Dear travelers,

PLEASE, no last minute requests. Give me at least one week in advance, it is embarrassing to say no just because I couldn't organize things

my name is Martin, please remind me when you make a request ;)
before you read the rest:
If you are arriving from another European country and want to use flights ✈️ because they are cheap or faster, please ask someone else to host you - for me a livable planet and the future of generations to come is more important than saving time or money :(
What do you say? (If you don't say anything, you were probably too tired to read my long texts, hm – sorry!)

Friendship on CS (for me) is different than Facebook:
here, it is another way of creating this mutual network of trust. So it is essential to know CS friends in person.
Can we, please, wait with "friendship" until friendship because of hosting/surfing/meeting?

CURRENT MISSION

Environmental protection and humanity (as much as possible)

ABOUT ME

hm, sense of humor, trying to be of help, energetic, ...something like that
I'm living my life kind of "straight edge" (no alcohol etc) but not because of ideology/religion

PHILOSOPHY

the Kantian imperative covers most of what is important to me.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I don't have a couch to offer, but 2 beds and various mattresses
I like to meet people who like to travel, but I hope you want to stay at least 2-3 nights, this is better to get into contact and it is better for visiting Vienna, do you agree?

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

there are so many really nice people on their way!

Interests

Environment - ecology'n'humanity = a better world and the way to it

And now (after some weird discussions with Surfers (only some!)) i have to say something about politics:
Putin is a Chauvinist, Despot etc, Orban is no democrat anymore, I have no words for Erdogan, I am glad that Austria's president now is van der Bellen, but Austrian politics make me permanently unhappy and for talking about Tibet one should also listen to the other side. Ah - Taiwan! Why call it a "breakaway province"? It is the country where the Taiwanese live, they have not "broke away" from anywhere.
If you agree with me, you are welcome.
If not, our nights would become even shorter as usually because of discussing....

• humanities
• politics
• ecology
• social work
• society

Music, Movies, and Books

no tootling, no operettas, otherwise a bit of everything
sometimes I "must" listen to "keep on rockin in the free world"
(sometimes to Jupitersinfonie or sth totally different)
I think I like films of Jim Jarmusch, I just don't like to watch movies alone, so I don't know many
and "Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit" (The Discovery of Slowness,) is one of the few books I read 2x

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

2011 a journey to Ghana. I will never forget...
2015 visiting CS-friends in East Asia and Armenia on my way to my dear brother in Australia, experiencing overwhelming hospitality everywhere.
2018/19 visiting the same friends and the same brother again, but this time by bike (364 day trip, 14000km to go)
2021 visiting my friend Pascal, the co-founder of "damawas" in Uganda...
2022 revisiting friends in Georgia, Armenia and Iran and within 3 weeks going by bus, ship & train
2024 Uganda again (shame on me - by flight. But for visiting the great Bbanga project and trying to be of help there)

However I dont want to fill in the list of "countries I've visited" - they are no trophies and I didnt visit countries but tried to be in touch with people

Teach, Learn, Share

maybe saving energy till you drop?!

...and some suggestions:
a mobile phone is very useful and WIFI makes this usage possible in many places.
BUT:
what if not? (a phone tends to break down if you need it most, WIFI is not always available in case of emergency.)
please write down useful information like telephon number + address of your host on "old school" material like paper (or animal skin, stone, whatever)

What I Can Share with Hosts

stories about Hosting ;)

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria

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