Stranded in Madurai without a place where he could spend the night, Sooraj S. once found refuge in the hospitality of two Sudanese students who had accepted his last-minute request on Couchsurfing — a community where all the members are travellers, either as hosts or guests, roles that are interchangeable. Thiruvananthapuram has a number of CSers (Couchsurfers) who invite travellers into the warmth of their homes to swap nuggets of culture from around the world. For those not keen on the idea just yet, CSers in the city will say that it is one way to test the waters if you want to get out of your comfort zone without leaving the house. Umang Kumar Rathi has hosted at least 60 to 70 couchsurfers at an apartment he shared with two colleagues in Kowdiar. Meeting new people appealed to the business analyst though his flatmates had their apprehensions. “They had questions like who would entertain the guest, why host a stranger at all, security concerns et al. But soon they began to enjoy it too,” says Umang, a native of Assam. He is now based in Chandigarh where he continues to host CSers. Arun Sunny with his guests Those like Jayaprakashan K.P. forayed into the community first as a guest. On a backpacking trip through Europe, Jayaprakashan made friends with a man at a busking event, developing such a good rapport with him that he was invited to stay over for a few days. Bowled over by the experience, the associate professor of psychiatry at Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, decided to take it forward. “I had been cycling around, spending two to three days at each place based on recommendations. That’s when I realised that with CS, it was not like planning a trip from start to finish. Most of the time, holidays are tightly scheduled, where photos are clicked, hotels booked and we go around in cabs. CS is where you spend time with your hosts and let each day unfold with ease.” So far, Jayaprakashan has hosted seven people, including those from Varanasi, Iceland, Czechoslovakia and Russia. “They want information about the place from a native of the city. It is not like hearing a guide talk,” he adds. Software engineer Arun Sunny has been part of the community for four years. As a guest, he’s been treated to a starry night in Hampi after a host pitched a tent for him there and enjoyed living with an Indonesian family in a village. “It was during the month of Ramadan. So they would go out of their way to make a lot of treats for Iftar,” he recalls fondly. As a host in Thiruvananthapuram, Arun has been treated to Spanish omelettes and pancakes by his guests. “I first hosted a couple from Spain who were on a cycling trip through India. Most guests insist on cooking a meal for you as a gesture of thanks.” Arun hasn’t had any unpleasant experiences so far except for one guest who would come home at 1 am every night. “I had to ask him to move out as it was disturbing our sleep.” Sooraj had to ask two European women to leave after they dropped their luggage off and went out, only to return in the wee hours of the morning. “It was too risky for me. Couchsurfing is unlike checking into a hotel where you only interact with the owner when you check-in or leave.” Sooraj S’ profile on the Couchsurfing page | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Sooraj first lived the spirit of the community as a heartbroken IT professional who found friendship in the foothills of a stranger’s house in Manali. Sooraj has now hosted close to 35 members over Couchsurfing, accumulating memorable experiences along the way. “They might insist on trying food from a local thattukada, treat you with a fine dining experience in return or leave you with a gift for hosting them. But to take them fishing and to local spots and experiencing life here means a lot to them.” The members say it is important to scan the profiles of potential guests before inviting them to stay. The site comes with references for hosts and guests. Arun checks Facebook profiles as well. “I also check their passports to verify their identities with that of their CS profiles.” Umang never refuses students and goes by references. “Identification verification is necessary, even if a passport copy is sent over WhatsApp,” Jayaprakashan says. Hosts are required to register the details of their foreigner guests online with a Form C available on the Bureau of Information website. He has house rules in place for his guests. “For one, they are not allowed to be in possession of anything illegal. But most CSers aren’t trouble that way.” Divya Jayaraman who has hosted over 200 guests during her time in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Mumbai, says that her house rules include guests keeping the place clean and returning home at least by 11 pm. The content writer loves travel herself and is a regular at meet-ups as that is where all the conversations revolving around travel takes place. “There are many discussions on safety for solo women travellers. I always say go by references and profiles. It also helps if a female host in the country you plan to visit can check out the male host you are considering. Girls are edgy about male hosts whereas with another female or family, they feel secure,” she says. Rohit Jacob had a tough time as a new member while requesting accommodation on the forum when in Pune. “I hadn’t stayed anywhere before so I did not have any references on my page yet. I sent out 50 requests and hoped someone would take a chance on me,” he says, laughing. And someone eventually did. That followed by his stay with a family in Aurangabad was all it took for Rohit to decide he wanted to host other travellers. “They made me feel right at home, packing meals for me when I set out each day. The father trusted me with his family and went on a business trip. It was very touching. After that I couldn’t wait to start hosting.” Rohit has hosted eight people at his home in Nalanchira. His parents were reluctant initially but changed their minds after hosting Jack and Caroll, an Australian couple in their 80s, who like them, are also academics. Rohit is getting his papers ready to visit them Down Under. He suggests looking for common interests when looking up profiles. “That mostly works. Otherwise, it helps to talk over phone and see how it goes. People need to understand that the houses of guests are not like an inn and that CS is not a community of freeloaders.” The logistics manager has a smart way to ensure those who request accommodation have read his profile thoroughly. He has added a certain ‘random’ word in his profile. Those who write to him should include the same word anywhere in their message. Dr. Jayaprakash | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Language has never posed a challenge to hosts like Umang and Divya who recall getting along with guests using gestures. “We didn’t speak each other’s languages, yet I had the best time with them.” Divya says. Umang recalls going out to dinner with his Russian guests, speaking very little of each other’s languages and yet having a great time. “Meet a potential guest over coffee or dinner to see how you get along,” he suggests. Coffee, anyone?

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