Hey we are Bernie and Mim, in March 2016 we are starting/started a trip through South America. We have no real time lines or must sees, we are interested in meeting local people who can share local history and knowledge. We love the outdoors and we plan on doing a lot of hiking!

We are both travelled a little bit. Mim has been to India, Vietnam, Loas, Cambodia, Nepal, Malayasia, New Zealand, Japan and Germany. She lived in Nepal for a few months but most of her travel has been back packing. I have lived in both Tanzania and the Philippines for roughly six months each repectively. I have also travelled to Kenya, Nepal, India, Malayasia and New Zealand. I also once got a free trip around hawaii.

We are both social workers, a profession that aims to address injustices and empower people to exercise their own self agency through skill development, knowledge and information sharing. Mim has worked in mental health both with families and young people. I have primarily work in youth and Indigenous justice, supporting people on release from prison.

We really enjoy cooking vegetarian food and take inspiration from Yotam Ottelengi. I also really enjoying cooking Sourdough bread and would love to learn about different baking techniques from others. If sourdough culture was a good travelling companion it would nearly be the first thing I pack.

When I ask my best friend's wife what is interesting about us she said 'I don't know, you are both interesting on your own but when you come together you complement each other's interestingness' my mate reckons this is a beautifully vague answer.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have had a couch surfing account for a few years as I wanted to host people when we lived in Darwin but we have not been in a position to host as we have been living in share houses. We are hoping to use couch surfing to meet local people, learn about the places we are visiting, learn new skills, share our experiences and meet other travellers on our 2016 trip.

Interests

Outdoors, walking, riding (mountain and road), I'd like to get into climbing. Love to cook and learn new things about food however generally resticted by a vego diet. Enjoy gardening, recycling hard rubbish and buidling bikes.

• culture
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• vegetarian
• exercise
• dieting
• walking
• gardening
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• rock climbing
• history
• social work

Music, Movies, and Books

Mim is the music fan

I enjoying reading anything but enjoy reading about local history and cultures.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One of the most beautiful things we have done is Renjo Pass - Gokiyo Ri Nepal. We got to Gokiyo Ri and stayed in a guest house on the lake listening to the ice crack. There was another couple there who raved about the pass. After a while of chatting we realised that the guy worked with my brother in the outdoor ed industry in Australia. We ended up changing our plan and went up over the pass, it was a breath taking view.

Teach, Learn, Share

We don't claim to experts in anything, we are happy to share what we know and learn from others.

I can do a basic services of a push bike, if you have tools I can do a more througher one. I am also happy to share how I make sourdough if you have a culture. If you are interested in learning how to row I could teach you also.

Mim is great with verbal and written English, she would be happy to read over any documents in English if it helps. We are both happy to be used for people to practice there verbal English.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Mim and I both like to cook but our base is all vegetarian food. We are trying to learn spanish and are prepared to help people learn English. I am okay at servicing bicycles.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Cambodia, Chile, India, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, Tanzania