When we travelled Europe recently, we spent a fair amount of time couchsurfing with locals instead of paying for expensive hotels. Cost savings aside, it’s an amazing when to get to “know the natives” and helps get you out of the tourist ghettos. How did we hook up? Couchsurfing.com, naturally. You fill out a profile and use it to find people in each town who are willing to host. It’s all free, with people hosting for the pleasure of meeting new friends. We’ve returned the favor a number of times and hosted folks from all over the world in our little Wallingford abode, as well.

When we weren’t couchsurfing, we spent a good number of nights in hostels instead, which brings us to the point of this post. Simon alerted us to a talk tonight at the Good Shepherd Center, sponsored by Hosteling International:

Exploring the Far East: The Silk Road and Beyond
Monday, April 6th, 7:30-9:00pm
Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N), Room 202

Come hear a panel of experienced travelers share their adventures from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, and many more countries from this fascinating part of the world. Whether you’re planning a trip to China or just returning from a vacation in Thailand, we invite you to bring your own questions and travel experiences to share with other travelers!

We’ll wait to brag about our trip to Thailand in another post.