Unlike most hostellers I was born in the 70s

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A recurrent thought I suspect I´ll be having during my one month Balkan invasion. Plus Croatia if one is being accurate and doesn´t wish to offend. Of which I will try.
Another recurrent thought for sure will be the long trek with the backpack. Surely its not healthy to walk with my body weight attached to my back for an hour. The journey from the train station to the hostel took that long but of course my notorious sense of direction got in the way. In reality, it probably should be 15 minutes and I was prepared with the google map and everything. Clearly that, along with the hostel directions were not exactly lizproof and perhaps there should be a special function on google maps for those with a spazzy sense of direction.

Also, I can´t really relax with that backpack and after 11 years of travelling on my own, I still hate that tattoo of ´newcomer´

So, why am in Koln when I should be in Serbia? The answer is simple. I´m cheap, euphemistically known as a budget traveller. To be fair the flights from Brussels to Belgrade were quite extortionate and obviously for the expense account types and not someone in the lower echeleons of management. Plus the routes were really convoluted with lengthy stopovers in London or Deutchland and with my aversion to airport lounges taking the Thays to Koln and then flying with some rather dubious carrier ´German Wings´seemed the best option. To be fair, I have travelled in style from Brussels to Koln which is all down to a pretty cool quirk in the booking system which I´ve experienced before. It´s sometimes cheaper to travel 1st class especially with special offers. So, not being one to turn down freebies drank two mini bottle of wine, arrived in Koln slightly pissed and rather nicotine deprived. Even though I was travelling in a manner I´m not accustomed to, I still managed to get a bollocking for using my mobile in the quiet zone. Me in a quiet zone does seem somewhat incongruous and proves the old adage ´you can take a girl out of....´

So, impressions of Koln so far. After I dropped off my ladybird - my new name for the backpack - so now don´t have the fear anymore, it seems like quite a pretty town. Spotted some really funky shops but realised that I can´t carry anything else in there. Really, I don´t know how those girls do it who I host on Coucg Surfing travelling around the world with 2 pairs of knickers, a couple of t-shirts and a sarong. I´ve spotted at least 2 groups wearing matching t-shirts including one at the hostel which can only suggest hen/stag party but they´re Germans. That really would be depressing if they were British but I don´t think Ryan Air flies here. I´m surrounded by cocktail bars but am too scared to go in on my own and order a mohito and celebrate my fabulousness or at least I´m on leave and don´t have to work on Monday. A wide selection of Asian and Lebanese resturants so no need to eat Bratwurst. Cool.

Anyway, I´m flying to Belgrade tomorrow and couch surfing with Sanja. For the uninitiated, it´s a online community for cheap arse travellers like me who feel like an old fart in dormitories and are too cheap to pay for hotels or perhaps might feel a bit lonely in there. I know it´s sold as a community and the Coucg Surfing spirit, but I can´t help but be cynical. Though, I must admit I´ve met some really good people - some of which I hang out with in Brussels and are my good friends and for the most part I´ve hosted some real sweethearts who I was actually a little sad to say goodbye to. My profile is here if you´re being nosy. I´m too tight to pay for the privacy function so it´s for your perusal. Also, it´s a lovely photo too

http://www.couchsurfing.com/image_gallery.html?id=22FUKEF&photo=2831100

I hosted Sanja and her boy Dusan in Dullmascus. By this, I really mean boy and this isn´t a case of people in glass houses don´t through stones...Actually, both of them are lovely and she´s an ambassador which for some less cynical CSers has a certain amount of kudos. For me, I prefer to manage things Monday to Frday and leave things chilled at the weekend. I´m still not exactly sure what´s the point of CS ambassadors anyway.
Im relying on Couchsurfing for most of Serbia. It´s been quite fun and even though on the website it states quite frmly ´THIS IS NOT A DATING WEBSITE'I really feel like I´ve been on matchmaking.com and as most of you know I´m a picky one.

May brave the hostel and see if I am the oldest swinger in town

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