda kindly intruduced him to us by email, so we could also be hosted at his place in Brazil.
We start telling the stories of our lifes and Jorge tells that for a year he worked at MIT, in the area of transports. A bell starts ringing in me (we were speaking Portuguese). He add that it was in the Civil Engineering department. The bell starts to be stronger. I ask "did you met Alda?". "Yes..." he answers. "We stayed at her place in Boston, last February!". I add, now in English "and did you met Vladmir, from Sao Paulo?, we also stayed at his place in Sao Paulo". He also knew him.
And we kept talking amazed by this coincidences in a small train station in middle of Austria, while waiting for our connection. Alda was our last minute Couchsurfing host in Massachussets (Boston) for two nights. Vladimir was her friend there, but had returned to Sao Paulo couple weeks before. Alda kindly intruduced him to us by email, so we could also be hosted at his place in Brazil.
11 April 2010
01 April 2010
24 March 2010
A tribute to Couchsurfing.org
It's time to look back on our trip (apart from also looking forward...) and time to write this post that has been in my head for a while now.
By now our regular readers should have heard of Couchsurfing. To cite their website: "CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit".
And that's exactly what it was for us. Our trip would never have been the same without this wonderful project. Instead of staying in hostels and meeting the same beer-drinking travellers all over the world, we had the chance to meet locals, make friends and experience diverse lifestyles.
Without Couchsurfing, we would never have:
- learned that one can live without a fridge
- learned that one can live without a shower
- experienced the way people in St Petersburg and Moscow go to work every day
- had a bonfire and barbeque while watching the sunset at midnight
- experienced the limitless and unconditional hospitality of Russians
- seen a futuristic electronic housekey in South Korea
- seen Kuala Lumpurs nice sides
- participated in a Capoeira class in Arizona
- cohabited with a little dog with a dress in New Orleans
- walked into the most interesting buildings in downtown Chicago
- had a great time during the snowstorm in Washington
- stayed in a luxurious apartment in Rio
- made friends all around the world that we would like to see again.
Now many of you will ask: but is this SAFE? Well, we stayed with more than 30 people all over the world and yes, it was safe. Of course we didn't connect with everybody in the same way and some people are weird, but we never felt unsafe and all experiences were good and worth remembering.
Now that we are on our way back to a more "normal" life (but what is normal, anyway?) we are looking forward to giving back all this hospitality to other people travelling like we did.
For those who don't know how it works and are curious to know, go to www.couchsurfing.org
By now our regular readers should have heard of Couchsurfing. To cite their website: "CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit".
And that's exactly what it was for us. Our trip would never have been the same without this wonderful project. Instead of staying in hostels and meeting the same beer-drinking travellers all over the world, we had the chance to meet locals, make friends and experience diverse lifestyles.
Without Couchsurfing, we would never have:
- learned that one can live without a fridge
- learned that one can live without a shower
- experienced the way people in St Petersburg and Moscow go to work every day
- had a bonfire and barbeque while watching the sunset at midnight
- experienced the limitless and unconditional hospitality of Russians
- seen a futuristic electronic housekey in South Korea
- seen Kuala Lumpurs nice sides
- participated in a Capoeira class in Arizona
- cohabited with a little dog with a dress in New Orleans
- walked into the most interesting buildings in downtown Chicago
- had a great time during the snowstorm in Washington
- stayed in a luxurious apartment in Rio
- made friends all around the world that we would like to see again.
Now many of you will ask: but is this SAFE? Well, we stayed with more than 30 people all over the world and yes, it was safe. Of course we didn't connect with everybody in the same way and some people are weird, but we never felt unsafe and all experiences were good and worth remembering.
Now that we are on our way back to a more "normal" life (but what is normal, anyway?) we are looking forward to giving back all this hospitality to other people travelling like we did.
For those who don't know how it works and are curious to know, go to www.couchsurfing.org
23 March 2010
Porto Alegre - Elinka e Alberto
At Porto Alegre we had Elinka and Alberto. She is a singer and musical consultant, he studied history but works as a computer programmer. Elinka during whole time she hosted us - four days - had to do a blog presenting a musical group. The whole time she spoke with us and on the phone and little did, even going to bed at 6am. They live not far from the center on the third and last floor of a building not very taken care of. Even if living together already for some time, they had several boxes around. At the lobby they had two TV sets which didn't work very well. The lobby connected to a long corridor with doors for four rooms, bathroom and passageway to the kitchen. Our room is the most organized: there is a sofa-bed to which Elinka added two wood pads and an extra mattress to make a real bed. In one of the rooms - the dining room - Elinka gives classes of voice and singing. In another room - the office - there was a desktop and two laptops on just two tables and lots of pandemonium. Their room is also a mess of clothes. The bathrooms has hot water in the shower, which is a box (like in São Paulo and Curitiba). The flush doesn't wok the first days, being necessary to manually lift the rubber in the water container. Also the ceiling light doesn't work and the only working light is necessary to turn on over a high closet. The kitchen was another disarray: lots of dishes and cutlery going around. When we arrive there is a huge pile of dishes to wash. For the rest of the days we don't give opportunity to repeat the situation. Finally, the washing machine leaks in the front, water that they collect in a basin not big enough for the amount of water coming out.
They have two cats - Lord and Prince - which made their business in their boxes by the kitchen every morning while we have breakfast.
Elinka and Alberto take us out couple of times and, even with all the mess, we are feeling well at their place. Of course they do not have a cleaning lady. They also do not have a car.
They have two cats - Lord and Prince - which made their business in their boxes by the kitchen every morning while we have breakfast.
Elinka and Alberto take us out couple of times and, even with all the mess, we are feeling well at their place. Of course they do not have a cleaning lady. They also do not have a car.
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