Backpacking!

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- Unechance
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Backpacking!
OP - September 25, 2010, 05:10 AM

I was just wondering, has anyone done any backpacking? If not, then just nomadic traveling. When I come back from Germany, I've decided to save up a ten thousand and just backpack around the world and stay at houses through CouchSurfing or at hostels. I was wondering if people had experience with it, how they found backpacking and such.

I have been reading profiles on CouchSurfing and it amazes me, some people have hitchhiked from the Netherlands to Iran and wild things like that, and I want to get out and travel as much as I can. It would be good if people shared their travel experiences as I am sure many of you have traveled.

Any countries you suggest? I have a lot of international friends who have offered me to stay with them too, so I just want to visit as many countries as I can and spend the year living each day as it comes. 3 months in Europe under the Schengen Visa, and I'd like to visit Russia, Turkey and Israel. I'd also like to visit Africa, but I'm wondering what African countries are suggested - Morocco, Algeria and Egypt? Not sure about the first two (though I know Morocco is a good travel destination), but I would like to see the pyramids in Egypt.
- Absurdist
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Re: Backpacking!
Reply #1 - September 25, 2010, 05:51 AM

I've been to many places around the world, but I've done "nomadic traveling" several times in Western Europe -- it was pretty much backpacking but with a big suitcase instead of a backpack (which was a fucking terrible idea, but I was always on my way back to Canada from Kuwait, so didn't have much of a choice). I've also backpacked in England, stayed at friends' places about half the time. Having friends all around England helped me big time. People are so fucking kind, all I had to do was tell them I was coming over and they all offered me a place. Not always the most comfortable, but you gotta do with what you get. I ended up getting a ride back to London from Manchester with a bunch of activists. It was the most spontaneous yet most awesome experience. I even got arrested in the G20 with one of the guys I met through a friend, and met a lot of other people through him. Once you get to meet people, your network just keeps expanding, and it's all a bunch of awesome people who you have a lot in common with.

There isn't a place I've been to that I wouldn't suggest; it all depends on what you're looking for.

I'm also an officially verified member of CouchSurfing, although I've never done it myself. But I did host a guy at my place once, and it was a fun experience. Would definitely do it again. I'd couchsurf myself, but it never works out. You really gotta plan well in advance.
- virav5
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Re: Backpacking!
Reply #2 - September 25, 2010, 06:57 AM

wow, I thought I'm the only couchsurfing member here, I thought that I would start a thread about couchsurf but you outdo me unechance

I just went back from backpacking around Southeast Asia last July-August, it was amazing, next year I might going to Nepal and India, I've hosted several people from CS and also traveled with some, it was so nice to meet up with so many cool people from around the world
- virav5
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Re: Backpacking!
Reply #3 - September 25, 2010, 06:59 AM

Quote from: Abood on September 25, 2010, 05:51 AM
There isn't a place I've been to that I wouldn't suggest; it all depends on what you're looking for.

+1
- Logical_Mind44
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Re: Backpacking!
Reply #4 - September 25, 2010, 07:06 AM

I've been saving up already and planning to work some time later in order to travel certain parts of Europe. I've only been to India on my own. And as a Hindi and several other dialects speaking Indian, its very easy for me to get around India. So no biggie, that one.

I want to go somewhere nice. Somewhere very foreign. And all alone. Its part of my own efforts to mature myself up. I'm 20 years old and I feel I need to be much more than that. I'm from East Asia and been living here all my life and in this part of the world, people tend to be family-oriented and dependent alot.

All of my cousins are 20-30 years old and they have never travelled without their families.(perhaps they have and never told me and my mom about it )

You know how in the Indian community, the whole extended relatives are generally rather close. They gossip alot and are highly judgemental. Me being the youngest in my generation and my family being problematic, I was always looked down upon and treated as though I was incapable of anything.

I never cared for my relatives and this is just all about me but I cant help how I feel about myself has been affected by others as well.

So I want to be as much a man, I can be. This is mostly a challenge that I wish to undertake to evaluate and strengthen myself on my own accord.
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