The perfect wave ride 🌊

Surfing on someone's couch is a really cool wave ride. First, you paddle out into the open sea and look out for the perfect wave. Once you find it, you paddle towards it and try to have an ideal wave ride. Sometimes it's also difficult to even find a wave that allows you to surf on it. If you succeed in the ride, you will feel very good and your confidence will increase. You have felt success and want to try new waves again and again. That's roughly what couchsurfing can be imagined like. Of course, without water, surfboard, and all that 🙃....but on a couch in a "stranger's" apartment 😉

I was lucky to find the wave named Jorge, which made surfing very easy for me. It's hard to find a better wave.

Ok and now in a language that everyone can understand. Surfer language is not easy to understand if you haven't had any surfing experiences 🤪

Of course, Jorge is one of us and at the age of 21, he has had a Couchsurfing account for a few months. He lives in the city of Almería, which is right by the sea. Jorge lives together with his dog (1 year old) in a three-room apartment right by the beach. He doesn't have much experience with couchsurfers yet, and I was only his second guest.

On Wednesday, May 9, 2018, I arrived in Almería by bus. I was a little excited about what to expect at Jorge's. I went directly from the train station to Jorge's apartment. Since Almería is not that big, it only took me about 5 to 10 minutes to reach his apartment. I rang the doorbell and waited for the door to open. I went up the stairs to the third floor. Jorge was standing at the door to the apartment and invited me in friendly manner. He greeted me very warmly with a kiss on the cheek. This greeting is normally only done between a man and a woman or between two women in Spain. Two little kisses, often just "air kisses," are given on the left and right cheek. During the next day, it turned out that Jorge also applies the greeting, which is also known in France, to men and for him it is a normal way of greeting. I immediately felt comfortable with Jorge and in his apartment. After he showed me his apartment and I put down my luggage, he immediately offered to go to the beach with him and his dog. I didn't turn down this offer and we made our way there together. From the beginning, we spoke in Spanish. Jorge showed a lot of patience with me, speaking slowly and in somewhat simple Spanish. Normally, most people here in southern Spain speak very fast and without pauses. However, it's not only because of the speed that I don't understand many things yet, but also because I still lack many words in my vocabulary....slowly, but it will come! Here in Spain, there is the phrase "poco, poco". That means something like: little by little (step by step). On this evening, I was with Jorge in a museum where a play was taking place, which focused on the current and often discussed topic of women's rights, homosexuals, etc. Really a good topic for a Spanish beginner 😆. Of course, I couldn't understand much.....

After this beautiful day, I slept very well on the first night. Especially because Jorge let me use his double bed. He slept on the couch in the living room. As an outsider, you might wonder who is actually the couchsurfer?!

The next day, we went to the beach in the morning to start the day with a good breakfast. The view of the sea from the cafe was simply breathtaking and dreamlike...! That's how a good start to the day should be! We ordered typical Spanish breakfast. Toasts with tomato sauce and olive oil (a must-have in Spain 😯). Toasts are (often) toasted wheat rolls. In a few cafes, whole wheat rolls are also offered. Plenty of olive oil is a must here in Spain.

After breakfast, I had a date with "someone". And that "someone" was not nobody. It was David! Yes, David....davidson. Exactly him 🧐! After two weeks of Workaway, our paths crossed again by coincidence. When I was still in Quesada, I told him via WhatsApp about my Couchsurfing confirmation in Almería. He then told me that he also has a Couchsurfing confirmation in the same city. What a funny coincidence....At our meeting, Jorge and his dog were also present, so David got to know his next couchsurfing host. More on that later.....😉

David and I had a lot to tell each other about our Workaway experiences of the last three weeks. First, we went to an Arabian cafe with Jorge and had lemonade together. After a while, Jorge said goodbye as he had something to do. David and I visited the castle of Almería together, which dates back to the time when the Arabs ruled Southern Spain.

Later in the evening, we went out to eat tapas together. We both really liked the tapas culture here in Almería. Here, you also get a complimentary tapa with every beer or wine. Just like in Granada... However, in Almería, it's common that you can choose a tapas freely from the menu. The selection of vegetarian dishes is also much larger. Of course, it must be said that traditionally, something with meat is served more often. Nevertheless, in the cities where this tapas culture exists, you pay a little more. For example, when you order a small beer, called Gaña in Spain, in Seville, you pay an average of 1.20 euros. In Granada or Almería, it's a bit more, about 2 euros.

My last day in Almería, ok it was only the morning 😉, I spent most of my time at the beach with Jorge or David. Around 2pm, the three of us had lunch together at Jorge's apartment. Jorge prepared a fantastic dinner for us.

40 minutes later, I had to leave again, back to the train station where my carpool was waiting for me. David and Jorge accompanied me and the farewell was very warm and heartfelt.

Off to Murcia....!

......And here you're probably thinking: "he forgot something....what an idiot! No, it was my intention to save it for the end. It's about David and Jorge, in case you haven't figured it out yet 🤪

Because David discovered me on my perfect wave and joined me.

All's well that ends well! 🤗🤗