Spare me your Judgements and Spare me your Dreams

by Tasha in Epigrams and Interludes, Couch Surfing, Pre-trip

Do you ever find yourself listening to a particular song, visiting a particular place or meeting a particular person who invokes a particular thought, which permeates and leads you to question everything around you, the world through your eyes?

Everything you see, everything you think, everything you experience? The practical term of which would be considered an epiphany, however it appears to go deeper right down to the core of what in fact makes you you. If this experience seems familiar to you, congratulations, you have been on the receiving end of a dramatic adjustment to your world view.

Are you Dave Gorman?

by Alex in Couch Surfing, Pre-trip

One of the best things about being involved in Couchsurfing is the opportunity to meet not just travellers from a variety of countries, but also people travelling under a variety of circumstances.

This week we hosted Rachel and Andy, from Pittsburgh USA and Cumbria UK respectively. Hosting a backpacking couple was a great chance to see how other couples handle long term travel, and learn about some of the opportunities and problems inherent to travelling with a partner, rather than flying solo.

photo by: hankjames

A New-look Blog for New-look Times

by Alex in Pre-trip

Updates! Updates! We have made some pretty big changes to the workings of our little website. With our current method of slow but steady savings and purchases, major updates of any kind are well...major. Most noticeably, we have updated the big banner image hovering over our humble blog like a giant welcoming....hovering thing. While many, myself included, were fond of the previous header, we've changed it to something more in line with our original vision for the logo of our site.

Our original intention for our image involved the silhouette of a park bench, with two pairs of feet dangling from it. This started as a reference to the Waiting for Godot half of our title (the Didi and Gogo first half, for those not entirely up-to-date with absurd Beckett plays), while including subtle suggestion of moving on, to keep it clear that this is a travel blog about travelling and all the travelling we want to do.

Sacre bleu! There's a frenchmen on my couch!

by Tasha in Couch Surfing, Pre-trip

There are many ways to stretch your balance to fund extra time travelling abroad. Some are easy, some are uncomfortable, and some are plain illegal. One such way (one of the non-illegal ways) we plan to extend our travels is to cut down accomodation costs through the liberal application of couch surfing.

For those not in the know, 'couch surfing' is a method of travel akin to home exchange where those with a spare room, couch or random available surface host those in need, for no charge - merely the experience of making new friends and widening horizons.

photo by: aphasiafilms

The “Right” Way to Travel

by Tasha in Pre-trip,Epigrams and Interludes

As the savings and research continue, through my wanderings across many a travel blog and website I am confronted time and time again with the concept of a “real” backpacker. The definition of such seems to be a major conflict between many sources, however similar concepts arise.

A 'True' Traveller appears to be one that: 
- Refuses to own anything more than a decent pack, rather than suitcase or alternatives
- Packs less than a week's clothing
- Embraces 3 minute showers and 2 minute noodles
- Continually sleeps in airports
- Never stays in Chain Hotels such as the Hilton, instead always chooses the 8 bed dorm
- Will never retire as a career traveller


Lines are drawn between size of backpack, whether you camp or stay in a hostel or hotel, even if you take specific electronics, or leave others behind. Such is the state of the world that we feel the need to prove that one style of travel is superior and therefore ‘better’ or ‘truer’ than another.

The Bucket List

by Alex in Pre-trip, Epigrams and Interludes

Update: This post inspired us to write an extended Bucket List check it out to see what else made it onto to the list - and what we have been able to cross off so far.

Everyone prospective traveller has their international 'bucket list' - the list of things that they want to go and do and see before they die. In that vein, I would like to present for your pleasure, Tash and my list of sights around the world to see and do and experience before we grow old in body and proverbially 'kick the bucket':



1. Drink a glass of champagne in the Champagne region, France
2. See the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
3. See the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel
4. Tour the Vatican City, Vatican City (or Italy, if you prefer!)
5. Walk across Salisbury Plain from Stonehenge to Salisbury Cathedral, England
6. Tour the ruined city of Pripyat near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, Ukraine
7. Attend a midnight mass at the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, France
8. See the Eagle's Nest near Berchtesgaden, Germany