Marcos:

I'm an activist person who has studied Law and a master in International Development. It's difficult to say which my occupation is because I've been working in so many things.

I've been a chef, so I think I'm a good cooker hehe. I've worked with refugees in Greece 🇬🇷 and in my hometown, Alicante. I did my internship of my master in Perú 🇵🇪 , working in a shelter house in Cusco supporting teenager mothers. Also, I was a European volunteer in Tokat, Turkey 🇹🇷 thanks to the ESC program 🇪🇺.

About me, I love animals, specially birds and spiders (this one I don't know why seriously), hummus and falafel, and I am obsessed with flags and maps.

I am currently living in Madrid and working in an association which works in conflicts and humanitarian action. At the same time I'm studying Intercultural Mediation (I should stop studying, I know hahaha). 🥸

Ara:

Hello, hello 🌸! My name is Ara, and I am a restless person who is dedicated to studying things that don’t give me any job 👩‍💻 and to obsessing over hobbies that I abandon after 3 days 🎨.

My friends define me as interesting, passionate, fighter, persistent and hard-working. So, since I am sure they see me with better eyes than me, I have stolen their adjectives and added feminist 💜.

I love cats 🐈‍⬛ and series that are not canceled by Netflix in the first season, and although it is not easy to find me in the same place for a long time ✈️, one day I dream of having a house with a big library 📚 and a small cinema 🎞.

I'm currently working in a Development NGO in Madrid as an internal auditor while studying International Relations.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We are in Couchsurfing because we love sharing experiences, things and moments with people all around the world 🌎 . We are convinced that the best way of getting to know cities and countries is through the locals or the people who live in it. That's why we love using Couchsurfing 🛋 to travel around. Also, we are (at least people say that) good guides here in Madrid, so do not hesitate to contact us. See you soon if we are all lucky 👋!

Music, Movies, and Books

Marcos: I don't have any favourite music group, but for now if I have to recommend some bands I think I would choose as my favs: Ana Tijoux, Calle 13, Huntza (Basque Country band), La Fúmiga and La Gossa Sorda (Catalan Bands).

My favourite book is 'The name of the wind' of Pattrick Rotfuss, but I really love reading books about international politics, social movements and so on. For example, right now I'm reading a lot of books about Middle East.

Ara: I am gonna copy Marcos in this. I don't have a favorite group, not even a music genre. I can be listening Bud Bunny one second and Spanish indie in the following one. But if I have to recommend a song will be 'La dansa del vestit' from Txarango.

I have two favorite books that I really recommend: 'The bastard of Istanbul' of the Turkish writer Elif Shafak, and a Spanish book called 'El último catón' of the Spanish writer Matilde Asensi. I also love Harry Potter, but who doesn't? (consider it as my movie preference too haha)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Some incredible this we have done together has been, for example:

- Snorkeling in the Red Sea in Egypt 🇪🇬 .
- Seeing hundreds of different animals in the Amazon in Peru (and swimming there with the dolphins and other animals we don't really want to know) 🇵🇪 .
- Enjoying the sunset in the incredible Mount Nemrut in Adiyaman 🌟 .

Teach, Learn, Share

We have recently moved to Madrid, but we can still guide you to the best places to visit, eat and drink here.

Marcos loves cooking 🧑‍🍳 (not Ara 🙅🏼‍♀️), so it's not a problem for us to prepare lunch or dinner for all of us if we are not working and we have time.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can offer a good talk in the languages we speak and we can try to do our best in the other 2 haha.

Also we can offer a good meal (Marcos again) and a good wine 🍷.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Peru, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom