Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.innes.58

I am more interested in meeting people than a place to stay. I'd be happy to buy you a coffee, beer, or food in exchange for a chatting and learning of things and places a regular visitor may not come across.

Particularly interested in local specialty foods, drinks, and party scenes.

Anyone who is relatively 'in tune' is invited to come stay in my caravan in a seaside forest in Cyprus (pics attached).

I am Scottish and have travelled many years in the Middle East working as an investigative reporter for new agencies.

Usually based in Cyprus, I travel around the Middle East quite a lot and stay in hotels all over. I can also host people who happen to be in some of these cities (though I doubt a regular traveler would be looking for a couch in Baghdad, Aleppo, Kabul, etc ... still, if I'm there the offer is open).

I have clients in Kuwait and Dubai where I also spend a fair amount of time so I can sometimes host people in these two countries when I have large enough hotel rooms.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

People from the area where you are exploring are the best insight into a culture.

I often like to travel off the beaten path and look for unique things that are not going to be in the tourist brochures. and someone from the area would know these things.

I like hosting people visiting Cyprus and, when I have time, am happy to drive around exploring. I myself always find new things when see through the new eyes of visitors.

There's something to be said about the cost also. :)

But really it's connecting to the local community.

Interests

I've been kite surfing for a couple of years which is great. I used to windsurf and scuba dive and play tennis.

I also like cycling and have been travelling into countries, buying a bicycle, setting off, the selling it as I leave. I like to adventure trips and just having a bike in various cities for the sense of freedom and connection to the environment that only a bike provides.

• culture
• kite surfing
• windsurfing
• cultural studies
• adventure travel
• travel
• biking
• psy music and culture

Music, Movies, and Books

I like all kinds of music but my recent range has been the psy / psy chill and ambient for the relaxation and inspiration. I developed a taste for this during several trips to Goa in India.

Perhaps my favorite book is the Life of Pie. Although the movie just came out, I read the book about ten years ago and it still stands out.

To be honest it's been hard finding recent books that have grabbed my attention. Partly perhaps because I am on the move so much, I'm usually planning some sort of logistics, and during trips there's always constant input of information. One's input capacity gets a bit jammed!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Been held hostage in Iraq. Although I did not plan and carry this out myself, it was a life changing experience that sands out.

You can read about it and the background in the book "A Long Drive Through a Short War" written by my friend and co detainee Peter Wilson.

The incident is also mentioned in another book about the rescue of an Iraqi boy that we'd played a part in - book called The Story of Ali Abbas.

Teach, Learn, Share

How to cook chicken korma. Indian style and as spicy as you like.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Chicken korma.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Netherlands, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Yemen

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Cyprus, France, Kuwait, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom