CAIN9INE'S London Blog
Written by Caroline
After a long time away from home, we all come back with stories to share and memories we want to put on paper. Maybe we’ll write in a journal or post a blog online. Then we go back to work, get busy and life goes back to normal. But for Cain Cooper, he wanted his trip overseas to mean more...
“I couldn't just backpack across Europe, I had to do something creative as well, and I wanted something to show for it,” he says.
Cooper is a graphic designer turn author from Australia that has traveled all over Europe and the U.S. by the bootstrap. After 41 couches, thousands of snapshots and some surprising encounters, the result is a variety of new friends and a 158 page book called Cain9ine’s London Blog.
The book is Cooper’s journal of his experiences in Europe during 2005 and 2006, complete with photography, blog entries and quirky anecdotes. “I think of it as inspiration from he who has gone before you,” he says. “I’ve put a lot of heart and travelling soul into the creation of this keepsake.” It took Cooper over four years to produce and self-publish his book. Cooper shares with Earthwalkers his thoughts on some must visit locations, living room wrestling matches and CouchSurfing.
How many people did you travel with?
Initially just myself, but I met a guy off Gumtree who wanted to see Scandinavia, so we met up for two weeks. I had a few friends come over to visit me in London and we went off to Spain, Egypt and Greece. My mum came over for a trip to Scotland (which was great because she paid for accommodation and food) and various friends from London accompanied me to France and Austria individually. I met a few other Couchsurfers when I stayed at some people's places and sometimes we hung out together during the day. It's always nice to share the moment you see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, or have someone to mind your things when you need to pee.
What type of camera did you use to take the photos for your book?
I am not a professional photographer, and I deliberately wanted to use a compact camera that was easy to travel with (an Olympus C-70). Therefore, the photos I took would be reflective of what anyone could take if they would just develop their eye. I usually take photos and Photoshop the shi*t@! out of them when I use them for work, but for this book I've only colour-corrected a few to preserve the appearance and memory of what I saw.
Did you run into any huge surprises in Europe?
The most memorable surprise was in London, where on one afternoon the city had just received news that it won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. I was in Trafalgar Square cheering away with everyone else while streamers were shot high into the sky. The next morning the terrorist bombs went off in the tube system. On one day, total celebration, the next, shock and mourning.
How and when did you discover CouchSurfing?
I discovered CouchSurfing during a conversation with a travel companion in Austria (mid-July 2005). I was complaining how I might not get to see everything I wanted to if I stayed in hostels all the time, and she mentioned the website. She had laughed because I told her I pictured a surfboard on someone's lounge - hardly a comfortable homestay. It was easy to sign up, create a profile and request couches - and people were more than willing to host me, often just as interested in me and my country as I was in them and theirs.
Why is CouchSurfing the only way you prefer to travel now?
Aside from saving money, I like arriving in a new city and having someone expecting my arrival. It feels like I have friends across the world - a new generation of pen pals - and look forward to hosting them here in my home, where I can now offer them a meal, take them to my favourite watering hole, or advice them against certain areas after dark. When I couch surf, I’m enriched by the experience of feeling like a local. When I travel to different places I’m able to image where I could live, had I grown up at that particular place, and the friends I'd hang out with.
How many couches have you stayed on total in your history of CouchSurfing?
For the Europe trip, I visited 19 CouchSurfers and their couches. For the U.S. trip that I just finished, I added 22 to that list, so I’ve surfed 41 couches total.
What was the most meaningful thing you learned during your trip?
CouchSurfing. It restores my faith in humanity. Sometimes we can get jaded opinions of people, distorted by the media, news or current affairs, but CSing helps you realize that people are generally good and share similar interests regardless of geographical location. Since being a member I've witnessed a renaissance in budget travel that is safe, affordable and personally rewarding and I'm so glad more people have caught on.
What are some “must see/must experience” things in Europe for travelers like you who plan to take the journey themselves?
Salzburg looks exactly like it does in The Sound Of Music, but you can run your own tour with the souvenir booklet in the visitors centre and you don't need to book an annoying tour with 80 year-old singing grannies. Switzerland, Norway and Scotland have some of the best scenery ever, regardless of season. France and Italy have the best food and culinary culture. London, my home away from home, feels like the best executed advertising campaign (it almost feels black & white, with a red spattered every now and then. If you have to ask what I mean, perhaps a visit yourself would be a grand idea!)
What is one of your most memorable experiences from your trip?
I stayed with a guy named Massimo in Venice, Italy. I thought it was interesting that he was a wrestler. I tried to show the host that I had read their profile and mentioned it in my request to stay with him. I turned up at his place and he'd had everything planned out. He told me, "First, we will be having a light meal. Then you will be cleaning up the mess. I will make some room and set up your picture maker, and we will be having a wrestle. It will be a souvenir for you."
Being a skinny guy, the thought of being pinned to the ground by this big beefy man was uncomfortable and I looked forward to leaving. But I stayed, got crushed ("You're not even trying..." he roared), and left at first light, deleting the evidence off my camera as I walked to the train station. Relaying the story to a surfer in LA, she told me of another surfer she had had that had also stayed with Massimo, and how he'd gotten angry when this other guy (also an Australian) who had decided to leave prematurely. I looked at Massimo's profile afterwards and notice he had blacklisted Australians because they don't leave positive references.
What would you suggest to others who plan on taking a similar trip?
I thought it best to base myself in London for a while and work a bit, so I could go to Europe every few months. That way I wouldn't get bored or tired from all the visual stimulation I was seeing. That also meant I could see the seasons change, or be in a certain city for a festival. So I suggest researching books, websites, source stories or photographs from friends/family to tailor your own itinerary - it will be most rewarding. Or if you're too lazy, visit a travel agent and have them book you a Contiki tour.
You can find a PDF download for $5 or buy an A5 version from his website, http://cain9ine.blogspot.com
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