Following Saint Hildegard's footprints with a couchsurfer

My couchsurfer Sara from Wisconsin USA shared an interest which was not very common for the average couchsurfer. She wished to research Hildegard of Bingen's life work and history. It didn't take much time to accept her couch request and the next day we took her on a journey through the Rhine Gorge to the Hildegard sites. My daughter Angela has taken so much energy to do research on the internet, drove us all over the place and told Sara many legends about the sites

Bingen, our first station
After a beautiful ride through the Binger Loch, the southern gateway of the gorge, we arrived at the museum in Bingen where St. Hildegard's life and works were documented in an audiovisual setting. This museum did not only depict Hildegard's heritage but it had a large department of all the surgical instruments applied in the old hospice. It was located exactly opposite the Mäuseturm or Mouse Tower , a medieval tower located on a small island in the Rhine River with a famous folk tale to tell.

Rochus Hill and the chapel
Our next path took us to the Rochusberg and the chapel. It is amazing to find such a gem at my doorstep, vast tapestry of vineyards while we were gazing down at the Rhine and its beautiful castle ruines. Walking through "Hildegard's woods" has given us a feel that we had collected positive life energy and a reborn body and soul. At the edge of the woods we could see such a natural beauty over the Rhine Gorge which could be hardly described in words

St. Hildegard Abbey
We crossed the River Rhine by car ferry and continued our journey in Rüdesheim. This is a famous place for tourists from the very kitsch until the very picturesque scenery of the Rhine Valley. We drove to the Hildegard Forum where we could eat a healthy lunch buffet and watch artworks about her visions and medical insight

The highlight and the final station was the Eibingen church where her relics and bones were kept in a shrine. I must have lost my surfer Sara and my daughter Angela, then decided to take a short cut climbing through the vineyards to St. Hildegard Abbey where the guest quarters are. We visited the Hildegard shop, enjoyed the beautiful view and finally had the chance to attend the Gregorian Chant 6 o'clock vesper.

Sometimes couchsurfers can inspire you to re-explore the beauties of your home area

A day out in nearby paradise Edenkoben and St. Martin

I started wondering what to do on the long weekend of the 3rd October which is the German Unification Day. One couchsurfer and another person spontaneously decided to plan a day trip together. We really don't need to travel too far to experience a fine day of hiking in the woods and visiting an old little town in the Palatinate wine country.

The hike in the Edenkoben Valley wasn't overly vicious but hilly enough for us to have a good sleep at night. After this we visited a small town in the Palatine wine country where we had a beautiful traditional Palatine dish in a beautiful little restaurant next to the old church. Jasmin from Couchsurfing has provided memorable photo shots she made in St. Martin.

St. Martin is a historic little town which is seldom mentioned and totally unknown for many Germans, let alone foreign visitors. The forest where we picked chestnuts last week, the vineyards, the old cosy wine taverns and historic half-timbered houses where they sell wine is definitely a target just one hour drive from Mainz

I have discovered this beautiful village surrounded by the Haardt mountain range and Palatine Forest during a weekend trip with the U.S. military. During my clerkship in Neustadt an der Weinstraße we visited this beautiful place once during our weekend trip in Edenkoben.

Those people who would like to surf in Mainz may consider this beautiful place about one hour drive from Mainz, especially if they stay for a couple of days. The French border starts about 35 km from here and could still be managed in a day trip from Mainz.

The French border is so close

Wolfram Adolph is a renowned expert in church organs and church music. I have already thought that his educational tours were extensive and full of information. His knowledge of the northern part of the Vosgues added a great deal to the enjoyment. However, I didn't know that he was also a food expert and gourmet. The restaurants he chose were excellent and reasonably priced, ranging from more homemade to exclusive cuisine.

In a 2-hour-drive, we drove on the B10 through the Palatine forest until we seamlessly passed the scenery from Hirschtal in Germany to Lembach in the Alsace region in France. There was hardly a visible cultural difference except the colours of the half-timbered houses. The Alsatian half-timbered houses had coloured walls which we don't see as often in Germany.

Our first stop was a small town named Wingen where we could enjoy one of Strasburg's head organists(titulaire) Prof. Marc Baumann. He spoke German fluently and probably English as well. A beautiful concert in the ecumenical church. Prof. Baumann also joined as to a nice restaurant in Pfaffenbronn. A beautiful Tarte Flambee(Alsatian tart prepared in the woodfire oven) and a delicious green salad with fresh garlic was waiting for us. Prof Baumann was good fun and we had a lot of amusing stories about the Catholic church. Church insiders are a lot more critical about the church, expressed their ideas with sarcastic humour. Our dessert was a heavenly Zwetschgenkuchen(damson pie) with vanilla ice cream on top. The bottom was made of butter puff pastry instead of the usual yeast dough we commonly know. Zwetschgen or damsons are a kind of plums but rounder and smaller, the flesh sour and firm which makes it easier to bake or process.

In the afternoon we visited an organ building factory owned by the well-known organ builder Alfred Kern. His son Gaston Kern gave us an elaborate presentation about the mechanics of the church organ. Our program has been modified just to our liking, as we had the honour to listen to three more concerts by Prof. Baumann and M. Francois Fuchs. We arrived dead-tired at our Hotel Roi de Soleil in Strasburg Mundolsheim, just adjacent to Reichstett where my former Couchsurfing host Thierry lives. We didn't manage to catch up this time, so this trip had nothing to do with Couchsurfing. The hotel was a brandnew 2 star hotel with clean ultra-modern shower and comfortable bed. There was no real reception but instead, a breakfast buffet which was amazingly rich compared to the rather cheap hotel price.

After breakfast we headed for wine tasting at the famous "Cave Vinicole de Cleebourg" in Cleebourg. It was a bit early for wine tasting but we had a beautiful presentation, a movie and freshly baked Gugelhupf or Alsace sweet raisin bread. We continued our journey to Bruchweiler in Germany where the other Strasburg titulaire organist Prof Pascal Reber indulged our senses with organ music from 5 epoches.

We passed the border to Germany again to be pampered with a lovely 4-course-lunch in Nothweiler. A beautiful little town in the middle of the Palatine Forest and a cosy little 3-star-superior restaurant and hotel serving probably the best of the upper middle-class cuisine. Our last stop was Weißenbourg at the French border to see the organ in the old cathedral. It was still under renovation, we couldn't hear it and the stairs were not particularly safe. Suddenly it started to rain cats and dogs. I have been to Weissenbourg many times and we decided to drop the city tour and headed home instead.

A very memorable weekend with interesting company, beautiful scenery, impressive old churches, Silbermann and other Baroque organs, excellent high quality music, newly acquired knowledge and fine food

Hosting a guest while the water supply was shut down

My draining pipe gave up and as I opened it, it was fully jammed. I had cleaned most of it and the water flow was better but not perfect. Apparently there was more dirt in the back pipe behind the wall. I shut down the tap and improvised an emergency dish-washing station in the bathroom. We could still use the tap in the kitchen but I thought it was better to shut down the water supply as it was very likely that the drainage would be clogged up again.

Mateusz arrived in the afternoon dead-tired and late after sightseeing Idar Oberstein. Conversations with him were so diverse and well thought-out so that you would never think you were talking to a teenager. We watched a lot of his interesting photos. He has traveled a lot and traveling seems to be habitual in his family. His father has worked in the US, one brother is very nomadic and lives in Greece at present, the other in the U.S, one brother and one sister in the UK. He was simply lucky to be able to stay with his family or their friends on travels. Following his three brothers, he is now a very enthusiastic member of Couchsurfing, full of resources.

Mainz tour and CS meeting
Mateusz had many stories to tell about his observation on travels and laughed about an unfortunate incident regarding train ticket validation. The weather was unusually bad for a European summer, full of thunderstorms. Between two rainstorms we had a quick look at the Roman theatre excavations. It cleared up quickly and we enjoyed sitting on the Rhine riverside. The bus ran on the half hour, so we rather used the time to walk through the city of Mainz to the Nero's. This was the pub where the weekly Mainz CS-meeting took place. On our way to Nero's, I could show him the half-timbered houses in the Augustiner Straße(Mainz old town) until it ended at the courtyard behind the Mainz Dom(cathedral). This is called Leichhof or the courtyard of the dead, from where we could see the famous West Tower of the Dom. From here we walked down the main shopping street Ludwigstraße, Carnival fountain through the pebbled pedestrian area straight to Mainz central station. Mateusz had a good sense of orientation and didn't need to be babysitted all the time.

Idstein and Taunus area
The next day we had a lovely day eating brunch at my friend Marianne's place in Taunusstein in the middle of the Taunus mountain range. I brought a pot of home-grown basil to prepare a delicious tomato-mozarella-basil plate and Marianne baked a delicious fresh pear cake. The thunderstorm has severely hit their pear and plum trees, fruit falling off and she had to make around 30 pots of jam. The conversations were stimulating and the food excellent, time passed by very quickly. Marianne offered to show us Idstein before she headed to an appointment with one of her students.

Mateusz and me continued our visit to Idstein which was in fact spontaneous and unplanned. One of Idstein's landmarks was the Hextenturm or Witch Tower. Its history had nothing to do with witches but the ordinary watchtower looked like those towers in one of Grimm's fairy tales. We climbed up the watch tower called Hexenturm or witch tower as all of a sudden Idstein was struck by a heavy hurricane-like thunderstorm. We felt safe and protected in the tower and watched the storm from a window-like opening. Afterwards people told us that umbrellas, coffee cups and cakes were just flying around the place. Normally we only see this type of storm in Australia or Asia, in Europe it must be more spectacular than a 3D movie. Marianne rang me up to make sure whether we were safe because her car was hit by a heavy hailstorm and the creeks were flooding into the streets, very dangerous for driving.

We came home hungry and fortunately I have cooked a good Spaghetti Bolognaise the day before. Mateusz coped very well with my emergency dish-washing station in the bathroom. He is exceptionally gentleman-like for that age, carrying bags for ladies was simply natural for him. In the evening we took another walk through Mainz, I showed him more ornaments and historical buildings in Mainz. Afterwards we enjoyed a glass of wine in the traditional wine tavern "the Kanzel". I really enjoyed Mateusz's visit because he was curious, interested, a good conversationalist and very empathic. He did not only talk about his own culture but also about the Greek and Canadian one. His stories and photos really felt like traveling without leaving the comfort of your own home. Needless to say that house rules were totally unnecessary for him

Coface Arena and my guest from China. Is it so contradictory?

People who are not familiar with this local political issue will have to read these articles first. Things have become very emotional as the plans to build the multipurpose stadium Coface Arena were finalised in summer 2009. The decision has been made just after Mainz05 soccer club moved up to the Bundesliga(first German soccer league).

The Mainz football club Mainz 05, being the soul of Mainz' local pride, has made its way to the Bundesliga(first German soccer) league) after beating Schalke 04 in May 2009. The opening of the Coface Arena on July 3, 2011 was very moving and there was a kind of local Fassenacht(Mainz Carnival) feel on that day. I'm a passionate ecologist but at the same time quite an avid soccer fan. Mainz 05 has shown that they could achieve many things without promotion. After watching the game in the old stadium, we walked 3 km in a Mainz Carnival-like procession. I was as euphoric as my family and friends and for a moment I could forget the pain concerning abuse against the probably most fertile land in the middle part of Germany. It is about walking the fine line between my engagement to protect nature and my passion for soccer. I have been watching more games since the Coface Arena is just behind my house. In this case, sometime me and some other ecologists, mostly farmers, have to think what we had sacrificed in order to support Mainz05.

My guest Xuechen from China is an architecture student studying in Milan, Italy. We went to see the Coface arena. I told him about the dispute with ecologists and he commented on the stadium's location and architecture. Xuechen is a talented student and he thought it could have had a different architectural design while still retaining the Mainz05 red and white colours. In his opinion it was too simple for a 60 Mill EUR construction and doesn't really fit into the natural environment. A different type of design and shape could have fitted a lot better into the natural environment while still displaying the Mainz05 colours and characteristics. Mainzers could really turn into an enthusiastic crowd by just seeing the suppporters in red white Mainz05 clothes. I was surprised that Xuechen had so much understanding for an issue with such a local flavour. He applied a lot of his knowledge in architecture to comment on the issue

On a side note and unrelated to the Coface Arena, Xuechen(Jason) has been one of my top notch guests. House rules have been totally unnecessary for him and he shared great Chinese cooking and stories from his country

Hidden gems in rural Malaysia

A taste of smiling India on Malaysian grounds will be an experience you should never miss.

This is in Bagan Serai and Laketown Bukit Merah in Perak district which is bordering on Penang State.








You may visit an Indian Thanksgiving feast in the country, volunteer in a disabled home in Penang, watch a Chinese wedding proposal or even discover that Malaysian people can drink as heavily as any Anglo-Saxon guy. It would not be possible without Couchsurfing and their friends. Ang Huah has introduced me to a lot of local secrets and volunteering in disabled home















Dr. Sun Yat Sen's house in Armenian Street, Georgetown tells a lot about the history of 19th century Georgetown.





If you travel between Kuala Lumpur and Penag, a good bike ride or trip in a car between Cameron Highland and Ipoh will make you enjoy the beautiful scenery





I have stayed with Andreas in his very nice flat with direct Twin tower's view from my room. It has been one of the highlights of my travels

How to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts

Meatless breakfast on Good Friday



The current host-traveler ratio on Couchsurfing
Most of the Couchsurfing introduction events such as Couchsurfing Orientation Day as well as several books on Backpacking around the World have been extremely inspiring. Unfortunately the focus of the media as well as private events is too much on the travelling and surfing part. People are rather interested in finding a host in their travel destination than being a host themselves. I think our common sense and the original idea of Couchsurfing is paying forward and this means we take and give a couch.

It will add a lot more balanced information to the Couchsurfing idea if we also present the aspects and advantages of hosting. As a New Member Welcome greeter I have to scroll down very deeply past the travelling or non-hosting member until I can find a host. Then I'm disappointed again because even these people are preparing for their next big trip. What actions can we take to improve this imbalance between hosts and couch seeker?


How can we improve host-surfer ratio?
Many new signups have empty profiles, do not host or are still on travels; very few new hosts are in sight. This can be very discouraging for hosts and travellers alike.
One of the reasons why the host/surfer ratio on Couchsurfing is so imbalanced is: Couchsurfing Inc as well as the media emphasises a lot more on the travelling than the hosting part.

Every TV show, media article, TV documentary, Couchsurfing's own advertisement only presents how much fun it is for a traveller to surf a couch for free. If the media could emphasise more on the hosting part, a lot of hosts will be more inclined to join Couchsurfing for a longer period. Articles in magazines and newspapers, TV programs and even talkshows about the hosting aspect of couchsurfing will make the Couchsurfing idea much more attractive for those people who would like to enjoy hosting.



The many advantages of hosting over surfing

1. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and social environment while the world comes to you and open your eyes
2. Cultural exchange in your own four walls and possible friendships
3. Language practice with native speakers without leaving your friendly environment
4. Teach, learn and share without the hardships of travelling. We may think of parents with kids or very busy people who cannot always afford to travel
5. Valuable help with housework or repairs. These services are very costly nowadays
6. Nice gifts, invitation to a restaurant or home-made food from a foreign culture
7. Hosting is still a lot cheaper and less stressful than traveling

Many people think that hosting is a burden and the host gives, the surfer takes. In real life it is always a two-way communication, a surfer can treat the host to meals and drinks, buy groceries, help in the household, enjoy their company, give them an inspiring experience, you can travel the world without leaving your house and many things more. Hosting is still a lot less expensive than travelling, even in cases where guests don't give too much of a material contribution. Beyond all the presents, good manners, help in the household there is something even more precious: People open up themselves towards a person they will never have a chance to meet on other occasions.


How to minimise unpleasant surprises with guests
It is never pleasant to hear less than positive comments, especially if we would like to promote hosting. There are some surfers who are rude, disrespectful towards the host and their property, abusive, sponging or even dangerous. A new host may want to contact other hosts in their cities regarding reading profiles(interests,teach, learn, share, types of people they enjoy etc), reading into references, how to evaluate positive and negative references alike, photos etc. Last but not least, the best reference is always prior correspondence, skype and phone calls as well as posts in groups

Point nr. 2 of this page is part of CS FAQ and very often used by less reciprocal surfers to pressure their hosts. In fact, this is only one page of the FAQ which is written by ambassadors based on the TOU. Several threads in groups(Ambassador archives) suggest that the Terms of Use is a commercial contract with grey areas to work around. I have never charged for the couch itself, but asking for donations or an act of thanks such as help in the household, groceries or invitation to dinner has never posed any problems. When in doubt, there is always a way to contact the Membership Dispute and Safety Team.


Conclusion
It is very unfortunate that Couchsurfing Terms of Use are totally in favour of surfers and travelers. New Welcome Greeters have a great potential to motivate the joys of hosting travelers. Official and inofficial events like Teach, Learn and Share Day have a great impact on how to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts. Let us educate future surfers and new members to be considerate to their host, so their visit will remain a lasting positive experience in their memories.

UPDATE 5 July 2014:  In late November 2011, Couchsurfing has become a for-profit B-Corporation Basically I have nothing against it except that they continue to extend their services to surfers only. Customer service is poor and the website poorly maintained, many documents written by ambassadors have been removed by the new management. CS has grown considerably in numbers and this also results in new members who are only looking for a free place to stay and no strings attached. People still make friends on CS but there are other channels than the CS website to communicate with each other. Asking for an act of thanks from surfers is still possible but CouchSurfing of today has a tougher stance on asking presents or labour from surfers. The New Member Welcome Team which consisted of volunteers is now non-existent and this has taken away a good opportunity for the community to assist new members.

Update November 2014
The already brittle website has been downgraded by the new management and the whole situation has worsened considerably. Many groups and events are transferred to FB, many members communicate through other media like Whatsapp, BBM, Skype and last but not least the ol' phone and email! Some groups on Couchsurfing still provide great information about what and why things happened! I still maintain my hospitality subnetwork and use the above-mentioned media....

Common misconceptions on Couchsurfing

With the very recent unproportional growth of Couchsurfing, we observe that currently many people have misconceptions about Couchsurfing.
I have heard some comments from people outside and sometimes inside Couchsurfing which may or may not be the reality



. These statements do not represent my own views, although I partly agree with them:


1. The primary reason why people join Couchsurfing is a free place to stay.
2. Hosts are all the same, travelers are all backpackers
3. CS represents "a big love into the world" Utopia.
4. Couchsurfing is dangerous and full of people with mental disturbances
5. Hosts who posts rules on their profile are very negative, uptight and anal
6. Couchsurfing is to help travelers without money.
7. Couchsurfing is secluded from the real world.
8. All couchsurfers are hippies and far left wing
9. Negative references are rare. Those who received them will never get a couch again
10.a. People host because they are lonely and have no life outside CS
b. Consider the host's place as yours and the host your maid
c. Use the internet 24/7 for chatting and don't mingle with the host. The host doesn't need the internet, it's just a luxury



What can we do to clarify these misconceptions?
In this case I can only talk about my own hands-on experiences, the positive and negative ones alike. My experiences are oberwhelmingly positive and the few negatives don't have convincing or even hidden profiles. It is important to tell potential members that exactly as in the world outside Couchsurfing not everybody can get along with everybody. As a New Member Welcome greeter I will always tell the new surfer to use common sense, intuition and observe subtle actions such as words, movements or the eyes next to profile and references. I would suggest reading some profiles, coming to meetings, attend a Couchsurfing Orientation Day or ask a question to the Advice for Hosts group on Couchsurfing.If anybody has an idea about another misconception, please let me know or write a comment on my article. How do you deal with misconceptions?

Update 5 July 2014:
In the meantime, some of these 'misconceptions' have widely become the reality on Couchsurfing. However, it is still possible to avoid this kind of experience by selecting your hosts and surfers carefully 

To discover your own boundaries within exotic waters

There is nothing more inspiring than the cultural diversity in Indonesia. Couchsurfing has helped me a lot to learn about these differences and even learn the language and culture of my ancestors. Made up of 50% Asian genes, I have been formed by predominantly Western cultures. I have always thought that I was "openminded" and that it was easy for me to blend in societies different from my own. For sure it is definitely easier for me than for many other travellers. After living in countries outside my usual boundaries, I found a huge difference between knowing a culture and to actually blend in as though it was your own. It is undoubtedly easy for me to respect a culture but quite a challenge to live it as though it is my own.

I had close contact with Couchsurfers in many countries and found that they tend to be different from the average person in their own culture. In fact you will find globalized circles in nearly every country.They have travelled, speak many languages on a native or near-native basis and even spent their formative years in a Western country. I found that expatriates or globalized locals could teach me a lot about the local culture, yet they are more likely to find a common ground for communication with me.

As to the Asian cultures compared to the west, there are a few very pronounced differences that I would like to draw attention to.I have lived in Indonesia, have some friends or relatives there. Very much aware of the differences myself, I found that local people who have not yet been exposed to other countries were not always tolerant towards our views. Most of them have only traveled the Western world as flash tourists hence their opinion is much based on prejudice along with scenes from cheap sitcoms.

Nowadays Indonesia starts to develop and open up to attitudes outside their own box. Younger people tend to raise their kids to develop their own identity, more self-confidence, more democracy and autonomy for their own decisions in life. The core values in Asian societies are more community- than individual-based as opposed to their Western counterparts.

Privacy rights
This is one of the widest gap between Asian and Western societies. People ask your age and income, don't stop their interrogation until you tell them what they want to hear. Neighbours are curious about your life without really caring for you. If they feel that they don't get enough information to spice up their daily coffee hour, they either insist on getting more to put on their cake or even fabricate some weird stories.

My heart missed a beat as I walked out of my door and heard loud conversations about the local doctor who was allegedly too old to give birth to her newborn baby. At the age of 37, she became the talk of the town. In their view, this lady must have received artificial insemination because it is impossible for such an old woman to have a natural birth. The very educated and well-traveled people may be the exception to the rule. However, I have been explicitly irritated by well-traveled people with university degrees who didn't seem to be aware of those who were not prepared to disclose enough private information.

A fairly wealthy business person with a good command of English asked me bluntly along these lines:" You certainly send your mother a check every month, right? Or maybe she sends you a monthly check, doesn't she?" I was very close to calling him names but refrained from doing so because he had a generous caring heart for other people. Nevertheless, I'm going to tell him that he made me feel like being shackled on the torture bench, mercily interrogated by the Inquisition.

One example of privacy differences:
In most Western countries, any individual has the freedom to do what they think is appropriate for themselves. The advantages: People become more creative, self-confident and responsible for their own actions. On the downside, sometimes people with less stable characters may not always be aware of moral boundaries or ethics. In Indonesia, a lot of actions and behaviour seem to be dictated by the rules of the society. One example: if people dress differently from the social norm, people on the street will follow and ridicule them. If you join a sports club and refuse to wear their uniform because you think your body only belongs to you, you will be gossiped about at best and openly insulted at worst.

Respect for the elderly
I have seen a lot of words like "respect for the elderly" in the couch description of Asian Couchsurfer's profiles. I would rather replace the word "respect" with "obedient". Travelers don't always realise that what some non-Western cultures call respect is in fact a rigid, one-sided top-down system where society simply demands unrestricted obedience towards somebody who is considered older or senior to you. It is the society who unapologetically judges a person for not strictly following social rules.Young people do not always have too many opportunities to ensure their personal growth. However, I have observed that adult authority is slowly evolving in Indonesia and parents support democracy......

I suggest any person who would like to surf the couch of a non-globalized Asian family or receive an Asian couchsurfer in their home should realise the impact of this culture on them. It is good to be aware of what some cultural regulations really mean and compare them with their own personal perception. Couchsurfing or any other hospex site is still a very insightful journey to discover one's own personal boundaries when they try to immerse in more exotic waters.

Flora and Fauna at Teluk Bahang national park

Teluk Bahang National Park is possibly one of the smallest but most interesting and easy to explore national parks in Malaysia. I have hiked both Monkey Beach and Keracut Beach with my mother, tourists that I met on travels and some of my friends. The pictures with the animals were taken as I hiked either completely on my own or with some Dutch travelers that I met in the park.

This time was the first time that I hiked with Couchsurfers from Malaysia. Couchsurfer Chau, his friend Chin and myself hiked to Keracut Beach. This is pretty much a local and quiet beach, due to the fact that people have to hike to this beach. Chau prepared a great picnic lunch and just name what is missing: sandwiches, different types of canned tuna, cucmbers, tomatoes, onions, drinks. Thank you Chau for organising such a great day.

We hiked in the morning and it was pleasant because we were not exposed to the scorching Malaysian heat. It was quite a big pity that the monkeys, lizards and other inhabitants of the national park had their day off on that Sunday. Nevertheless, Chau, Chin and me got to know each other quite well and we had great conversations. Actually I prefer such outings with local and non-local couchsurfers rather than an uncomfortable couch with a host who considers you a stranger and who provides nothing more than a place to sleep. Living close-corner with travellers whose company I don't prefer too much would add more to the suboptimal experience.

Well, Chin and Chau have been great company who enjoyed food and picnic lunches as much as they enjoyed nature and trekking.The National Park was well-organised and they maintain a little turtle sanctuary on Keracut Beach. I was lazy and tired in the afternoon and chose the boat to return instead of hiking in the heat. The boat was less expensive than I thought, RM 10,- or 2 EUR. For the first time I saw the whole national park from the ocean side from a boat. Something nobody should miss for such a reasonable price. It was my first time on a boat either and it is a great experience to experience the park from different viewpoints.

Hidden eating places on Penang island

Teluk Bahang national park bus station
If you are bored while waiting for the bus between teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau, you may stop at the mamak(muslim Indian) stall right next to the bus stop. Not only that the owners help you with travel information but they have one of the best home-cooked chicken curries. The vegetable stir-fry is unique and their protha delicious.

Balik Pulau
The Balik Pulau laksa is of course more famous and located on a busy street corner at Jl. Sungei Penang. It is tasty and unique. They prepare a unique home-made curry blend that he would probably not even disclose under torture. However, he explained that he put fish, tamarind and shrimp paste into his laksa. Please never forget to try his fresh nutmeg juice.

Just next to the Balik Pulau Laksa is a good durian vendor. A nice old man whose name I need to ask the next time I buy famous Malaysian durian from him. He gave me a durian which has been nibbled off by a squirrel. These little animals know exactly which durian is good and which is not.

The wet market close to the bus terminal is worth a visit. Here you will find more durians and delicious hawker food. Bus 501 leaves Teluk Bahang bus station every 1/2 hour past the hour and provide a marvellous ride through the hills and fruit farms. Make sure you'll be there 1/2 hour before because the bus doesn't wait for you.

Bukit Jambul Shopping Complex
is a great place to shop and Mydin supermarket is one of the cheapest next to Tesco on the island of Penang. If you arrive there in the afternoon, you will find a lot of cheap fresh food and fruits of the season. Just a sample of foods you may like to find here: Pulut udang(sticky rice with a spicy shredded shrimp wrapped in banana leaf and grilled on charcoal) for 50 c, pancakes for 80 c, nasi lemak with special curry for RM 2,50 etc etc.

Traditional Sundanese Wedding on 6 February 2011 in Garut

Last weekend my friends Wiwi and Novia invited me spontaneously to Garut to attend their friend's Daughter's wedding. I thought already that I would be thrilled but I never thought it would be that extremely unforgettable. Garut is a beautiful little town in the mountains just 60 km from Bandung. Tourist attractions include the Cipanas hot spring area, several treks and the Papandayan crater. Kampung Naga, a socially secluded village with members still living in the past without technology, electricity and transport is probably the most impressive place in the Garut area. It is reminiscent of the Baduy society which I have visited before but unfortunately I didn't have the chance to visit these beautiful places. Our schedule was very packed. Instead, I made some new friends like Pak Dadang and his family. We had a lovely food tour in lovely and fairly cheap traditional restaurants. The gurame fish with green chilli is one of the very great dishes

The next day was different from the original plan where we were supposed to go to the church and then eat. Because I was considered part of the Pak Dadang family,he started knocking on my door at 5.30. I was still asleep but didn't need too long to get ready and pack my suitcase. Afterall, it was worth all the energy. We did have an interesting cultural exchange already in the car and found Pak Dadang very openminded towards other cultures including the ethnic Chinese.

All the family was gathered at Pak Dadang's place and before getting my bridal make-up, I joined them for a small breakfast consisting of rice, chicken and some vegies. Later we had risoles(crumbed spring rolls) and lemper(chicken cooked in coconut milk stuffed in a sticky rice roll) for morning tea. The makeup artist started transform my face until probably nobody would recognise me. I thought she needed very long to transform the ugly duckling into a Sundanese beauty;-P. My hair was too short and stood out like a lion, so she modified my hairdo and put a Sundanese hair decoration into my hair.

The bridal escorts were dressed in blue kebayas(Sundanese Indonesian traditional tunic) and sarongs. I spent some time talking to the Wedding celebrant, MC, his assistants, Pak Dadang's relatives, the Ustads(Moslem scholars) and penghulu(traditional Moslem Wedding officer). The MC spoke some English but my Indonesian was actually fine.

So if I remember well the ceremony started in this order:
1. Serah terima or bridegroom handover from their family to the bridal family. The bridegroom's family handed over presents to the family of the bride. Everything was represented from quilts, fruit baskets, canned and dried food, crockery, pots and pans etc
2. The real ceremony, both parties agreed on the money and gold to "buy" the bridegroom
3. Praying several chapters of the Qur'an before and afterwards
4. Traditional Sundanese singing
5. The most fun of all, the "Nyawer" ceremony. All of us would throw some money and candies or instant noodles into the crowd. everybody will try to be the first person to pick up some money or candies. Well, in my beautiful dress I was the last and felt like an elephant dressed as a princess

Bridegroom and escorts got ready to go the the rented building where the wedding reception continued. Wiwi and NOvia arrived with faces so astonished as if they saw a monster from outer space. Apparently all the make up and dress had changed me quite a bit.

This was probably one of the highlights of my stay in Jakarta and meeting unforgettable people like Pak Dadang and his family.